blur tour history

• Moscow concerts Moscow concerts Moscow concerts See all Moscow concerts ( Change location ) Today · Next 7 days · Next 30 days
• Most popular artists worldwide
• Trending artists worldwide

• Tourbox for artists

Search for events or artists

• Sign up Log in

• Get the app
• Moscow concerts
• Change location
• Popular Artists
• Live streams
• Deutsch Português
• Popular artists

Blur  

• On tour: no
• Upcoming 2024 concerts: none

1,138,663 fans get concert alerts for this artist.

Join Songkick to track Blur and get concert alerts when they play near you.

Find your next concert

Join 1,138,663 fans getting concert alerts for this artist

Similar artists with upcoming concerts

Tours most with, past concerts.

The Fox Theater-Pomona

View all past concerts

Blur (formed in 1989) is an English Brit-pop and alternative rock band who stormed to musical success in the ‘90s with their traditional English style and ideology, hailing from London, England, UK.

Prior to the formation of Blur, vocalist/keyboardist Damon Albarn performed in the group Circus alongside drummer Dave Rowntree, which later enlisted the help of guitarist Graham Coxon. Shortly after, whilst the members were studying at London’s Goldsmiths College, the name was changed to Seymour, and Alex James joined on bass to complete the line-up. After recording a number of demos and live performances in 1989, the band caught the attention of Andy Ross of Food Records who subsequently offered to sign the band provided they changed their name.

Blur was ultimately born and began touring in 1990 in support of the Cramps, later releasing the single “She’s So High”. The band’s sound was distinctly of the Madchester genre, drawing influences from the soaring psychedelic pop of The Stone Roses combined with the guitar drive of the Who. After releasing the No. eight charting single “There’s No Other Way” and the No. 24 single “Bang”, Blur released their debut album “Leisure” in 1991.

Following the release, the band embarked on a two-month tour of the States after which Albarn and the band aimed to move away from the sound and scene of their debut, which proved problematic. “Pop Music” was the band’s first single to step into the shoes of English pop however failed to find an audience in either the UK or the U.S. Blur’s sophomore album “Modern Life Is Rubbish”, produced by Stephen Street, was issued in 1992 to generally good reviews.

“Modern Life Is Rubbish”, whilst failing to achieve its intended success, paved the way for Blur’s breakthrough album “Parklife”. Released in 1994, “Parklife” shot to the top of the UK charts, aided by the lead single “Boys & Girls” and considerable BBC radio airplay. The album remained in the charts for a total of 90 weeks, earned rave reviews from the musical press, and has long been regarded as one of Britpops’ defining albums.

During this time Blur developed a musical rivalry with Manchester-based band Oasis, marked by both band’s releasing new singles on the same day. Blur’s “Country House” ultimately outsold Oasis’ “Roll With It”, however Blur’s subsequent album “The Great Escape” failed to compete with Oasis’ sophomore “(What’s the Story) Morning Glory?”. 1995’s “The Great Escape” once again earned positive reviews and topped the UK charts, however with the popularity of Oasis in the U.S., Blur were increasingly losing relevancy and public support.

After a year or so out of the spotlight, with influences taken from American indie-rock, Blur reincarnated themselves and released a self-titled album in 1997. Despite the UK No. 1 single “Beetlebum”, the album failed to reignite the popularity of its predecessors, however did find popularity in the U.S. With the significant success of the single “Song 2” in the States, hype for the band crossed the Atlantic and Blur enjoyed a resurgence of success in Britain. The album “13” followed in 1999 after which Albarn focussed on the hip-hop side-project Gorillaz with cartoonist Jamie Hewlett.

Graham Coxon departed the group ahead of the band’s seventh studio album “Think Tank”, which marked the end of Blur until a reunion tour in 2009. The documentary “No Distance Left to Run” was released in January 2010, followed by a new recording for Record Store Day entitled “Fool’s Day” also in 2010.

Live reviews

Blur, icons of the 90's Britpop revolution have enjoyed one of the most critically and commercially celebrated careers of any British artist. Their music has been the soundtrack to a generation and fans old and new continue to sell out their tours in mass force to see Damon Albarn and co perform the classic songs.

