So, it looks like Blur are back, ready for the Olympics gig and better than ever! The rainy weather and rush-hour timing of the rooftop gig on July 2nd 2012, combined with the fact that the location was not known until a few hours before the show, meant that only few fans were able to travel to the destination to witness Blur's show.
But do not fear- for the fans who have missed the live performances by Blur (July 2nd 2012), footage have been released by Blur's official Youtube channel (click here to subscribe) recorded exclusively on the venue.
The two must-watch videos of the month - footage of Blur premiering their newest single 'Under the Westway / The Puritan' live on the roof of their West London studio.
The track will be released as a limited edition 7-inch vinyl, which you can order HERE.
The studio version of the tracks are also available as downloads from iTunes.
Scroll down below to enjoy Blur's energetic, wonderful and refreshing performance.
Order the new Blur vinyl HERE
The Puritan- new track HERE
July 6, 2012
Blur gives it their all on live rooftop gig - exclusive footage
July 3, 2012
Blur releases new radical tracks under the Westway
And finally, the wait is over! Blur premiered their new tracks 'Under the Westway' and 'The Puritan' live on top of their West London Studio on Latimer Road, London on July 2nd 2012. This location was of course chosen, as it is literally, under the Westway.
A live twitter video was broadcasted on the official Blur website for all fans to watch. Some of the band also had short interviews with BBC Radio shortly before the host played the studio version of the new songs to the world.
The two songs are the only material Blur released since their 2009 single 'Fool's Day', and both new songs were met with very positive reviews.
The band performed 'Under the Westway' live first, with cheering fans watching eagerly below on the ground. The track is grand, elegant and sounds extremely like something from the early Blur days. It boasts an animated music video featuring moving lyrics, and also a very Beatles-esque touch.
There was an hour's break in between the first and second song. Blur took this opportunity to stage a twitter question & answer session, where fans could tweet questions to the band's members. Questions included one by us at BlurBalls - "Damon - what colour are your shoes today?", in which the reply from Alex James was "Red". Very informative indeed.
'The Puritan', a cheery track with a poppy sound and fast drums, was next. The weather was rainy and cloudy in London, but that did not stop the catchy song from radiating through to the crowd. The lyrics for this track is on par with Blur's earlier singles, and the song definitely has the "new sound" that Damon mentioned earlier in Blur interviews.
Could this possibly be a new direction for Blur? Could 'The Puritan''s sound become something prevalent in the next Blur project? Will there even be new Blur material in the future? These are questions that the band did not answer.
It seems though, according to Alex James and Damon Albarn (who did interviews on BBC Radio 6 and BBC Radio 1 respectively on July 2nd 2012), options are being kept open. Everyone's keeping an open mind about the great band's future.
Expand the post to leave a comment below - do you like the new Blur songs? Which one is better?
Order the new Blur vinyl HERE
The Puritan- new track HERE
June 29, 2012
Order Blur's new limited edition single 'Under the Westway'
The new Blur limited edition, double A coloured 7 inch vinyl featuring 2 brand new track 'Under the Westway' and 'The Puritan' is now available for order.
The album art features a strip of coloured lights, blurred and moving fast along the bottom to mimic the sights of cars rushing past in the Westway. The Westway is a 2.5km long elevated, dual carriageway section of the prominent A40 route in the west of London.
The two songs are specially written for the summer shows. The single will be released on the 6th August 2012, before the band's massive Hyde Park Olympics gig of the same month.
The two new songs will also be performed live on an unknown rooftop in London, on the 2nd of July 2012. The band has not yet revealed the exact location, but it will be streamed live on their official twitter.
Pre-order yours by clicking on the link below. And don't forget to enter the competition to win 1 of the 10 signed copies of the single by the band. Hurry as it is limited in numbers!
The Puritan- new track HERE
June 28, 2012
Did Blur let their future album plan slip out ?
BBC Radio 6 Music will be premiering Blur's new single "Under the Westway" on July 2nd, but today they let something shocking slip on their Facebook page.
They posted about the single, made an announcement saying that host Steve Lamacq will be "talking to Blur and listening to tracks from their forthcoming album 'Under the Westway' "
Wait a minute - this can't be right. There's no plans of an album is there? At least the Blur members are not saying anything or have even hinted they've finished recording one.
But yet - this post was deleted minutes later and replaced with one that says "...will be talking to Blur as he has the world exclusive first play of their new single 'Under the Westway' " .
Could the age-old rumour of Blur recording a new album in 2012 be true? Or is this just a slip of the hand by a BBC staff?
It's a mystery, but this definitely makes us excited. Remember to tune into BBC 6 at 6:15pm (UK time) for Blur. Also, do not forget to download the tracks from itunes after the live, one-off roof top show where Blur will play their single live.
