(if you're not a Blur fan, you might as well move to the next thread )

awww lord, where do I start?

I guess I should start by admitting that I haven't seen Blur live since 1998- in Chicago and in the mud at Glastonbury

Those shows were great, but as a long term Blur fan they seemed a bit off. Blur seemed as though they were struggling to find their place. While mixing Britpop oldies with the almost progrock sound of the 'blur' album, it all was fun, but schizophrenic.

Well, if tonite was any indication, Blur has found themselves.

the set-list:
Ambulance
Beetlebum
Girls and Boys
Badhead
Gene By Gene
For Tomorrow
Sweet Song (I think, these 5 miutes got fuzzy )
Moroccan Peoples Revolutionary Bowls Club
Tender
Caravan
Out Of Time
Crazy Beat
Brothers and Sisters
To The End
Song 2
Trimm Trabb
Battery In Your Leg
---
encore:
PopScene
(She's So High-teaser)
On The Way To The Club
We've Got A File On You
This Is A Low

Okay, I couldn't have asked for a better set. It was very comprehensive. But, while the last shows I saw felt scattered, this show just flowed. Damon and Co. exuded a confidence I'd never quite seen before. Also, the small tweaks they made on "old-favorite" songs helped those tracks fit in perfectly with the new Blur sound.

1st Ave has disappointed me lately at big shows. Typically, I've seen a massive crowd of relatively stationary people. People who have stylish outfits and look good, but also look bored and spend the show yawning and looking at others around them. Not Tonite. It was a 'sold-out' show and the club was moving. Any direction I looked I could see 20 hands in the air and people singing along, and it GOT HOT.

As for the band line-up. Well, I'm not as good with those notes, but they did have an extra percussionist who rocked, and 3 extra vocalists ( 2 women and a man ). As soon as I noticed the extra vocalists, I knew we'd be treated to "Tender" and I do mean TREATED. It was exquisite. The whole crowd sang along and I felt like I was gonna float away. I thought I'd reached a peak, but little did I know...

The show moved on, I went crazy (as is obligatory) to Song 2. Then I realized, they were moving into Trimm Trabb. I about fainted. They'd skipped "Coffee and TV" and were playing this song instead. It was gorgeous. I swear, it was like I'd been slipped a hit of E. By the time the song approached its climax and Damon was howling and Dave was pounding the drums and Alex was strumming like mad and the others were doing their bits, well, every pleasure sensor in my body exploded.

As for the new tracks...Of course Crazy Beat got the crowd hopping. My personal favorite, though, was Gene By Gene. The album effects were translated brilliantly live and the song got the whole crowd bouncing.

By the time they wrapped full circle back to This Is A Low, I was wrecked. I threw my hands up in the air, sang with the crowd and lost myself. That 5 minute song lasted a lifetime, in a good way.



whew, is anyone left here? I may be incredibally biased, but that was my thoughts on the show. If you have enjoyed Blur at all in the past and they are coming your way, pick up the new cd, get a ticket to the show and go see the magic...

as for me...I think I'm finally ready for sleep

endorphin74 said:

Lucky thing. I saw them at a couple of shows at the London Astoria and they were superb. "Think Tank" is their best album yet.

Sounds like it rocked! Nice one.

And thanks for the set list. It's a shame that they didn't do Good Song, but I guess you can't have it all.

ps) Did you manage to sneak Damon back to yours?

for those of us unable to attend, thanks for the review! sounds like a blast!!

Cloudbuster said:

You are good. After the show, that was the only track I'd wished they'd included. But, I'm still appreciating what I did hear!

and yeah, Damon and I had a looong nite of lovin

I just realized I didn't mention that Damon said he loved me. He signed my shirt and said he'd be mine forever

Well, he did sign my shirt at least. I love being a post-show groupie sometimes

I am SO FUCKING JEALOUS, but glad you had a great time. I'd give my hairy man-boobs to hear Beetlebum live at First Ave.!!!