From the offset, the audience are excited and remain in a sense of hushed anticipation before the iconic group begin their show. The lights go down and deafening cheers ring out to the opening bars of 'Boys & Girls'. It is a risky move opening with one of your most prolific hits but Blur simply energise the crowd as they remain engaged with the show throughout. Albarn thanks them briefly between tracks but with seven albums to fit into a 20 song setlist, time is of the essence.

Luckily all the big hitters are included, a mass sing/clap along to 'Country House' nearly rips the roof off the Civic Hall before 'Parklife' causes mass jostling within the crowd. It is the anthemic introduction to 'Song 2' which receives perhaps the greatest reaction of the evening. Blur's music does not seem to age and the quartet proves why they are considered titans of Britpop.

Report as inappropriate

Blur as a band is a British icon, which enjoyed most of their success in the 90s. Legends from the Britpop revolution, Blur are a wonder to watch live. Their music redefined a generation, and they continue to be one of the most successful British rock bands today. When Blur rocked on to stage to screams of ‘Woo Hoo’ by the excited crowd, it felt like an incredible moment and memento to British music history. Blur opened with ‘Song 2’, to the crowd’s absolute delight. They rocked the stage, strumming on guitars and bass and slamming on drums. Although Blur opened with arguably their most prolific and, best, hit, the rest of the show by no means felt like a let-down after such a fantastic opening. If anything, the show went from strength to strength as the band missed up their set list, interspersing slower songs with more up tempo tracks. ‘Coffee and TV’ and ‘Girls and Boys’ also had massive crowd reactions and were two highlights of the night. The crowd begged for an encore at the end and Blur obeyed, coming back to perform ‘Song 2’ one last time for the exultant crowd.

It was amazing! I loved every song they played, and I can´t stop being excited, yet. I think they really know how to make a show and how to make people feel the music they are playing, they know that for many people that went to see them, there are songs that have listend for so many years, and the fact that after so much time, they were listening Blur playing it alive, listening many people singing the lyrics at the same time, and they are there, living that moment, with the people that must be there with them, it´s something amazing that words simply cannot discribe. That´s the best part of every concert, and is something Blur really knew how to gave us.

Blur. Ah, the first thing that comes to mind is Beetlebum. Blur has a song for each mood you're in, however, be warned there is a bit of grungy, dive-bar listening type of feel.

I've had the great fortune of seeing Blur once, and it was beyond memorable. One moment you are jumping up and down, moshing, the next you and the entire crowd are singing along to Song 2. Some artists don't sound anything like their album music, but for Blur it's so point on and more! Let's just say I lost my voice for 2 days after the concert.

So grab your 90's clothes - necklace choker, ripped jeans, & simple tee and kick it with Blur - promise you won't regret!

Best band I've ever seen live, we didn't have the best seats but it was still an incredible experience. Genuinely made me cry it was so amazing. I'm so upset there aren't anymore UK dates as if there where id be booking them all.

Amazing! They're the best!

Best moment: Tender

Akward moment: when Damon tried to organize two chorus with the

Best freaking dancing: Parklife with fans on stage

Best song: The Universal

Videos (32)

Photos (107)

Posters (80)

Find out more about Blur tour dates & tickets 2024-2025

Want to see Blur in concert? Find information on all of Blur’s upcoming concerts, tour dates and ticket information for 2024-2025.

Unfortunately there are no concert dates for Blur scheduled in 2024.

Songkick is the first to know of new tour announcements and concert information, so if your favorite artists are not currently on tour, join Songkick to track Blur and get concert alerts when they play near you, like 1138663 other Blur fans.

Last concert:

Last concert near you:

Popularity ranking:

• Fergie (253)
• Lynyrd Skynyrd (255)

Concerts played in 2024:

Touring history

Most played:

• London (88)
• New York (NYC) (16)
• Glasgow (16)
• Birmingham (16)
• Los Angeles (LA) (15)

Appears most with:

• Dinosaur Jr. (22)
• Chemical Brothers (18)
• Sleeper (18)
• Placebo (15)

Distance travelled:

Similar artists

• Most popular charts
• Campaigns for promoters
• API information
• Brand guidelines
• Community guidelines
• Terms of use
• Privacy policy
• Cookies settings
• Cookies policy

Get your tour dates seen everywhere.