June 26, 2012
Blur to preview new release in roof top gig
Great news - Blur has announced that they will play 'Under the Westway' and 'The Puritan' live on a roof somewhere in London, on the 2nd of July 2012. This was revealed in a video message by Alex James, which you can watch below.
The show will be broadcasted live on twitter for all fans to enjoy. Also, both songs will be available immediately for download (mp3).
A limited edition double A-side 7 inch vinyl will be out for release on August 6th 2012.
Which roof exactly are we talking about here? No details have been revealed, but early guesses include somewhere busy like South Bank, HMV Oxford Street, BBC's broadcasting house in London, Rough Trade's roof (which is near the Westway) or perhaps Portobello Road.
Stay tuned and look out for more Blur news, in this exciting, exciting time! Follow Blur on Twitter HERE.
June 24, 2012
Blur - Under the Westway + The Puritan preview
June 20, 2012
Blur reveal 'Under the Westway' artwork
Check out the awesome count down timer on the official Blur website here!
June 19, 2012
Blur to release single 'The Puritan' on July 2nd 2012
Blur is set to release a new song 'The Puritan' on July 2nd 2012, at exactly 7:15pm.
The Blur official facebook page updated it's cover photo to the lyrics of the new song 'The Puritan' - "The Flash of the blade is one less of getting paid" was the words on the neon-lighted cover of the band's page, which has been filled with cryptic, mysterious messages for the past few days.
A tweet stating the time and date - July 2nd 2012 at 7:15pm, followed the update in cover image.
Coincidentally, the Zane Lowe BBC Radio show also begins at 7:15pm - could this song be debuted on national radio when it's set for release? Zane Lowe has always had the first play on Blur and Damon Albarn's new material (think Gorillaz, the 2008-2009 tracks and more) and this definitely could be the reason for the unusual, specific time.
The single was debuted live a few days ago in a Damon Albarn Dr Dee concert. Listen to what Damon played to live audiences below. It definitely sounds like the old Blur, with traces of tunes from 'Modern Life is Rubbish' and the britpop-era tracks.
Let the countdown begin!
Blur to launch surprise treat for fans today!
Something's brewing in the Blur camp, and it's going to reveal itself today! Blur's management, Eleven Management, posted this on their Facebook feed today:
What could this mean? Some early speculations include Blur announcing a new single or even album, or there's truly more than one new piece of material by the band coming out soon. Damon Albarn recently premiered a new Blur song 'The Puritan' in his recent gigs, albeit it being not complete.
Listen to 'The Puritan' below - could this be another B-side for their track 'Under the Westway' ? Or could it be the start of a new album or a new era of Blur?
Stay tuned for some exciting Blur news later on today.
June 16, 2012
Damon Albarn premiers new Blur Song 'The Puritan' !
BLUR NEWS: Exciting news - Damon Albarn premiered another new Blur song called "The Puritan" just a few days ago in one of his recent live shows. The title was only known from an article from The Standard.
We at BlurBalls isolated the audio from the footage (credits to MinlMinlmovie) and you can listen to it below. For those of you who regularly visit Youtube, make sure to subscribe to BlurBall's Channel for the coolest, latest videos!
The new song sounds very much like a tune right out of Modern Life is Rubbish! Perhaps this track will be featured in Blur's massive July box set. Us fans have good reason to sing along with Damon - La La La indeed.
June 10, 2012
Damon Albarn on Jools Holland - London Calling
For all who's interested in Damon Albarn's side-projects including his latest Dr. Dee, here's a little recent piece of action. Damon Albarn was featured on the BBC music documentary 'London Calling' a few days ago and he had a few things to say about his music.
Albarn talked about bells and how he made music with large bells from Portobello Road. He exclaims what he loves about London is it's 'monumental history' and how he can be 'simultaneously' in two eras at the same time.
He then followed with more about Dr. Dee and how he tried to demonstrate the musical style of the time past.
There's also a mention of the Westway highway, which was the subject of Blur's latest (and only) song 'Under the Westway'.
Watch the short clip below.
June 2, 2012
Blur to start rehearsing officially!
With Graham's tour winding down and Damon's Dr Dee coming to wraps, Blur has officially started rehearsing and jamming together again, as of June 2012.
Dave Rowntree posted some exciting pictures on his facebook page. including his new shiny drum set, which is presumably going to be used for the Blur gigs later this summer and for their rehearsals.
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| Dave: "My beautiful new drum kit arrived last week!" http://instagr.am/p/ |
Anyhow, it's an exciting time!
Become a fan of Dave Rowntree's Facebook page!