#blur wembley 2023

[i-like-their-uniforms]

notes from straight after the Blur concert on 9th July Wembley (feel free to add to this in reblogs or comments):

Damon kissed graham then went and kissed Alex in cheek. Crowd said aww for both but Alex’s was louder, possibly cause the crowd had caught on by then. Graham then said ‘why did he get a bigger reaction..’

Damon braking down crying after under the west way

‘Forget that just Fucking get in with it’ before song 2 as Dave had been playing for a while and Alex’s go pro or tuner thing was taking ages to get fixed

Damon telling the story of ‘Wembley’ how Wember plotted out some of his land and ley means laid out, or something?? And how if centuries ago, eating mushrooms and stuff he might’ve dreamt this up, Wembley, and us all there.

And look at us now. Look at where we are. Damon saying look, how are we here to graham. Damon saying they were 12 and 13 at school and now they’re both still together in Wembley. And then them both doing a cute little celebration waving their arms in the air looking at each other haha

Early on, before the Wembley story, Damon asks crowd if they don’t mind if he takes a sip of his chai tea. It’s in a teacup. He gets it then drinks a bit. Graham then asks ‘can I have some chai tea?’ Suggesting it’s not tea in that cup…

Damon’s was like yeah ‘lab coat guys name’ make gray some chai tea will you, or one thing like this

Graham balancing a cup of drink beer? On his head. Damon saying bet you won’t start the song like that, go on I dare you, bet you do it’ or something. Graham goes to play to pretend to start the song off, and stops quickly and takes drink off his head

Alex with his cigarettes and hip out, classic low camera angles making him look taller than he already is

Damon’s jacket - which I’ve found is custom made for him by Fila as he couldn’t find the original

Damon shouting out all the country flags he could see. One of them, he points out a flag which I didn’t see, and saying ‘what’s this one, [mumbles some country names] Estonia? Is it Estonia? No? Oh dear I got that one wrong. I don’t know that one’ and moving into the Mexican flag. Getting mexicos one wrong at first (which is why he said muchas gracias at some point I think). Seeing Argentina flags later on and going ‘Argentiiiinnaaa’.

Damon praying on his hands and knees in thanks during a song

Damon being very emotional in general throughout

Graham throwing his guitar in the air and catching it to carry on playing until the end of the song without the guitar strap on

Damon saying ‘thank you, muchas gracias’ after a song

Lots of Damon holding crowds hands. One point he hugs a fan and she screams high pitched which gets picked up very clearly by the mic, makes the crowd laugh. He pulls away and as he walks off points to a guy a person down from her and says ‘it was you who made me cry!’ Or something. Man smiles

Graham just being a legend on guitar. Sometimes laying on the floor playing. Doing backwards rolls, throwing his guitar in the air and catching it etc

The crowd cheering for coffee and tv and from what I remember singing it especially loud. Support of grahams one sing song!

Graham walking off the first set of songs leaving the guitar on the stand making noise

Graham being cute before and after coffee and tv, saying hello into his mic before, and saying thank you after

Damon singing lovingly to graham in an emotional love-y song (and graham not looking back as he didn’t see Damon looking at him (cousin’s observation who doesn’t know much about them individually/ their friendships or which song)

Damon before Sunday Sunday saying since it’s a Sunday we have to sing this

Damon at the start of the set saying I know it’s a Sunday and Monday the worst day for majority of us is upon us but let’s just forget about Monday shall we? And the crowd cheered.

Damon at the start saying Saturday was amazing and Sundays crowd won’t beat that surely… later on saying Sundays crowd may be better.. I guess just playing with the crowd

Saying more towards the end, ‘I’m getting used to this now you know? Yeah it’s only Wembley, done this before’ or something similar, joking that he’s already over the awe of Wembley

Not the concert but as everyone was queueing in the Main Street to leave Wembley to the tube, while we were waiting to be released in smaller groups some legend security guard started to play blur music from his tannoy/megaphone for us all to listen and sing to while waiting. Was fun and very nice of him!

