Blur are one of the seminal British bands of the 1990’s – breaking through into the big time with the classic hit Girls and Boys in 1994. Formed in 1989 by friends Damon Albarn, Graham Coxon, Alex James, and Dave Rowntree, Blur produced a trademark sound unlike any other band of the time and would ultimately leave an indelible mark on the British music landscape.
Hits like Country House, Beetlebum, Charmless Man, and The Universal would follow and their North v South rivalry with Oasis helped define a golden era of British indie music. Personal beef between Damon Albarn and Liam Gallagher would become stuff of Britpop legend, with Albarn playing the role of the poster boy for the UK indie scene at the time. Not only would the two compete over position in the music charts, but their individual fashion sense also elevated Albarn and Gallagher to the position of style icons.
Blur would go on to scoop up a total of five BRIT awards and two Mercury Music prize nominations, but their memorable music videos endeared them to fans worldwide – from Coffee & TV to Song 2 and Parklife, Blur were a band ready for the MTV generation.
Five multi-platinum albums, headline slots at festivals like Glastonbury, Isle of Wight and Reading and a touring schedule that took them to all corners of the globe, the boys from Blur seemingly had the world at their feet.
However, all was not entirely well. Coxon departed the band in 2002 after his relationship with Albarn deteriorated and with the individual members wanting to focus on their own solo projects such as Albarn’s Gorillaz, Blur separated in 2004.
Having reunited for concerts like Oxegen and T In the Park in 2009 and Hyde Park and Coachella 2012, the return of Blur seemed imminent. Despite a new album ‘The Magic Whip’ in 2015, Blur have not played live together since a surprise charity performance in 2019.
2023 will mark nearly 30 years since the release of their legendary second album Parklife and the rumour mill has been rife that Blur will return with a huge night at one of London’s biggest stadiums in the plans. What you can be sure of is that should any London concert be announced, tickets would be the hottest in town as one of Britain’s most iconic bands in a generation makes a long-awaited return.