GIG NUMBER ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY-FIVE
Who
We'd agreed to go early and I saw the Greatest Hits Blur video collection to remind myself of their brilliance then had a chip shop supper to give me some energy before hopping on the train for a free ride. It was a crazily hot day with lots of pollen in the air so it was a relief to get inside The Cuban Exchange for a couple of drinks before we arrived at the Civic shortly after 7pm to find, strangely enough, all the doors open and the staff efficiently letting everybody inside with no searches or annoyances. But this was Wolverhampton, not Birmingham, which meant that things were wonderfully organised and there's very little to complain about! We comfortably got a place near the front after observing that a "documentary was being filmed" which eventually was released as No Distance Left To Run in 2010. The Civic Hall had seemingly changed shape yet again as the venue didn't extend as far back as it used to plus the stage was higher than I ever recall. Quite a few people were seated upstairs plus even more were standing at the back of the upstairs area. There was nobody policing that those with seated tickets went into the seated areas which meant that people upstairs were choosing to be boring, which I find rather sad! Blue Monday by New Order was the only DJ'd tune I recognised for the whole evening but this could have been because the volume was kept pleasantly low when the bands weren't on. Our peace was soon broken though as first support Tukazon ambled onstage at a very early 7:30ish! They had a member who I'm sure used to be in East 17 but they made a tuneless drone which was boring to the point of offensiveness. And I know the crowd were up for tonight but there's no excusing the screaming from some crazy people who were either sympathetic family members or people who don't get out enough! The only positive things you could say about Tukazon was that their name is quite cool, at least it wasn't some utterly unlistenable World Music that I had imagined Damon may try to foist upon us and, most importantly, that their set was extremely short, maybe around 15 minutes. Nevertheless Tukazon had still long outstayed their welcome!
After another short wait the main support band Magistrates started up. I'd only checked who was supporting shortly before the show and was disappointed that such a mega concert wouldn't have someone famous but I guess the fact it was supposed to be low key prevented that. Magistrates also played a fairly short set which was far more captivating than Tukazon simply due to the lightshow and strong beat. The singer looked a bit girly and sung everything in a high-pitched voice and a guitarist looked impossibly camp in a pink shirt but some of the songs were very strong and they came across as a gay version of Kasabian. A keyboardist was quite amusingly banished far to the side of the stage and by the time they'd finished the venue was getting quite full up as we prepared to wait for Blur. Blur's simple stage set had already been visible from the outset and it was clear that tonight was simply to be about great music rather than gimmicks. I'd expected the almost customary wait until 9pm for the main act but the night was moving at a swift pace and the lights went down for Blur at around 8:45pm and the intro music of The Debt Collector started up! They then bounded onstage with, as I predicted, an energised rendition of She's So High. We were quite close to the front in the middle and expended far more energy than the song deserved but it was a sensible place to start and could go down as my favourite ever Civic Hall moment! We shouted ourselves silly and, if it wasn't for the tosser hurling himself at me who I violently pushed away, the crowd reaction was enthusiastic but kept its madness within reasonable bounds. There were some older and some younger but the crowd were mostly around my age and, as crazy as it was, I felt safe to keep my glasses on. Things then reached the sky with the stellar Girls & Boys, by the end of which I was nearly dead, which was followed by the almost equally awesome Tracy Jacks, which was a song I've dreamed about hearing live and I found more energy to sing it back at Blur. I thought it couldn't get any crazier but they followed this with There's No Other Way, a strong contender for their best ever song plus a Blast Off favourite from this very room and one they'd criminally omitted last time around. I allowed myself to get pushed back as this was just too mad. I thought I was already ready to take a breather and to hit the bar for a drink but instead decided to slow down for Jubilee which, as crazy and exciting as it was, just isn't as great a tune.
