The forecast was terrible…
A year ago you wouldn’t have got a price on Blur reforming, but there they were on stage at Hyde Park on Friday night under a virtually cloudless sky giving it their absolute all.
Damon Albarn had said the night before he didn’t think Blur could produce another performance like Thursday’s; later he admitted that maybe, just maybe, Friday was even better.
He also thanked everyone who had pestered them and massaged their egos to get them back together. Seeing how supremely happy they were on stage last night you wondered how they could have split up. But touring, alcohol and drugs can easily destroy the best of band relationships.
So 55,000 of us rocked up, saw some great sets by the support acts of Florence and the Machine, Deerhoof, Amadou And Miriam and Vampire Weekend, whose upstate New York, Soweto vibe was perfect for a warm summer’s evening.
Blur started with She’s So High and rattled through 25 great songs, including slightly less known tracks such as Oily Water, Trimm Trabb. The greats were there, Girls and Boys, Tracy Jacks, Beetlebum – sublime as the sun sank on the day and an aircraft flew into the clouds, which is how I like to think it should be played; Parklife (in honour of Hyde Park, which was revealed as the inspiration for the song); Song 2, which had a slow start before the customary explosion of WooHoos, and the closers in the second encore of Death of a Party, For Tomorrow and The Universal.
They were energetic, emotional and full of happiness. I don’t think I have seen many bands who seemed so genuinely happy to be on stage playing what was essentially a greatest hits set.
The only unanswered questions are whether Blur will hit the studio, and why does Graham Coxon take his specs off after 4 songs?
The forecast was terrible…
A year ago you wouldn’t have got a price on Blur reforming, but there they were on stage at Hyde Park on Friday night under a virtually cloudless sky giving it their absolute all.
Damon Albarn had said the night before he didn’t think Blur could produce another performance like Thursday’s; later he admitted that maybe, just maybe, Friday was even better.
He also thanked everyone who had pestered them and massaged their egos to get them back together. Seeing how supremely happy they were on stage last night you wondered how they could have split up. But touring, alcohol and drugs can easily destroy the best of band relationships.
So 55,000 of us rocked up, saw some great sets by the support acts of Florence and the Machine, Deerhoof, Amadou And Miriam and Vampire Weekend, whose upstate New York, Soweto vibe was perfect for a warm summer’s evening.
Blur started with She’s So High and rattled through 25 great songs, including slightly less known tracks such as Oily Water, Trimm Trabb. The greats were there, Girls and Boys, Tracy Jacks, Beetlebum – sublime as the sun sank on the day and an aircraft flew into the clouds, which is how I like to think it should be played; Parklife (in honour of Hyde Park, which was revealed as the inspiration for the song); Song 2, which had a slow start before the customary explosion of WooHoos, and the closers in the second encore of Death of a Party, For Tomorrow and The Universal.
They were energetic, emotional and full of happiness. I don’t think I have seen many bands who seemed so genuinely happy to be on stage playing what was essentially a greatest hits set.
The only unanswered questions are whether Blur will hit the studio, and why does Graham Coxon take his specs off after 4 songs?
Richard Earney Gigs/ Events Blur, Damon Albarn, Hyde Park
