Blur live at Margate Winter Gardens - 'first gig in three years so we are scared'

Blur performed at Margate Winter Gardens on August 1st 2012. The show was met with great reviews from the fans in the audience, and although Graham Coxon's amp had some problems at times, the band managed a really long, really good show.

Blur forum member 'simonn' reported:

Band was very happy. Damon said 'first gig in three years so we're scared'. Lots of smiles, Damon kissed Graham on the back of his neck halfway through one solo, very touching! Damon appeared to play a kazoo solo during (I think) Sunday Sunday, made a change from the jogging...

Dave sported headphones for at least two songs...Grahams amp went out a couple of times, in particular just before the finale to Trimm Trabb, cue lobbing of pint glass at his amp, crowd tried to perk him with 'Graham' chants, and Damon gave him a big hug....which helped. Great gig, great crowd, wish I had more tickets!

- The beach at Margate - posted on Twitter by a fan who went -

Blurcast also posted:

Absolutely awesome gig tonight. A really great set too - definitely a different feel to the 2009 shows and feeling a little less "greatest hits". Caramel is just amazing and I am baffled as to why it was always omitted on the 13 tour. The revamped stop-start Intermission is a belter with the crowd chanting "ole!" in the gaps. London Loves is another great inclusion and will go down a storm in Hyde Park. 

And while I am no big fan of Country House either, when it's being played live and you are jumping about with hundreds of people all singing the words with you, it's a blinder. So to everyone who wasn't there and are complaining that it wasnt a 20 min version of Battle, stop your f**king moaning and start understanding how gigs like this actually work. 

Poor old Graham had some serious problems with his amp tonight though and was visibly reall pissed off when it kept cutting out. I think he got through at least 3 guitars before slamming one of them into the stage and chucking water all over his amp. Not a great thing do with electrical equipment but Damon gave him a big hug to calm him down. It was really looking like it might have to continue as an acoustic set but things got sorted eventually. 

The sound at the venue is not the best and I couldn't really hear the backing singers too well or the brass section for that matter but that didn't spoil my enjoyment at all. 

I am now thouroughly sweaty and disgusting but secretly chuffed that I have ended up with a big 4 person room at the Margate YHA for only £16. Bargain. 

'Caramel', 'Sing', 'Young and Lovely' and the two new Blur songs were also amongst the favourites that were played. The band also played 'London Loves', a track from Parklife, which was a rare sight in live ensembles.

Setlist : a long one, 25 songs totalling 2 hours and 10 minutes. 

Girls & Boys London Loves Tracy Jacks Jubilee Beetlebum Coffee & TV Out of Time Young & Lovely Sunday Sunday Country House Parklife Trimm Trabb Caramel Advert The Puritan Song 2 No Distance Left To Run Tender This is a Low Sing Under The Westway Lot 105 End of a Century For Tomorrow The Universal

Looks like 'Caramel' is here to stay in the upcoming live concerts. And Damon's gig ritual, the water flinging, really soaked up the audience! Watch ALL of the 25 songs in the videos below *uploads by a1999f. 

Girls & Boys http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jpJjVoZTjEY 
London Loves http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=orD03VJ3fNA 
Tracy Jacks http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7bOE5ggPtD0 
Jubilee http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=31grLuGYwhk 
Beetlebum http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c8CaANN0sqg 
Coffee & TV http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8O46kdSe1-o 

Out of Time http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xR9CaE8Vdz4 
Young & Lovely http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ci8dnyVWFHw 
Sunday Sunday http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oZUxeqlL4IA 
Country House http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BfIdmmiEijA 
Parklife http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nmfek3kw_D4 
Trimm Trabb http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LLDgzS-8osc 

Caramel http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eerBjpfa95M 
Popscene http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rp44fddsRM4 
Advert http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k5ed218BINI 
Puritan http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZJcXpR3vXNs 
Song 2 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b36KjO7353Y 
No Distance Left To Run http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KVa7HkC9gnA 
Tender http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2bc0SewQf3s 
This is a Low http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=haKGtqjJqTw 

Sing http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-vPUzJc9phc 
Under The Westway http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X_bOfnIbD0E
Intermission http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M1FgxB66vjE 
End of a Century http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ApSl-GJKLB8 
For Tomorrow http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8o8_2tahZ4Q 
Universal http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=twEjgYqn_Ac 

+ 

Massive fallout between Blur and ex-producer William Orbit

NME tweeted that they were going to post an article about "Blur's new album" recently. Imagine the surprise and disappointment when instead, this article came out (source: NME magazine):

Damon Albarn has halted work on new Blur material, producer William Orbit has toldNME.

The producer, who worked on the reunited Britpop band's 1999 album '13', confirmed that the four-piece had been recording new material, but that the sessions were stopped "suddenly" three weeks ago. 

"The new stuff sounded amazing," he says in this week's NME, which is on newsstands from today or available digitally now. "Then it all stopped suddenly. It was all over with Damon, and the rest of the band were like, 'is this it?'". Orbit had previously hinted that he was recording with the band in a series of tweets. Back in January, he wrote: "I just found out that she [Diawara] has done tracks with Damon A, who I’m in the studio with from Wednesday!" He later added to the band's guitarist Graham Coxon: ‘Loving the guitars you laid down! Vocal session March 3!’, suggesting that the sessions?were with Blur and not one of Albarn's many side projects. 

However, another tweet later suggested the work may have stalled. Replying to a tweet from one fan who asked for Blur news in March, Orbit replied: "Blur could have been good. But Damon, brilliant and talented tho he is, is kinda a shit to the rest of Blur."

Last month, Albarn denied he was finished with Blur after earlier suggesting that their huge Hyde Park reunion gig to coincide with the close of this summer's Olympics in August would be their final show. 

Quite a sensational article that was quite over-hyped, but it definitely summed up the interaction between William Orbit and Damon Albarn in the last few weeks. Strange tweets, strange news and disputes... what is going on? 

The real deal! 

Then seconds later, suddenly...this happened: fans are told that the Blur boys are recording again! Check out Alex Jame's tweet fresh off his twitter feed today!

Guess NME isn't entirely accurate then. Fans, prepare for more excitement and news on the Blur roller coaster ride all the way until the Olympics gig 2012.

Damon Albarn says it's the End of Blur! Read HERE

Is Damon and Graham Coxon recording together? Find out HERE

Check out Blur's rumoured new album HERE. 

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