Blur releasing concert film and documentary this year
Britpop heroes Blur are releasing a documentary and concert movie to chart their emphatic 2023 return.
The feature-length documentary will follow the quartet’s most recent comeback, which saw them release their first album in eight years, The Ballad of Darren, to critical acclaim. Featuring the singles, ‘The Narcissist’, ‘St. Charles Square’ and ‘Barbaric’, the project hit the top of the UK Album Chart in July 2023.
The release saw frontman Damon Albarn break a record for having two number one studio-length releases in the same calendar year, for Blur’s latest body of work and Gorillaz’s Cracker Island.
In a three-star review of the album, Far Out wrote: “It may not be the most heartwarming album of the year, but the fearlessness and unflinching emotion that fills up The Ballad of Darren is more than enough to place it proudly within the Blur canon.”
To mark their return, Blur also played two historic shows at London’s Wembley Stadium in July 2023. These pair of dates will also comprise the second movie coming from the Britipop band in the form of the concert film called, Blur: Live At Wembley Stadium.
According to a Screen Daily report, the UK sales and distribution company Altitude has added both titles to its European Film Market (EFM) slate. Both will be released in UK and Irish cinemas later this year.
The movies are directed by Tony L. and produced by Josh Connolly via their UK production company, Up The Game, which has previously been in the music documentary field. It previously worked on acclaimed titles such as Liam Gallagher: Knebworth 22, Olivia Rodrigo: Sour Prom, and Foals: Rip Up The Road.
L directed all three of the above projects and has also worked with Albarn and Blur during this new period. He created the video for ‘St. Charles Square’ as well as the frontman’s performance of ‘Polaris’ in 2021.
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