Brit Music Scene

Is The Blur Reunion Already Over? - No Future Plans

Posted: 25 Jul 2009 03:36 PM PDT

When Blur announced their impending reunion in December of last year, I and many other old-school British music fans whooped with joy. Here were one of the original Britpop bands getting back together after almost a decade apart, and they were set to play comeback gigs and headline some of the summer festivals. What could be better?

Nothing really, except Blur making a new record. Unfortunately, that looks unlikely, and the reunion may already be over. Blur spent the summer playing live to excited crowds in London and Manchester, and at the Glastonbury and T In The Park festivals. At the latter of those gigs, Damon Albarn uttered a throwaway line that implied Blur were over once again. He said, “This is our last gig,” after playing the opening song of the set. The only question being whether he meant the last gig for the time being or the last gig for ever.

Now, not only has Graham Coxon returned to his solo career, playing a gig packed with acoustic songs at the Roundhouse venue in London, but bassist Alex James has confirmed that Blur have no further plans, either to play live together or to record new material.

James told BBC News:

“That was what we said we’d do and we did it and it was great. It hasn’t been mentioned the idea of doing anything else but hey, it was great.”

“I’ve spent the last week staring at a bonfire muttering to myself. I haven’t been able to contain the joy that it brought to all of us. It was very, very emotional. Everything we hoped it would be and more.”

“[Glastonbury was] kind of like doing an away gig, you’re not playing to your own crowd. The weather was perfect, the crowd were up for it, we were up for it and between us we smashed it to bits. What was amazing was the band’s and the audiences’ connection. Best gig we’ve ever done. Amazing.”

“[We have not talked about] doing anything else whatsoever.”

So, the band all seemed to enjoy playing together as a foursome again, with James insisting it was more than they could have wished for. But they haven’t even broached the subject of what to do now. Which seems a little strange to my mind. Surely one of them would have decided to speak up and forward the idea that maybe, just maybe this band works and should carry on working together.

I’d hate to see Blur disappear again just a few months after we got them back. Albarn and Coxon obviously have other projects to work on, while Alex James and Dave Rowntree weren’t exactly sitting at home twiddling their thumbs before the reunion took place. But as busy as they all are, surely there’s room for Blur in their lives. I know there’s room for Blur in my life and in the millions of other fans’ lives.

[Photo Source: Newscom]

Post from: Brit Music Scene