Blur in Wolverhampton 2009 - It Really Really Really DID Happen

If you asked me a couple of years ago if I thought there would be any chance of Blur playing live again I’d have said “not a chance”. Yet here we are in June 2009 and last night I experienced a fabulous two hour set by a revitalised band at the top of their game. How the hell did this happen?

In 2003 Blur released “Think Tank”, their first album of the 21st century and their first without guitarist Graham Coxon, who abandoned ship during the recording for reasons that wouldn’t become fully clear for 6 years. It was a good album, and Coxon had a sole contribution to the closing track, but after a short tour to promote the album complete with stand-in guitarist courtesy of the then-defunct Verve, it seemed like the end for the band. The remaining three members of the band seemed to have their sights set on activities outside of the band, whether it be Dave being a politician & solicitor, Alex’s cheese-making and writing, or Damon’s colossal success with cartoon band Gorillaz, the latter of which seemed to pour mucho cold water over any idea of more Blur music. Albarn seemed to be working overtime to experiment, with differing projects such as such as The good The Bad & The Queen, Mali Music, or the opera based on Monkey. Who needs Blur? Certainly not Graham, releasing what seems like an album a year of solo material, relishing being freed from the constraints of being “the guitarist from Blur”.

Whilst the likes of one-time rival Oasis plodded on through the noughties shedding members, releasing albums nobody was really interested in but still selling out enormo-gigs, nothing seemed to be moving on the Blur front. The internet would occasionally report rumours that Damon & Graham had got together to chat about maybe getting the band back together, but then nothing would come of it, with Albarn himself stating that it was unlikely to happen. The rift that split childhood friends apart continued.

But then at the end of 2008 something changed. Over an Eccles cake, Albarn & Coxon chatted about their differences, decided quickly that they’d both moved on and any animosity was in the past and in true Blues Brothers style “got the band back together”. It wasn’t a reformation, as they was no official split of the band. A big Hyde Park gig was announced and sold out immediately, necessitating an additional date, followed by announcement of a headlining date at Glastonbury – the public’s desire to see the band had only increased whilst they were away.

I always knew that there would be some warm up dates before the big gigs, so kept my eyes open scouring the forums for info, and lo and behold, a gig in Wolverhampton was announced. Now it’s not exactly in the North, but going to Wolves has sort of become second nature since being with Celia due to the football. A bigger bonus was that he gig was at the Civic Hall, where she took her finals back in the day. Get in.

24th June – a hot summer night in the Black Country, with a packed out sweltering hall full of patient fans waiting for the fab four to return to the stage. And Blur didn’t disappoint. Their current album “Midlife”, a compilation was high in the charts, but this band looked nothing like a bunch of 40 year olds – they were lean, fit and up for it. The opening chords of their first single “She’s So High” wafted around the auditorium and the crowd went a little bit excitable. By the end of the applause for that gem and the opening guitar riff of “There’s No Other Way”, they’d gone mental.

Sporadically accompanied by backing singers and a horn section, the band flew through a selection of songs in batches from their albums – an opening bunch from their debut, then a selection of crowd singalongs from the classic “Parklife” including “Girls & Boys”, “Tracy Jacks” & “Jubilee”, before "Badhead" segued into a introspective section with “Beetlebum” and “Out of Time” the latter with Coxon playing guitar (unlike on record) here giving a lovely moody ambience complementing the song perfectly. His own “Coffee & TV” opened up another batch of songs from the sometimes difficult “13” (but it's a Celia fave) including a tremendous “Tender” which got the masses singing along. There was even time for the once-hated-by-the-band Number One albatross “Country House”, played perfectly straight. You know I think they’re over it.

The “Modern Life Is Rubbish” songs reminded you just how good the band were live – Albarn staring manically at the adoring crowd like a latter day Lydon before hurling himself about the stage, throwing the contents of bottles of water on the moshers, whilst Coxon abuses his guitar and generally makes you wonder why he’s not feted as being a legend like Marr, Squire or Clapton. Of course keeping it all together is Dave Rowntree like a metronome on drums and Alex James standing coolly playing bass as ever, the only thing different about him from the Britpop days being the lack of fag hanging from his lips. They have clearly practiced – I’ve seen them 7 times now and I’ve never seen Blur sound so tight and energised as tonight, not even back in the heyday of the “Parklife” tour or during the midst of the Blur vs Oasis war (God that seems sooooo long ago now).

Talking of which another selection of songs from the Britpop landmark that was that album finish off the main set, with a manic Phil Daniels-less"Parklife", "End Of A Century" causing mass singalongs, "To The End" being as ever the best Bond tune that never was, ending with the superb "This Is A Low".

The encore was a crazy rush through band fave "Popscene", "Advert" (where Damon finally managed to crowd surf, apologising afterwards to a girl in the crowd he landed on by giving her a kiss - bless) and wahhhhhhoooooo - "Song 2".

And a big shout out to us – the fans, who never stopped singing through the whole gig. Okay not always in tune but ever present. We were especially on fine fettle during the closing "For Tomorrow" and The Universal", the band looked really moved by the crowd reaction.

And that was it. It was like they'd never been away and they showed that there is much more life left in the Essex Dogs yet.

Setlist...

she's so high
girls & boys
tracy jacks
there's no other way
jubilee
badhead
beetlebum
out of time
trimm trabb
coffee & tv
tender
country house
oily water
chemical world
sunday sunday
parklife
end of the century
to the end
this is a low
______________

popscene
advert
song 2
_______________
for tomorrow
the universal

And some You Tube stuff from someone sat just behind us...