Blur are going to headline several NEW concerts this year, as a prelude to their big Olympics gig 2012. The first gig announced via their newly launched, brand-new, black, white and suave band website (www.blur.co.uk) is the Way Out Festival 2012 in Gothenburg, Sweden on August 9th 2012.
They are also playing in Denmark 2012, Smuckfest in Skanderborg (http://smukfest.dk/).
They are then following on with Hyde Park, London Olympics 2012 Closing Ceremony gig, with The Specials and New Order also playing on August 12th 2012.
Blur made a triumphant return in the Brit Awards 2012 (albeit a little clash with singer Adele!) performing the longest record set (11 minutes plus a bit more) and made their names forever imprinted on British music's memories, joining in the likes of The Kinks, David Bowie and more. Check out some pictures of the set below:
The Live at the Brits EP only had 3 songs - Girls and Boys, Song 2 and Parklife, but with a little bit of mixing, it sounds much better!
And listen to Damon's touching speech, against the wonderful backdrop of their hit single "Parklife". Many fans and even Alex James (bassist) himself said that this may be Blur's "last bow" on stage, so Damon truly does deserve time to get to thank everyone who has helped shaped this influential British band.
For those who want to buy tickets to see Blur live at the Olympics closing ceremony 2012, here are some crucial details and links to get your tickets:
12 August, 5.30pm-midnight Tickets £55+booking fee on sale to BT customers 9am, Wednesday 22 February (SOLD OUT) or on general sale 9am Friday 24 February(HERE)
Stay tuned to BlurBalls for more Blur concert gigs - we are expecting many intimate warm-up gigs around Britain or even outside as Blur inevitably will practice for their big Olympics event, representing UK music !
Meanwhile, read all about Blur beyond the Brits at The Quietus, the article is a must-read for all Blur fans out there who enjoy their non-single hits, rarities and b-sides.
Read all about Blur kicking Adele OUT of the Brits HERE,
BBC 6's Will Gilgrass has contacted BlurBalls and asked us to let all you dedicated fans know that they are hosting a2 hour BLUR RADIO SHOW, live on air at BBC Radio 6, on Friday 25th February 2012.
A show called Now Playing @6Music on BBC 6 Music will air this Friday between 7-9pm (GMT).
BBC are putting a special show together to honour Blur after their BRIT Award and the overall fantastic contribution to music, and want fans to submit comments on what they will play in this fantastic, very long show entirely devoted to Blur, Damon Albarn, Graham Coxon, Alex James and Dave Rowntree.
Taken from their blog:
Whatever, anyone who was on Worthy Farm that evening or at Blur's shows in London’s Hyde Park which followed will know what a special place the British public hold in their hearts for Damon, Alex, Graham and Dave.
To commemorate their BRIT, this Friday night on Now Playing we want you to build the ultimate Blur inspired playlist - but we need your help and music suggestions, like:
* Their own tracks – from classics like Song 2, There’s No Other Way and Beetlebumthrough to forgotten singles. * B-sides and rarities, maybe the To The End with Françoise Hardy, their cover of Elvis Costello’s Oliver’s Army or their stomping version of Maggie Amy? * Other projects the band members have worked on or collaborating be it solo work fromGorillaz to DRC Music,Massive Attack, Elastica or Duffy * Current bands who Blur have influenced.
Full information is on their blog (http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/nowplaying/2012/02/blur6music---help-build-the-ul.shtml) but essentially they want usfans to pick their favourite Blur tracks, collaborations they've been involved with, artists who inspired them and people they've inspired to make an awesome show celebrating the great man Damon Albarn and his gang.
Let's all join in ! We'll be submitting lots of songs that we want them to play, and you do so too!
Firstly, Blur's documentary from 2009 "No Distance Left To Run" is showing on ITV4 (Click to Watch) at 9pm GMT. Get ready with a Coffee and TV, sit back and relax.
Secondly, thank you to our reader Nick for submitting an exclusive Alex James home interview from 2000 - click here to read this funny, poignant Blur interview - before the Band reunited. This is a trip down memory lane and a great read for any fan!
Lastly, don't forget to get this week's NME magazine - Blur's featured exclusively with posters and interviews, and lots of cool new Olympics news.
Read all about Blur kicking Adele OUT of the Brits HERE,
BLUR'S COMEBACK PERFORMANCE at the Brit Awards 2012was outstanding. No matter what teeny-boppers say, the press, the media and celebrities dancing their heads off at the Brits tables has got to admit, Blur rocked the stage.
Blur had their energy, their passion and their catchy tunes from the 90s all on set at the Brits 2012. Blur arrived on the red carpet with Damon in jeans, boots and a flatcap, Graham Coxon in a denim jacket and a signature mop-top (reminds us of the Leisure era) and Alex with mismatched buttons, a white t-shirt and blue suit piece. Dave also had on a pair of boots; it was the 90s all over again.
Damon Albarn also hugged and posed with Oasis's Noel Gallagher, who was nominated for an award. They said they were "over" the Britpop war and the feud between Oasis and Blur, who battled it out to reach No. 1 on the 1995 UK Singles.
After Lana Del Rey's award, Blur was called on stage to receive their Outstanding Contribution to Music award by Ray Winston. Damon Albarn made a long speech thanking everyone, including producer William Orbit (rumoured to produce their new album) and his crew. Adele was called onto stage by a sunglasses-donned George Michael. She won "Best Album".
