BLUR AT THE LONDON ASTORIA 8/5/3
The Astoria is packed. Really packed. As we push our way to the front, it becomes apparent that for all their �difficult periods�, blur haven�t lost their fanbase. And what a mixed fanbase it is. Girls who were 13 when Parklife came out, still worshipping at the altar of Damon in their 20s. Beery men, a handful of arty skinny boys who look like Alex James did 10 years ago.Plus a guy who looks suspiciously like Dom Joly. It seems that despite the gaping hole left by Graham Coxon, blur fans are still loyal. The impatience is tangible as the �support� � DJ James Murphy- plays to a largely indifferent crowd. It is only when the lights dim that anyone starts getting excited.
And then blur are there. Or rather three of them are. And some guy on guitar � sorry, Simon Tong of not-so supergroup The Verve- plus two backing singers, a keyboard player and an extra drummer. Backing singers?! Come to think of it � an extra drummer?!? It certainly takes a lot to compensate for the lack of Graham. Damon opens in typically chatty manner, starting to reminisce about the Astoria before trailing off and launching into �Ambulance� � a track from the new album. This is greeted by a degree of apathy by most of the crowd and some token swaying by the rest. The second song � also from the new album- gets a similar reaction and it�s only when current single �Out of Time� is played that you even see anyone singing along.
Then the opening riff to �Beetlebum� is played and there�s a palatable sense of relief that � unlike the 13 tour, this isn�t going to be a �hit-free� set. By the time they get to the chorus, the whole crowd is moving and yelling �and then she lets me slip awaaayyy!�. Damon grins. Alex grins but he does that all the time anyway. More new songs. More chat. There�s a huge cheer at the news that Alex has just got married and everyone sings Happy Birthday to Dave. There are a few more hits � the entire crowd pogos simultaneously to �Girls and Boys�- and the reward of some obscure album tracks for the diehards. It�s a measure of how popular blur are that even an album track from their most critically panned album can have the masses punching the air and going �T.O.P.M.A.N�. �Badhead� is delivered with swooning sincerity but some of the older tracks � especially Popscene � seem to be badly missing Graham and even crowd pleaser �For Tomorrow� seems a little flat. Even so, it�s still over far too quickly and blur � and friends � leave the stage. They return for a couple of songs including an epic �This is a Low� which has even the most masculine of men singing along and gazing lovingly as Damon does his trademark Oliver Twist eyes to the ceiling - which is, incidentally filled by gorgeous white light. A fitting end to a triumphant homecoming. This is new blur � three quarters the size, only half as arrogant still playing their experimental new songs, safe in the knowledge that there�ll always be a crowd to come home to.
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