Many others continued to go mad though and the band looked great and younger than I'd ever imagined. Heaven knows where Damon gets his energy from and it was no wonder he took a breather to exclaim that his shoes were far too slippery and tried to instigate a shoe swap with an audience member! It was the wrong size though but no mind as Badhead heralded a long run of quiet tunes. I still don't particularly rate Badhead but this was one of the first ever long quiet segments I enjoyed, mainly because I needed a breather to settle my stomach and heart and also because the air conditioning finally seemed to be working, but also due to sheer quality of tunes. Beetlebum will always be welcome in a Blur set and still stands proud as one of the strangest number 1 hits of all time and it featured an awesome jam at the end. Meanwhile Out Of Time was the sole representative of Think Tank and we were watching Graham intently, wondering how he felt about playing this. It was therefore a beautiful, albeit probably rehearsed, touch when Damon kissed Graham's head afterwards, and it was great to see him smiling throughout the show in sharp contrast to the greatest hits tour! You could almost imagine Graham demanding that the band then veer off into unlistenable territory as payback for playing this song as Trimm Trabb made its predictable entrance into the set. It's a reasonable song and they made quite a go of it but there are so many other unusual b-sides they could have replaced it with. Damon was clearly a big fan of Wolverhampton, which the band referred to as their "spiritual home" on their website, and he probably was planning on giving us an eloquent speech as to why they chose the city. However the astonishing crowd reaction spoke for itself, leaving the band appearing overwhelmed, Damon simply saying that they came here because "they always come here"! The last time they visited the city was twice in 2003 supporting Think Tank and in fact I'd been played some of that set, notably We've Got A File On You, down the phone! Graham continued his domination in a more justified manner with the lovely Coffee And TV, the video for which had tugged at my heartstrings earlier in the day. Tender then finished the excellent run of "quiet" songs in powerful fashion as Alex got out his double bass but sadly wasn't allowed to smoke along to it, him being the only guy in the world who looks cool doing so. It started off quietly and I'd expected full use of the gospel backing singers but they didn't appear until towards the climax where after a false finish the band repeated the chorus in a rousing manner.
Next up was the moment that made this evening enter a different dimension. I'd rubbed my eyes in disbelief upon seeing it in previous setlists but could still barely believe my luck as Damon said now was the time to start jumping again before the band played COUNTRY HOUSE! It was the crowning glory of the evening, watching the band laying remaining ghosts to rest by reclaiming this glorious pop moment with the enthusiasm it deserved. Graham had fun on the solo and Damon went down into the crowd and it was amazing how the band were now able to appreciate the pop splendour and delirious strangeness of this classic and distance themselves from any bad memories associated with it. It also proved a point I've made many times before, that when a band omit an essential song they draw attention to it and make you want it more. In playing it they showed that, as good as it was, they had better tunes to offer us, increasing my appreciation of their back catalogue. Some of the crowd acted like stuck-up twats in giving Country House a cool reception and it's a shame that some people dismiss the song and The Great Escape album as a whole when it's probably the equal of Parklife. Next up was a section of the show dedicated to Modern Life Is Rubbish, a good album which was overshadowed by the three superior works that followed it but is over-hyped by the critics. Oily Water hinted at a stranger side of Blur to come later in their career and was sung through a megaphone with a cool jam at the end but it was a moment that could have been left out. Chemical World was very welcome though and it must be rather tricky for Damon to sing it, plus Sunday Sunday is one of Blur's greatest ever singles and an utterly baffling omission from their greatest hits albums. It was a shame how many people didn't seem to know it but the band had a blast, with Damon asking us to jump as he ran on the spot and he certainly made the most of the freak-out in the middle! He also made a habit of flicking water from a bottle onto the front rows which may have been due to health and safety considerations as the heat was crazy, especially early on.
The pacing of the show was mad but wonderful. The band had spent long enough exploring a slower side of their immense catalogue that we all had the energy to enjoy the wonderful Parklife where Damon dueted manically with himself! Proceedings were then gradually slowed down for the pleasant End Of A Century, which led into rousing sing-alongs of To The End and This Is A Low. I'd be astonished if anyone in the room wasn't enjoying themselves and it's quite rare for two "ballads" to end a main set to such delirious applause! I'd expected just one encore and had a good go at predicting what it would be but was taken aback by just how mad it was. The band utterly love Popscene and seemed to expend most of their energy on it, Graham even doing a backwards roll! It was fun if slightly let down by the crowd, some of whom didn't seem to know it. Advert suffered from a similar problem but in my opinion rocks even harder. I've rated Advert very highly ever since it had blown me away the first time I'd seen Blur and they certainly went for it, Damon even being mad enough to suddenly stagedive! Last time around Song 2 had been undermined by coming along so suddenly that nobody knew that they were playing it for 30 seconds. Blur resolved this problem in style with an extended drum solo by way of introduction so nobody was in any doubt as to when to go crazy, as I certainly did from start to finish! We may have been outside the primary moshpit but a few people around us were still up for it and we chanted Graham's name, which he seemed quite touched by and, at Damon's insistence, also shouted for Alex, and the encore was completed.
