Collapsed in love – it looks like Blur might have made it

It’s Sunday 9th July, I’m on a train heading North and I feel compelled to tell you that I’m sitting here filled with a warm happy buzz after seeing Blur absolutely smash the first of their two homecoming shows at London’s Wembley Stadium last night. I just can’t stop thinking about it.

Blur at Wembley was nothing short of a triumph. There was so much love coming from the stage that I found it genuinely touching to see how much fun they were having and how much they obviously care for one another. Their friendship was on show for all to see and it was heartwarming and undeniably genuine.

I loved that it was pretty much just the four of them on stage as well, save for Phil Daniel’s obligatory Parklife cameo and the London Gospel Community Choir joining them for Tender. This was Blur being a tight band with few frills. No brass band. No backing singers. Just Damon, Graham, Alex and Dave taking a Wembley stage they’ve so very deservedly earned. It was a show of strength and it felt like a statement, like a vindication.

Damon mentioned that they all had their extended families in the crowd and you could tell how special a moment it was for him. Here they were, four lifelong friends headlining Wembley in front of their closest friends and family, many of whom would have of course remembered the band in their formative years. I don’t why, but that really resonated with me. I felt like I was watching a victory lap and the crowd favourites had won.

From the off Damon told us that playing Wembley was something they’d been waiting to do all their lives, so it was great to see them giving it their all and not resting on their laurels. They opened with their latest song, the Scary Monsters-esque St. Charles Square and they fittingly played their utterly gorgeous recent single The Narcissist in the encore. This wasn’t a money driven, phoning it in reunion. Blur really, REALLY wanted to be there. In fact, I don’t think I’ve ever seen a frontman smile so much!

Damon was grinning from ear to ear throughout the whole show and he never missed an opportunity to remind us all of the special space that we found ourselves in. I think he referred to Wembley as England’s “spiritual home for the agnostic” and I can fully get behind that. Wembley is hallowed ground. Not just for sport but for music too. He mentioned Live Aid and gave praise to Freddie Mercury. It made me think about the last time I was at Wembley for a gig, which funnily enough happened to be when I went to see Oasis play at the former Wembley back in 2000.

I don’t think I’ll ever forget the lump I had in my throat after Oasis had finished and left the stage. Being stood in the centre of that pitch, looking up at the flood lights and staring bewitched at those famous two towers knowing that they were going to get torn down. At the time I thought that England was losing something it would never get back, but seeing Blur at Wembley last night has changed all that for me. Last night Blur made me realise that it’s not the pile of bricks that made Wembley special. It’s the place, the space and the occasions that bring people together that really matters. Wembley is made for occasions, and Blur were made for Wembley.

It certainly helped that they were having an absolute blast as well. I got swept along with how much fun they were having and I think the crowd fed off that too. Never before have I given less of a fuck to see so many phones in the air. Never before have I felt so comfortable to sing along so, so very very loudly without any feelings of guilt or fear of judgement. It was just a joy. A party. It was probably the biggest communal singalong I think I’ve ever been a part of.

I want to remember a few things. I want to remember singing my heart out during This is a Low. I want to remember Damon telling Dave to stop for a second during the start of Song 2 because he wanted to talk to the crowd to make sure that we “really fucking jump.”

I’d like to give a little nod to how this show looked as well. I was blown away by the simple stage set up with the retractable Blur sign and the huge, crystal clear screens. It was pretty uncluttered for a big show like this but it was so effective. I was thrilled at how long the cameras would stay on Graham and his fretboard too. Graham has always been one of my favourite guitarists and I couldn’t take my eyes off him. At times I felt like I was stood right next to him watching him play. I’ve been to big shows before but those screens really helped to make such a huge venue feel so intimate.

It doesn’t hurt to have Damon Albarn as a master of ceremonies either. He speaks to the crowd as if he’s catching up with an old friend, checking in with us as often as he can and making you feel like he’s your pal.

I loved it when he sat crossed legged atop some stage gear during To the End and sang as if he were serenading us in a club. I want to remember his little costume change for Girls and Boys and laugh at how pleased he was with himself for getting Fila to make a replica of the famous tracky jacket he once wore in 1994.

I want to remember the ‘Coldplay’ moment where everyone in the stands illuminated Wembley Stadium with their phones during Out of Time. I guess that’s something that’s never happened at a Blur show before because Damon looked genuinely touched and said a heartfelt “I love you” to the crowd at the end of the song.

I’d like to remember the two glitter balls shining throughout Wembley during The Universal at the very end and I want to remember the crowd singing Parklife all the way back to Wembley Park station.

I’m a sucker for nostalgia. I know most of my gushing stems from the fact that Blur came into my life when I was 11 and they’ve been a staple source of comfort and inspiration for me ever since. I’m a pretty simple 40 year old now. But the way I’ve felt today… if I were a stick of rock and you cut right through me, I think the words would say “Blur Fan”

Thank you so much Blur.

Thank you for Wembley and for sharing the love. Thank you for all the great shows over the years, but thank you most of all for the songs.

You’re so great, and I love you x x

Photo belongs to @TPcasting on Twitter