[annminaminohawkins]

The iconic moment of Damon going down on Graham's guitar at Wembley 😭😭❤️❤️❤️ I love them so much ugh

[stxrshxpxd]

grahams vocals???? (also i nearly cried during this damn song im pathetic)

[ubeetlebum]

Damon nicking someone's phone to film himself during "girls and boys". July 9, 2023

[avintagemess]

Sunday was something else 😭

[damonalbarn]

Wembley photo by Phoebe Fox

[glowinginahuddle]

One year ago 💖 Wembley. Blur

[happylandfill23]

if i had a dime for every time i asked to go to the blur show i'd have enough money to buy a first class flight to london, a luxury hotel, and tickets for all of my family and still have money left for expensive food at fancy restaurants

[nicky-pink]

blur: To The End - A New Documentary Film - Official Trailer [x]

A New Documentary Film. In UK and Irish cinemas from July 19. Book tickets now at https://www.blur.co.uk/ A new feature-length documentary depicting the extraordinary and emotional return of blur, captured during the year in which they made a surprise return with their first record in 8 years, the critically acclaimed #1 album ‘The Ballad of Darren’. blur: To The End follows the unique relationship of four friends - and bandmates of three decades - Damon Albarn, Graham Coxon, Alex James and Dave Rowntree as they came together in early 2023 to record new songs ahead of their sold-out, first ever shows at London’s Wembley Stadium in July last summer. Featuring performances of their most iconic, much-loved songs, footage of the band in the studio and life on the road, blur: To The End is an intimate moment in time with this most enduring of English bands, who have been at the heart of British cultural life and influence for over three decades.

[doodlerdoodle]

Simon Pegg, Edgar Wright and Paddy Considine at Wembley Stadium for Blur 08/07/2023

[lonely-soul-02]

31 May 2023

Call me

He tells me: “I’m busy for the next year and a half with my album but anyway, Liam is full of s**t.

“He knows as well as I do that he doesn’t want it either. What he does like doing is making me look a c**t.

“He’s being ingenuine (sic) to his beloved Oasis fans who put him where he is today. “Go fing call me then. I’ve said it to him, ‘Call me directly or indirectly. Get your people to call. You don’t even have to speak to me’

“But unless he’s called during this interview, my phone is still silent,” adds Noel, looking at his phone.

“And I’ll tell you why. Because if he calls and I say, ‘Let’s do it’, then he’s got to stand in the same room as me, right? And then it’s on him.

“And he doesn’t want that. He won’t stand in the same room as me because then he’s got to pull it off, and he can’t pull it off. And you can quote me on all of that.”

His good friend Damon Albarn, of Britpop “rivals” Blur, has placed a bet that Oasis will reform following Blur, who play Wembley Stadium next month.

But Noel says with a laugh: “So he’s put money on it. But he’s got enough money to waste.”

Last year Liam and Noel were urged to patch up their relationship as an 80th birthday present to their mum Peggy.

But Noel is having none of it, and says: “I get strangers coming up to me, saying, ‘Be nice to your mum and get back together for her’.

“It’s got nothing to do with my mum. I’m 56, not 17. She has never mentioned anything to me about it.

"She knows not to get involved. I wouldn’t say to my mum, ‘It’s time you and Dad got back together’.”

https://www.thesun.co.uk/tvandshowbiz/22538962/noel-gallagher-liam-oasis-reunion-full-of-it/

Thanks for the heads up!

The stand out quotes to me:

“He knows as well as I do that he doesn’t want it either. What he does like doing is making me look a c**t.

"...my phone is still silent"

“And he doesn’t want that. He won’t stand in the same room as me because then he’s got to pull it off, and he can’t pull it off. And you can quote me on all of that.”

"She knows not to get involved. I wouldn’t say to my mum, ‘It’s time you and Dad got back together’.”

Pull it off = pretend he likes me and can stand to be in the same room as me.

Noel's had it in his head for years and years that Liam doesn't like him. It's even reflected in some of his lyrics 'you put me up like a fly on the wall'. The notion of being ignored, feeling rejected or trying to reach someone who can't be reached is a recurring theme in his solo work. But why does he believe this? It clear as day to the rest of us that Liam adores him.

Noel gives out desperate to reconnect vibes but why won't he call Liam? As big as their egos are, I can't help feeling there is something more to it than mere stubbornness...unless this latest is all about throwing everyone off the scent.