The lights stayed down and I knew they'd have to return for The Universal, my prediction being proved right again with this wonderful climactic song being preceded by an emotional version of For Tomorrow. The brass section was utilised fully and the band kept the ending short and sweet when they could easily have got away with self-indulgently drawing it out. It was a stunning end to an overwhelming evening that had left my clothes soaked and my gig ticket practically melted in my pocket! The set had been just shy of two hours and was as close to perfection as I could have hoped for. Charmless Man had been played on the previous dates and it was the most tragic omission on a night that had stuck very close to the setlist I'd read about. Other songs I'd had appreciated include B.L.U.R.E.M.I. and We've Got A File On You but considering how coolly the crowd responded to some of the better fast numbers I can hardly blame Blur for leaving them out, knowing they'd largely fall on deaf ears. That's not to knock the crowd too much though, some may have had gaps in their knowledge of the catalogue but their general reaction had been fantastic, even though some tunes deserved more carnage than they received and some crowdsurfers appeared at totally random moments! After setting out into the much cooler night and grabbing a desperately needed Coke I easily caught an earlier train back home, sadly forgetting to check out the bootleg t-shirts. It's probably a comparison the band are utterly sick of and maybe I'm not the best person to comment having not checked out the opposition recently but I left the Civic with a nice feeling of smug superiority, wondering how anyone could ever have been stupid enough to consider Oasis to be even fit to lick the boots of Blur. Oasis may have an astonishing emotional resonance and be pretty great live but Blur confirmed themselves tonight as being infinitely more imaginative, relevant, energetic, varied and consistent than the Gallagher brothers could ever dream of. If they ever decide to record a new album then, on this form, it would change the world forever!
Mark: 9.5/10
Blur
Support
Magistrates
Tukazon
Where
Wolverhampton Civic Hall
When
24th June 2009
Price
£32.50
Who with
Nick
Position
In the moshpit
Comments
The reformation of Blur captured my imagination on a massive scale. I tried to get tickets for both Hyde Park shows but the first one sold out immediately, leaving me to settle for the previous night. I strongly considered watching them in Manchester but the band had promised they'd be playing Wolverhampton and I was online in a timely manner and easily able to buy tickets, laughing at the silly fans who were queuing for hours outside the box office! I was less successful in nabbing tickets for the smaller shows in Colchester and London as Ticketmaster let me get to the purchase screen then refused to accept an English credit card! I have much ill feeling towards Ticketmaster as, although they seem to have made great strides of resolving issues with the website crashing, they'd save themselves massive bandwidth and music lovers huge frustration if they'd quickly update the front pages of gig searches to say when shows are sold out rather than letting us click ourselves silly when there's nothing there to buy: SORT IT OUT! I heard plenty of Blur to prepare myself and made a rapid purchase of their Midlife compilation, which was quite nifty but had too many essential hits omitted to make way for average b-sides. I saw this as a first sign of Graham's moodiness undermining Blur's comeback so was especially delighted to read the first setlist of their return surpassed my wildest Damon Albarn related dreams! I tried to contain my excitement, thinking maybe they would drop all the best hits for Wolverhampton, but on the day of the show I had a good feeling. In the morning I had a chance to purchase further tickets for Michael Jackson but, as I could only get awkward midweek dates, I decided to resist. Considering the sad events later on that same week it's a good thing I didn't splash out, but my motivation for doing so would have been lack of confidence that he'd last the course until February 2010. In fact I even predicted his death in the original draft of this review written just six hours before it happened, which was quite scary, and made the whole tragic thing seem like a morbid joke. It's probably a good thing that my excitement for Blur's comeback had reached such levels that thoughts of Jacko's show had been pushed to one side, lessening the still substantial sense of loss on the Friday which I'll cover more in my next review.
Setlist
The Debt Collector
She's So High
Girls & Boys
Tracy Jacks
There's No Other Way
Jubilee
Badhead
Beetlebum
Out Of Time
Trimm Trabb
Coffee And TV
Tender
Country House
Oily Water
Chemical World
Sunday Sunday
Parklife
End Of A Century
To The End
This Is A Low
Popscene
Advert
Song 2
For Tomorrow
The Universal
