Blur live @ Rough Trade East, London (Photo: Darryl Chamberlain)
Blur's original line-up had announced their first gigs together in seven years and the response from fans frantic to get tickets to their two Hyde Park dates and the haphazardly announced warm-up shows showed, had there been any doubt, that these four Essex boys remain at the nation's pop music heart.
How else to explain, as we gathered in an east London record shop, the sundry yell from the audience of "We love you Dave!!!" as drummer Dave Rowntree looked sheepishly about while up-for-it front man Damon Albarn grinned at him.
Started slow; d red polo buttoned up; alex on box, bass proj out over aud; graham starts with glasses, then they're removed; dave gets indiv cheer; g: I'd vote for him. Additional keys person; d doesn't play at all. Small acoustic geeta; he reminds the world he can play only on out of time, when his playing interlaces with g's. A blinks - nerves or posing? It's very warm; d chucks water out to no real effect; occasionally it gets rusty when d eyeballs aud and forgets to retrn to mic for his lines. Still v charismatic.
She's so high
Girls and boys
Advert
20th cen 4 2morro
End of the cen
Bbum
Cfe and tv
Tender
Out of time
Popsc
Song 2
Pklife
This is a low