Back in a Blur

When Blur turn up tomorrow to play an exclusive set at the tiny goods shed at the Chappel museum, just 150 fans will be there to see it.

The rest of Essex will have to wait until June 21 when the band play a warm up gig at Southend’s Cliffs Pavilion, ahead of their massive Hyde Park dates this summer.

But, although this weekend will be a small affair in terms of people, it’s a massive occasion for all concerned, particularly the members of the band, who, up until earlier this year, didn’t look as though they would be playing anywhere together.

That’s because, as Blur drummer Dave Rowntree puts it, “there was a falling out”.

Speaking exclusively to the Gazette, he refused to elaborate any further about who was to blame for the temporary break down in communications between Damon Albarn and Graham Coxon. He was just glad Blur were back together.

Dave said: “There were four of us in the band and it took all four of us to make it happen. Fortunately everyone was up for it.

“There was a falling out, but at no time were any of us against Blur. We were always for it.”

As if to prove it they’ve certainly come back with a bang.

As well as the small intimate gig in Chappel this weekend, the four are playing a number of other warm-up shows at venues including Southend’s Cliffs Pavilion, Wolverhampton Civic Hall and Goldsmith’s College.

Chappel was a particularly important place for the group because that was the first time Dave Rowntree, Alex James, Graham Coxon and Damon Albarn played together as a band, albeit called Seymour at the time.

Dave said: “We did two or three gigs around Colchester, one at the railway museum, which was a private party, and I think there was another one at Essex University. It was a long, long time ago and I certainly don’t remember what songs we played on the night. I remember the gig and I’ve seen some photos Damon’s mum took on the night.

“It was Damon’s idea to go back. It was symbolic really to do these concerts at places that meant something to us.

“Originally it was just supposed to be a couple of weeks rehearsal and the gig in Hyde Park, but then we were overwhelmed by the response and then it became Glastonbury and all these other dates.”

Blur essentially began with Damon and Graham, who met at Stanway School. Dave went to the Gilberd School, when it was on IT’S the homecoming gig we’ve all been waiting for and certainly the event to end all events at the East Anglian Railway Museum.

When Blur turn up tomorrow to play an exclusive set at the tiny goods shed at the Chappel museum, just 150 fans will be there to see it.

The rest of Essex will have to wait until June 21 when the band play a warm up gig at Southend’s Cliffs Pavilion, ahead of their massive Hyde Park dates this summer.

But, although this weekend will be a small affair in terms of people, it’s a massive occasion for all concerned, particularly the members of the band, who, up until earlier this year, didn’t look as though they would be playing anywhere together.

That’s because, as Blur drummer Dave Rowntree puts it, “there was a falling out”.

Speaking exclusively to the Gazette, he refused to elaborate any further about who was to blame for the temporary break down in communications between Damon Albarn and Graham Coxon. He was just glad Blur were back together.

Dave said: “There were four of us in the band and it took all four of us to make it happen. Fortunately everyone was up for it.

“There was a falling out, but at no time were any of us against Blur. We were always for it.”

As if to prove it they’ve certainly come back with a bang.

As well as the small intimate gig in Chappel this weekend, the four are playing a number of other warm-up shows at venues including Southend’s Cliffs Pavilion, Wolverhampton Civic Hall and Goldsmith’s College.

Chappel was a particularly important place for the group because that was the first time Dave Rowntree, Alex James, Graham Coxon and Damon Albarn played together as a band, albeit called Seymour at the time.

Dave said: “We did two or three gigs around Colchester, one at the railway museum, which was a private party, and I think there was another one at Essex University. It was a long, long time ago and I certainly don’t remember what songs we played on the night. I remember the gig and I’ve seen some photos Damon’s mum took on the night.

“It was Damon’s idea to go back. It was symbolic really to do these concerts at places that meant something to us.

“Originally it was just supposed to be a couple of weeks rehearsal and the gig in Hyde Park, but then we were overwhelmed by the response and then it became Glastonbury and all these other dates.”

Blur essentially began with Damon and Graham, who met at Stanway School. Dave went to the Gilberd School, when it was on North Hill, and knew Graham from other bands he had played in on the local music scene. It was at a gig at the Colchester Arts Centre that he first spotted Damon performing and decided if he was ever to start-up a band he would like him to be in it.

Dave said: “I went up to Graham and said if Damon ever needed a drummer I would be interested basically because I liked what he was doing.”

Fortunately it wasn’t too long before that happened and Dave was in.

The final pieces of the puzzle took place a few months later when both the band’s guitarist and bass player left.

“At the time Graham was more interested in the saxophone, but when the guitarist left, Graham took over” Dave explained.

“He was far more interested in the saxophone than the guitar, but of course when he picked it up he was a complete sensation. Graham’s always been like that.”

When it came to the bass player, Graham was at Goldsmith’s College in London with Alex and again when their original bass player dropped out, Alex stepped in and the Blur sound was finally there.

“It was much better, and from then on just everything clicked. From that point on we were signed by Food very soon after,” Dave added.

“When we signed I was still commuting up and down from Colchester. I was the last one to leave the town, but I did quit my job with Colchester Council.”

Debut album Leisure followed and after much wrangling with the record label, they released what some critics regarded as their seminal album, Modern Life is Rubbish.

Dave said: “They wanted us to be one kind of band and we wanted to be another. They basically cut us an album worth of slack, which was Modern Life is Rubbish.

“What we saw was going to happen was the exact opposite of what they thought, so we parted company and went with EMI. Fortunately they loved what we were doing and were much keener to let us get on with what we wanted to do.”

There are no such problems these days. All four can most definitely do whatever they want with Graham releasing his own solo indie punk tracks, Damon composing grand Chinese operas, Alex making cheese and writing for national newspapers and Dave standing for Parliament and hopefully passing his solicitors exams in the process.

So why bother with the reunion?

Dave said: “For me it never really felt like it had finished. I still felt it was a current thing and when we got back together we knew we had made the right decision.

“We had been apart long enough to make it fresh again, but not that long that we had forgotten the songs or the Blur feel.

“It's good to be back.”