By Michael MacLennan
Confusion swirled the campsite as news spread of Blur’s delay – were they even going to play? Snow Patrol had their own set put back to reduce the sizeable gap from when the main headliners were supposed to play, and when they actually took to the stage.
Thankfully, at 10.15pm – a full 1 hour and 25 minutes after the Britpop legends were supposed to start – Blur took to the stage decked out in black, as though acknowledging the illness to guitarist Graham Coxon which almost stopped a set that will undoubtedly be most festival-goers’ highlight of T in the Park 2009.
“Hi,” was the curt introduction from frontman Damon Albarn before first song She's So High. Well, hello there, nice to finally see you! However, he soon explained: “We nearly didn’t make it here... Graham walked out of a hospital to be here.” There was enough goodwill for the guitarist from the enraptured crowd that he'll be able to dine out without his wallet for decades to come whenever he sets foot north of the border.
But if he was feeling any ill effects from whatever had floored him (rumours as of speaking suggest sunstroke, something which will have affected many caught out by the yoyo-ing weather today), it didn’t show at any point during a hit-packed if curtailed headline set.
It was everything an indie fanboy could possibly want, the band clicking right into gear for Tracy Jacks from Parklife and seeming as though they'd never been away.
All the members looked right at home. Alex James an effortlessly cool bass-toting lynchpin of the highest order, Graham hacking at his instrument to provide the most mesmering melodies and wild feedback, Damon holding court at the front of stage... though to be honest his audience banter was sparse and strange to say the least - before a touching Out of Time pointing outwards to the fairground area and intoning “Big Wheel”. Um, well spotted!
As for the drummer, the video screens displayed “Vote Dave” – a reference to Mr Rowntree’s selection as a Labour MP candidate for the next election – before he launched into a slow, steady groove that speeds up to form the backing for a euphoric Song 2, the crowd pogoing so much the place felt like a giant bouncy castle.
The crowd vocals often drowning out Blur themselves, this was the sort of comeback that other bands of yesteryear can only dream of. The key behind it is that their reappearance has reasserted what a truly fantastic pop band they are, the audience singing along even for numbers from their less well known first couple of albums.
Tender was so powerful a sing-a-long that the band was barely needed at times, and indeed its refrain was again chanted when they went offstage, returning with Damon spinning around his megaphone to precede a boisterous Advert from 1993’s Modern Life Is Rubbish.
Finishing well after curfew, but still far short of the duration for their allotted set time – not that 1 hour and 20 minutes of superb hit after hit is something you can complain about too much – there could have been few if any of the crowd left disappointed.
And no, their show didn’t pass by in a Blur, though it’ll be a tremendous disappointment if they aren’t back in Scotland soon for a full, illness-free show. Best to have faith in the chorus of set closer The Universal: “It really, really could happen”…
Tracklisting:
• She’s So High
• Girls and Boys
• Tracy Jacks
• There’s No Other Way
• Beetlebum
• Out of Time
• Coffee and TV
• Tender
• Country House
• Parklife
• Song 2
• This Is A Low
• ENCORE...
o Advert
o For Tomorrow
Last updated: 13 July 2009, 00:31
The links provided allow you to bookmark this page into your favourite social media website. For users with JavaScript disabled copy and paste the URL from the address bar into your chosen social bookmarking site.