Shortly after Adele began to spoke, the host had to interrupt her and cut her short, as Damon's speech was a bit longer than expected. She made a rude gesture and raised her middle finger to the audience, and apparently stormed out of the O2 saying "This is a Low". We think this is quite inappropriate of her, as her awards is much smaller compared to Blur's Outstanding Contribution Award, after all Blur had to work for nearly 20+ years to get to this point- give them some credit!
Watch Adele being booted by host James, flips, and Blur rolls on!
The stage was lit, the Blur sign sparkled and glowed. Spotlights shone and the music immediately started with Girls and Boys' signature tune blaring out. Dave rocked the drums, and there was a moment when Graham's guitar strap broke, but all went well. Damon's Woo Hoo's were simply powerful.
Blur then started playing their medley. They played all the hits that made them rise to the top of the charts- Girls and Boys, Parklife, Song 2, followed by Tender and finally This is a Low. The music's energy was great, though Damon made small errors on Tender. He jumped up and down, but the crowd didn't sing along for Girls and Boy's "Oh Oh Oh"s.
The highlights were the hits Tender and This is a Low, Damon's personal favourites, which he sang with all his heart. It was emotional and rang out onto the entire stage. Blur also played for the longest set in record for Outstanding Contribution Award - 11 minutes, and a bit more than that! They played:
1) Girls and Boys
2) Song 2
3) Parklife
4) Tender
5) This is a Low
Comments on youtube and various social networking sites seems to suggest that Blur made Adele cut off her speech - in fact, we think this is bollocks - the shows have time constraints, and Blur were there to perform the LONGEST set, so it's all fair to cut off Adele, who has won many awards already, for the main performances of the night from Blur.
Blur were the guest of honour, they won the award when everyone was waiting anxiously to see if they won. It would be like being the centre of the show, only to be rushed out of your own party. After all, how much effort has Blur put into making music for the world and many times a year do they do this ?
Their publicity, gained from performing the smashing Song 2 (Fifa 98 song) made Blur, Damon Albarn and Woo Hoo trend worldwide on twitter for a long time.
When was the last time Blur trended ? Fans , be PROUD!
No Adele on the trends, hey, except being cut off!
Outstanding gig. Amazing energy and Adele - you were given the boot by the Brits and Blur! Blur had raw emotion, albeit some slip ups, but true fans will simply love the performances, no matter what they were like. And give them a break - it's been a few years since the 2009 reunion gigs, and since then Damon's produced Gorillaz and the others has had solo works/ projects out.
Damon's long speech was nice - this is probably Blur's best bet at gaining publicity again after their long hiatus and side-projects. Now Blur's got new fans, new younger fans, and will be ready if they launch any new record.
In fact, record sales of Blur went up 2700% since last night - yes you read that right - 2700%! It really seems that Blur's getting publicity again, and now even tweens who watched the Brits know about this epic band. Perhaps this is another act to get Blur back to the charts!
Watch theentire set below here, on BlurBalls:
Read all about Blur's rehearsal for Brits HERE, Olympics Gig HERE, new album HERE and check out their newest song HEREand read our REVIEW HERE.
SUBSCRIBE NOW!
Stay Tuned and Get The Latest Blur News delivered straight to you!
BLUR ALERT: Blur are set to appear in an exclusive NME feature piece to talk about their future. Speculations are that they're going to make a new album with producer William Orbit.
The news about Blur headlining the London Olympics 2012 Closing ceremony concert came on midnight yesterday, just a day before the Brit Awards at 8:00pm tonight at the O2 Arena.
Dave Rowntree tweeted a picture of Phil Daniels backstage at the Brits - they WILL be playing Parklife with Daniels doing the vocals.
Blur is set to perform, Girls and Boys, Song 2, Beetlebum and many other huge hits, and also from the Brit Awards twitter :"Exclusive! Outstanding Contribution winners @blurofficial will perform "Tender" (with 32-piece choir) on ITV2 at 10pm tonight"
See some scans of pictures here of Blur's NME magazine feature this week. It will feature an article, posters, exclusive pictures and talks about "new album plans".
Speculations for the NME announcement tomorrow is best summed up by dannn, a forum member, who said:
My take on recent developments: • Blur are active again and that’s what we have been craving for years. • The new song sounds really good and a studio version may not be a piano based ballad and could well be in the same vein as For Tomorrow. • The gig is a unique opportunity for the band to be part of history. I am sure if it wasn’t for the Olympics they wouldn’t be going anywhere near Hyde Park. • Expect some intimate warm up gigs. • The intention at the Brits (and the Olympics gig) could be to put a line in the sand and celebrate the band’s past, whilst looking towards the future as Blur Mark II. I think the band have the desire to continue and produce new music, but I guess we’ll find out tonight / tomorrow.
We couldn't agree more - with William Orbit on board, what else can happen ? Here's our best guess -
- Under the Westway is the Record Day promo
- They're back "in full" as the article says
- Playing Olympics with some intimate warm up gigs
- Then possibly an album towards December with Orbit
Also, watch an exclusive Blur rehearsal video 2012 for the Brits below:
Read all about Blur's new album HERE and check out their newest song HERE and read our REVIEW HERE.
SUBSCRIBE NOW!
Stay Tuned and Get The Latest Blur News delivered straight to you!
.png)
.jpg)
.png)
.jpg)
