It was already widely assumed that Blur had ended for the second time but Damon Albarn finally seems to have stated as much semi-officially. Blur reunited for a short stadium tour and some much-celebrated appearances at festivals in 2009, but that, I’m afraid to say, appears to be the end of it.

Blur’s last arranged gig was at the T In The Park festival in Scotland. Albarn set tongues wagging by saying, “This is our last gig” while introducing a song. Since then both Alex James and Graham Coxon have admitted Blur have no future plans.
Now comes Albarn adding his voice …read more

The Blur reunion lead to much celebrating by fans of the original Britpop band yet it all seems to have come to a rather abrupt end. After playing several gigs, including a much-vaunted headlining set at the 2009 Glastonbury Festival, the four members of Blur have now each gone their own separate ways again. What on earth is going on?

Damon Albarn suggested it was over again when he said, “This is our last gig,” after playing the opening song of the Glasto set. Then Alex James made it clear that as much as they all enjoyed coming back together to …read more

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 …read more

Blur announced their intention to reform as a four piece with the original line-up last December. Almost everyone I know was pleased by this, with most wondering why they’d ever split up in the first place. For those who don’t know, it was as a result of a major ruckus between lead singer Damon Albarn and lead guitarist Graham Coxon.

Fast-forward six months to June of this year and Blur completed their comeback by performing live for the first time in almost a decade. Granted, there was only family and friends in attendance, but it was still an event to be …read more

Blur announced last year they were getting back together to play as a foursome again after a self-imposed exile from the business as Blur. Then last week saw the band complete their comeback by playing together live for the first time in a decade. What’s left to achieve? Well, apart from the huge arena shows and festival headlining slots, there’s the small question of new material, a question which blights any reformed band.

Graham Coxon has already spoken about the possibility of Blur recording music together again, stating back in April that it will likely happen but it won’t be immediately. …read more

Blur announced last year that they were reforming as a four piece after Damon Albarn and Graham Coxon finally decided to put the past, and their differences, behind them. They’re now about to embark on a UK arena tour, starting in Manchester on June 26 and continuing at London’s Hyde Park (July 2-3). With those massive gigs, and the prospect of headlining Glastonbury looming, the lads played a warm-up gig tonight (June 13).

This one-off gig was invite-only and purely for friends and family, and, it would seem, at least one NME journalist. It took place at the East Anglian Railway …read more

Gorillaz may only be a cartoon band at heart but they were absolutely huge on both sides of the Atlantic and around the world a years ago. Then Damon Albarn and his fellow collaborators decided to call it day and go off and do other stuff.

This means we haven’t had a new Gorillaz album since Demon Days was released way back in 2005. But fans of the animated satirical anti-band won’t have to wait much longer for new material, with the third album due for release in 2010.
The source of this unofficial announcement is Albarn’s manager Chris Morrison, who revealed …read more

Blur are back. And the majority of us who remember the glory days of the band are pleased as punch they decided to settle their differences and reform as a four piece. But while they have committed to touring again, what are the chances of some new material?
Blur haven’t made a record together since Think Tank in 2003. It was during the recording of this that Graham Coxon was asked to leave the band, and it took five years for Damon Albarn and him to forget the past and look to the future.

Reforming is obviously the thing to do now. We’ve already seen Take That make a successful comeback, The Spice Girls a less successful one, and The Police reforming and then splitting up again. We’ve also seen Boyzone reform even though no-one asked them to, and Led Zeppelin announce plans to tour and release new material even though Robert Plant won’t be involved.
Then, more recently we learned about The Faces making plans, and just last week, Blur announced they were reforming after Damon Albarn and Graham Coxon put their differences aside to work together again. So, who is next? Could it …read more

It’s been a long time coming but at last Blur are back, having officially reformed with all four original members. Okay, so it isn’t like The Beatles reforming (which they’d have a job doing now anyway) but it’s still a brilliant moment for British music and one I want to celebrate.
Talk of a Blur reunion began last October when the four original members met up for lunch and a bit of a catch-up. But that was it, nothing else happened for almost a year before the petty squabbling seemed to raise its ugly head once again. Damon Albarn was reported …read more