Blur : The Homecoming

Where: Hyde Park, London

When: Friday 3rd July 2009

Ever since I got my Blur ticket two weeks ago I have been insufferable. Every 20-30 seconds I've talked about it, written about it in my facebook status and generally rubbed people's noses in it. I don't think I've ever been as excited about a gig as I have this one. I've loved Blur since my early teens, bought every album, collected memorabilia and written about them whenever my uni lecturers allowed it. However I always missed out on seeing them live. But after parting with quite a large amount of money (and possibly my job through some illicit time off) I found myself in Hyde Park absolutely off my tits on excitement and anticipation. I knew I was in for an amazing time. What I wasn't prepared for was the gig of a lifetime.

Quite a significant part of the magic of the gig was the amazing line-up of support acts: Deerhoof, Florence and the Machine, Amadou and Miriam and Vampire Weekend. Deerhoof kicked off and played a brilliant set that was a little hampered by people still drifting in and a lack of audience interaction; they thundered through their set but by the end the crowd was with them and suitably fired up for the next act, Florence and the Machine. Their set was something truly special. Florence Welch twirled about the flower laden stage like a pilled-up Kate Bush in a gorgeous floating dress that every now and then parted to reveal some cheeky golden pants. After seeing them play I have resolved to find her house and go through her bins, not just because of the pants but because their music is absolutely gorgeous, I'm officially a convert. Next up were Amadou and Miriam playing their uplifting Afro-Rock, ratcheting up the crowd into party mode with aplomb with their fantastically talented and tight band. Last were Vampire Weekend which I have to confess I missed a lot of as it was my turn to get the beers in before the main event. What I did catch was great though, and I returned to a crowd collectively wetting themselves with excitement.

A brief wait and on they came, Blur. My heroes. On stage. Looking great. Well, Dave Rowntree's finally succumbed to Geography Teacheritis but they all came on with the cocksure swagger of yesteryear and I knew we were in for a corking night of Britpop glory. They kicked of with "She's So High", a nice touch as this was the band's first single and track one of Lesiure. Everyone was going ballistic but it was nothing compared to the apocalyptic hysteria brought on by the next track, "Boys and Girls". I was about six people deep from the front when 90's Lad culture was reborn in all its shirts off, Kappa trainer, Loaded reading glory. This embodied itself by the crowd jumping around and surging towards the stage as if they'd just won the lottery and the ticket had blown out of their hands and stuck to Damon Albarn's forehead. The guys were playing up a storm, they looked happy, energised and enjoying playing together again. Somewhere between "Tracy Jacks" and "There's No Other Way" my shoe came off and I managed to quickly grab it and hold it aloft like some hunt trophy whilst attempting to hop around on one foot. I didn't really care my foot was being periodically fractured while listening to a Blur on pristine form playing "Badhead" and "Beetlebum". However after me and my mate Tom had been pulled up off the floor for about the twentieth time he dragged me towards the back to catch our breath and hopefully give me the chance to save at least two of my toes.

It was as I was tying my shoe when some Neanderthal brick shithouse who finds the concept of crisps tricky decided to rugby tackle me to the ground. I don't know why, perhaps he was jealous of someone who possessed opposable thumbs. Luckily he did this right in front of security, who promptly ecorted him out to lumber off home to the 42 inch television that he sits in front of drawing erotic pictures of footballers in wax crayons. Personal grievances aside it's worth mentioning the high knobhead count there, particularly demonstrated by half-full plastic beer bottles flying everywhere. I didn't care though, this was turning out to be an epic night and we were back right at the front in time for a belting performance of "Coffee and TV". This was followed by a glorious rendition of "Tender" that we all loved so much we carried on singing it after Graham Coxon had caressed his final string. "Country House" came next and the jubilation went all the way up to 11. You'd think Blur would have been sick of it by now but they played it with an energy and passion like they'd just released it and were hoping to bump it up to No. 1. This was offset by three criminally unsuccessful singles from Modern Life is Rubbish; "Oily Water", "Chemical World" and "Sunday Sunday". For the die-hard fans this was fantastic, hearing beloved tracks getting a revival. For the more casual fan they were blown away by rip-roaring tracks they weren't necessarily familiar with. And for Blur? A moment of immense triumph, music deemed "not good enough" in the past whipping fifty thousand people into an ecstatic frenzy.

Then it was back to the hits with "Parklife", played in the park it was written about with Phil Daniels there telling you to "cut down on your porklife mate!" Part of me still thinks this part was a dream, my brain can't actually cope with the utter brilliance of it, particularly as they followed this with "End of a Century" and to round off the set breaking everyone's heart into a million pieces with a sublime rendition of "This is A Low". But like another great comeback artist said, "It ain't over 'til it's over" and it certainly wasn't. The first encore included another ignored at the time classic "Popscene" and finished with a inevitable yet ball-breaking performance of "Song 2". The second encore kicked off with fan favourite "Death of a Party", a poigniant Britpop swansong. One more glorious Modern Life is Rubbish revival with "For Tomorrow" and Blur came to their final song, "The Universal". I'm not ashamed to admit I shed a few tears as we sang along, it was an incredibly emotional moment. Not only was it the end of a unique and wonderful gig but it was much more than that; it managed to capture the bittersweet memories of 90's Britpop and also the hope we're desperately clinging to for a brighter future. Yes we're laden with debt, struggling to find work. Yes we've got a government who alienates us and we're facing the prospect of an even worse one. Yes modern life IS rubbish but never forget, "It really, really could happen". Especially with Blur back and at their very, very best.

Words: Harvey Ovenden

gdbizjzou
Posts: 3

ISGSLRfs
Reply #3 on : Fri July 08, 2011, 17:52:49

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Makaila
Posts: 3

wvONEicuBI
Reply #2 on : Mon July 04, 2011, 18:00:54

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I thought finding this would be so adrouus but it’s a breeze!

Anonymous
Posts: 3

Re: Blur: The Homecoming
Reply #1 on : Tue July 07, 2009, 16:09:51

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So, so jealous...

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