He signed your shirt? Oh he SOOO wanted you. I read an interview in some British magazine where he said he only signs the shirts of blokes he wants to shag. So, like, there's the proof.

aww man sounds like a blast!! i saw all those people lined up outside before the show without tickets...waiting to see if they would get tickets or not... i knew from seeing that...the show was sold out and gonna kickass

This was so fucking awesome!!! I actually had no idea that they were playing last night and I was at the Bastille Day party Uptown, when one of my friends I was with said that he just got a free ticket to go see Blur at First Ave. He knew this girl who worked there and it was his B-day, so me and his boyfriend were really excited because we love Blur. But my friend had never even heard of them, so it took some convincing to get him to go.

So finally, we go down there, and they had already started. He goes to the door and says that he had a comp + two (when really he was only supposed to be able to get himself in for free) and they let us all in!! Plus we got drink tickets as well. I was so excited, but we missed the first 5 songs already, so thanks for the setlist. BTW, my friend LOVED the show and was really glad he came.

I wish they would have played Charmless Man, The Universal, and Coffee and TV though. But I still had a blast. And for FREE! That's the really cool part because I really didn't want to pay $25 for a show that I missed the beginning of.


[This message was edited Fri Jul 18 15:35:50 PDT 2003 by minneapolisgenius]

And I was one of those people waving their hands and singing along, and jumping up and down like a mad person.

You're right about "Tender" too. I was singing that song all night after that.

theblueangel said:

I KNEW IT!!

and, yes, Beetlebum was awesome...that song is just sooo sexy...

minneapolisgenius said:

You were there?!?!! what an awesome hook-up! that's it...we are gonna have to make a plan to hit the town and meet!

endorphin74 said:

you make me so jealous-er of your recent musical outtings! :Evil: ...im glad you had a good time and i think ill pick up the new blur cause you soo talked me into it

Great review! I agree 100%. Even though by the end of the night I'd had too much to drink and barely remember getting Damon's autograph..

The show was great enough to turn me from a casual fan to someone who'll be picking up all the back catalog I haven't before sometime soon.

endorphin74 said:

Did you say that he signed your shirt after the show? Because I was standing there and saw some guy holding a T-shirt after most had filed out. Was that you, or just some other person holding a shirt to be signed?

minneapolisgenius said:

that could've been me! I was one of the last people who he signed something for...It was after the show by the stage door (right side of the stage as you look at it) and he was signing lots of stuff but his manager guy was tryina pull him away (and shoo-ing us all away) I persisted though and got his autograph

endorphin74 said:

I think I saw you. I was standing there for a while with three friends right by the bar downstairs that's next to the staircase leading up to the bathrooms. We were just talking and they roadies were loading stuff out. We didn't hang around long enough to see them come out of the green room though. That's really funny.

minneapolisgenius said:

Still, they're best performance I saw was In Vredenburg Utrecht, together with Pascal and Patrick. It was april 30th 199?

SO, we were watching this guy take a gagillion fotos during the show with a digital camera. After the show, a very drunk and forward CarrieMPLS struck up a conversation with the guy and he agreed to email her some fotos...

he emailed her 5 fotos, and one of them was after the show with him signing stuff, and I'M STANDING RIGHT NEXT TO HIM!!!

WAAAHOOO!!!

xenophobia2002 said:

Where the hell was I for this one??! I think it was way before I met you.

minneapolisgenius said:

Must be !!
Such a shame.

endorphin74 said:

They are great pics, aren't they?

I don't know what came over me. I barely remember talking to him.
Silly thing is, he works for my company, but then so does half of Minneapolis.

xenophobia2002 said:

minneapolisgenius said:

D!

It sounds great! Any suggestions for a first album purchase?

Moonbeam said:

Try the new one, Think Tank.

Then Parklife, Blur & 13. All good.

Cloudbuster said:

minneapolisgenius said:

I'm just trying to make you smile.

Cloudbuster said: