Live Photos: Blur perform at Wembley, London
Last November, Britpop stalwarts Blur revealed plans to reunite for their first live show in eight years. The group last toured in support of The Magic Whip, their Hong Kong-inspired album of 2015. Since announcing a huge two-night residency at London’s Wembley Stadium, Blur have also laid the tracks for a new album, The Ballad of Darren.
Following the announcement of Blur’s Wembley dates last year, frontman Damon Albarn commented on social media: “We really love playing these songs and thought it’s about time we did it again.”
Guitarist Graham Coxon added: “I’m really looking forward to playing with my Blur brothers again and revisiting all those great songs… Blur live shows are always amazing for me. A nice guitar and an amp turned right up and loads of smiling faces.”
Bassist Alex James chimed in: “There’s always something really special when the four of us get in a room. It’s nice to think that on 8th July, that room will be Wembley Stadium.” And finally, drummer Dave Rowntree wrote: “After the chaos of the last few years, it’s great to get back out to play some songs together on a summer’s day in London. Hope to see you there.”
So, finally, the dates have passed, but we managed to capture some of the action from Sunday evening’s performance for the enjoyment of those present and those who, regrettably, missed out on the action.
Following a pair of well-placed and expertly executed warm-up sets from The Selecter and The Modfather himself, Paul Weller, Albarn led his band to the stage to greet a swarm of frenetic fans hungry for hits old and new. Fortunately, this is exactly what they received.
As if demonstrating the range with which they would proceed, Blur launched into ‘St Charles Square’, the second previewing single from The Ballad of Darren, followed swiftly by ‘There’s No Other Way’, the second single from their 1991 debut album, Leisure.
As the set unfolded, Blur revisited mid-1990s classics like ‘Beatlebum’, ‘Tracy Jacks’, ‘Coffee & TV’ and ‘Country House’ and even plucked ‘Out of Time’ from 2003’s Think Tank. One of the most memorable, if predictable, moments was ‘Parklife’, a song for which the band brought out the legendary actor and original singer Phil Daniels.
After the set’s 20th track, ‘This Is a Low’, the band returned to the stage for a six-song encore, finishing with the soaring second single from 1995’s The Great Escape, ‘The Universal’. As the band graciously vacated the stage, the swarm dispersed into the night with chants of, “It really, really, really could happen” echoing through the Underground.
Blur are set to release their ninth studio album on July 21st. Until then, check out some of our photos from the final Wembley show below.
