The Return of Blur

Britpop icons Blur have reunited and are set to play two dates at London's Hyde Park on July 2 and 3. Understandably this is causing a great deal of excitement amongst those eager to relive the heady days of the mid-90s, and there's no doubt the band are going to make big bucks from the comeback. The thing is, unlike a lot of reunions, it doesn't seem like money is the main factor for the band.

After all, Damon has done well with Gorillaz and his Monkey opera, Coxon's done alright from his solo stuff, Rowntree's been standing as a Labour candidate and Alex James has been judging TV talent shows and making a name for himself in the world of cheese. From the outside, it would seem that the respective members don't 'need' to reform the band because their individual careers are flagging.

Furthermore, it seems that Albarn and Coxon are genuinely mates again, which is quite a turnaround considering the previous animosity between the two, with Coxon branding the frontman an "egomaniac".

I wouldn't consider myself a massive Blur fan, but for some reason I find their reunion an intriguing prospect. I was just on the cusp of my teenage years during the bands heyday, maybe slightly too young to fully appreciate them. When it came to the Blur v Oasis wars I tended to lean towards the Gallagher brothers, but in truth I was only really a casual admirer of both bands.

However, when Blur released the single 'Out of Time' from 2003's Think Tank I was taken aback. It was absolutely captivating, and unlike anything I'd ever heard from the band before. The sitars, Albarn's transcendent vocals, it was unlike anything else on the radio. 'Think Tank' itself was a mesmerizing work, and showed Blur had a spirit of musical adventure absent from contemporaries like Oasis.

When Blur play their Hyde Park gigs, and probably Glastonbury, they'll dust-off 'Girls and Boys' and 'Parklife' and it'll be one big nostalgia trip. There's nothing wrong with that, but what I'm really interested in is the prospect of the band recording new material. 'Think Tank' was their last record (albeit with a sparing contribution from Coxon) and it would be great to seem them progress further in that direction, instead of reverting back to the 'classic' blur sound. Time will tell.


Just so you know, not everyone is welcoming back Blur with open arms. You may remember a certain Glasgow band used to sell a T-shirt on their merch stall bearing the legend 'Blur:Are Shite'. Well, now Mogwai have sensed a business opportunity and think they could shift a few 'Blur: Are Shite Again' shirts!