That last quote though...still getting my head around that one...lots to unpick there...

update:

Sounds a bit kinky?? lol His mind immediately goes there. And he is ALL OVER this article first thing in the morning. Showbiz?? Or obsession?

[hndrk]

Twenty-Three of '23

I have been varying levels of ill for pretty much the entire second half of 2023, so in a surprising turn of events a year that had my Blur boys release a fantastic new album plus me seeing them live at Wembley Stadium will still have to be classified as "yeah, this sucked". Here's hoping that 2024 is going to be better for all of us… well, at least on a personal level.

MY FAVOURITE SONGS OF 2023

1. The National, "New Order T-Shirt" 2. Wanda, "Bei niemand anders" 3. Blur, "The Everglades" 4. Romy, "Weightless" 5. Indigo De Souza, "Younger & Dumber" 6. Avalon Emerson, "Astrology Poisoning" 7. Sufjan Stevens, "Will Anybody Ever Love Me?" 8. Gorillaz, "Silent Running" 9. Middle Kids, "Bootleg Firecracker" 10. Sparklehorse, "Evening Star Supercharger" 11. Nicolas Britell, "Andante Risoluto (Succession OST)" 12. NewJeans, "OMG" 13. Caroline Polacheck, "I Believe" 14. Eddy de Pretto, "LOVE'n'TENDRESSE" 15. Casper, "emma" 16. The Blaze, "BLOOM" 17. Rosalía, "LLYLM" 18. Teleman, "Trees Grow High" 19. Lana del Rey, "Margaret" 20. (G)I-DLE, "I DO" 21. Pol Granch, "tiroteAo" 22. Zara Larsson, "Memory Lane" 23. Al Costelloe, "Badmouth"

Bonus track:

The National, “Hornets”

///

MY FAVOURITE ALBUMS OF 2023

1. Blur, The Ballad of Darren 2. Sufjan Stevens, Javelin 3. Sofia Kourtesis, Madres 4. The Blaze, JUNGLE 5. Lana del Rey, Did you know that there's a tunnel under Ocean Blvd 6. Gorillaz, Cracker Island 7. Avalon Emerson, & the Charm 8. Caroline Polacheck, Desire, I Want to Turn Into You 9. Olivia Rodrigo, GUTS 10. DJ Sabrina The Teenage DJ, Destiny

///

You in a bath on the phone, tellin' somebody That maybe they're better off leavin' Than stayin' in it alone When you cried at the beach and recovered in seconds And said, "Everything's fine," but I knew that it wasn't Then you stayed out of reach of me for almost a year I keep what I can of you Split-second glimpses and snapshots and sounds You in my New Order t-shirt Holdin' a cat and a glass of beer I flicker through I carry them with me like drugs in a pocket

///

PERSONAL YEAR IN REVIEW

"Do you guys ever think about dying?" 2.0

[stxrshxpxd]

damon jokingly dragging himself off stage by the collar of his shirt at the end of the concert was so precious

[his-eclipse]

8th July 2023.

We went to a blur concert in Wembley; we didn’t even sit next to each other. Actually, you told me you were in seats in the complete opposite side of the arena just ahead of me.. What a coincidence huh?

I know it sounds so cheesy but I had thought of you throughout the whole concert… How you were so close even if there were ninety thousand people around and between us.

And then tender came on.

I screamed those lyrics into the crowd hoping they would reach you.

—M

[damonalbarn]

Photo courtesy of Joe Connor, the director of a full-length documentary about The Specials “Record On: The Specials - A Message to You”, taken at Studio 13 after capturing Damon’s interview for the film in July 2023.

Joe: I met Damon Albarn while making a feature film about The Specials. The week before, I had gone to see Blur at Wembley with about 10 of my friends. During the interview, Damon talked about how special Terry was to him and how meeting your heroes can be a blessing if the heroes are great people. After the interview, I asked him if I could take a photograph on 35mm.

Once the shutter had been released, I told him about being at Wembley with my friends. He got up, gave me a huge hug, and said, ‘I wish I could have been with you and your friends, just to feel what it was like.’