London Live 2012
Friday 27th July to Sunday 9th September 2012Hyde Park, Victoria Park and Trafalgar Square in London, England
varies depending upon event main events free
Daily capacity: 50,000
With their return to Hyde Park for the closing of the Olympics, there was nothing to prove to anybody anymore their reunion made us fall in love with them all over again, so the celebratory mood was evident from the very beginning. Opening with a relentless frenzy of classic hits from 'Parklife', including a frenetic, raucous and outrageously funky 'Girls & Boys', it was immediately obvious to anyone who had been previously unsure just why this band mean so much to so many people.
Considering just how dark it is in subject matter, the very notion of 'Beetlebum' being a crowd-pleaser is quite bizarre, but the furious sound at the songs climax that Graham Coxon unleashed proved just why he is held in such high regard. At odds with his timid demeanour, the muscular, visceral wall of noise he created throughout the song perfectly embodied everything that set Blur apart from their peers.
It's something that happens again during 'Trimm Trabb'. As if we needed reminding that Blur were so much more than the hits, it proved to be a real highlight and centrepiece to the set, with Damon immersing himself in the crowd, whilst Graham writhed around on the floor producing a quite extraordinary racket, highlighting just why so many (including Noel Gallagher, of all people) have lauded him as the greatest guitarist of a generation.
After the introspection and devastating beauty of 'Caramel', the hits came. Phil Daniels popped up once again to power through a joyous rendition of 'Parklife', whilst the reaction to 'Song 2' bordered on the hysterical. The anthem that is 'Tender' proved to be every bit as glorious as it promised, uniting everybody within the massively oversold arena of Hyde Park.
Upon returning to the stage, the band powered through 'Under The Westway', which may have been unfamiliar to many, but was written especially for this occasion. If they do choose to move forward from here, it's a sign that they haven't lost any of their charm or ability to write a massive anthem.
As proceedings came to a close, an emotional Damon Albarn struggled to hold back the tears, clearly moved by the unconditional love for his first band. A quick glance around was enough to see that he wasn't the only one, as an overwhelming outpouring of emotion swept across the crowd during the finale of 'The Universal'. So whether or not this was indeed their final stand remains to be seen, but if it was, it was surely the perfect way to say goodbye.
review by: Craig Jones