• But we really hope you love us.

• Work & Careers
• Life & Arts

Become an FT subscriber

Try unlimited access only $1 for 4 weeks.

Then $75 per month. Complete digital access to quality FT journalism on any device. Cancel anytime during your trial.

• Global news & analysis
• Expert opinion
• Special features
• FirstFT newsletter
• Videos & Podcasts
• Android & iOS app
• FT Edit app
• 10 gift articles per month

Explore more offers.

Standard digital.

• FT Digital Edition

Premium Digital

Print + premium digital, ft professional, weekend print + standard digital, weekend print + premium digital.

Essential digital access to quality FT journalism on any device. Pay a year upfront and save 20%.

• Global news & analysis
• Exclusive FT analysis
• FT App on Android & iOS
• FirstFT: the day's biggest stories
• 20+ curated newsletters
• Follow topics & set alerts with myFT
• FT Videos & Podcasts
• 20 monthly gift articles to share
• Lex: FT's flagship investment column
• 15+ Premium newsletters by leading experts
• FT Digital Edition: our digitised print edition
• Weekday Print Edition
• Videos & Podcasts
• Premium newsletters
• 10 additional gift articles per month
• FT Weekend Print delivery
• Everything in Standard Digital
• Everything in Premium Digital

Complete digital access to quality FT journalism with expert analysis from industry leaders. Pay a year upfront and save 20%.

• 10 monthly gift articles to share
• Everything in Print
• Make and share highlights
• FT Workspace
• Markets data widget
• Subscription Manager
• Workflow integrations
• Occasional readers go free
• Volume discount

Terms & Conditions apply

Explore our full range of subscriptions.

Why the ft.

See why over a million readers pay to read the Financial Times.

International Edition

Issy Panayis 1pm - 4pm

Now Playing

Everything Will Be Alright The Killers Download 'Everything Will Be Alright' on iTunes

Blur's 2023 tour dates and how to buy tickets

24 January 2023, 11:16

Damon Albarn, Graham Coxon, Alex James and Dave Rowntree have announced a second date at the iconic London stadium.

Blur have announced a string of dates for 2023.

The Britpop legends announced they'd be reuniting for a mammoth gig in 2023, announcing two shows at London's Wembley Stadium.

The Wembley shows will mark their only UK gigs of the year and will feature special guests Slowthai and Self Esteem .

Due to phenomenal demand, Blur will play a second date at Wembley Stadium on Sunday 9 July 2023 Tickets on sale now - https://t.co/SX9nm1IJNJ pic.twitter.com/mouEHbxj47 — blur (@blurofficial) November 18, 2022

The band will also play a run of European Festival dates, including Primavera Sound, Roskilde and Way Out West, plus a special show at Malahide Castle in Dublin.

What are Blur's 2023 dates?

• 1st June Primavera Sound, Barcelona
• 8th June Primavera Sound, Madrid
• 10th June Primavera Porto, Portgual
• 24th June Malahide Castle, Dublin
• 30th June Roskilde Festival, Denmark
• 6th July Beauregard Festival, France
• 8th July Wembley Stadium, London
• 9th July Wembley Stadium, London
• 14th July Villes Charrues, France
• 22nd July Lucca Summer Festival, Italy
• 23rd July Villes Charrues, France
• 8th August Okerse Feesten, Belgium
• 10th August Øya Festival, Norway
• 10th-12th August Way Out West Festivak, Sweden

When are Blur tickets on sale?

• Tickets for Blur's Wembley Stadium gig are on general sale now from SeeTickets and Tickemaster.
• For more ticket information, see Blur's official website here

Who's supporting Blur on their UK dates?

So far, Blur will be supported at London's Wembley by special guests Slowthai and Self Esteem .

Alex James on trying to keep the Blur reunion a secret!

READ MORE - Alex James: My kids nearly revealed details of the Blur reunion

HOW TO LISTEN

All the ways you can listen to radio x, more on blur, is blur's beetlebum their most heartbreaking single, parklife at 30: ten things you didn't know about blur's classic album, what inspired graham coxon to write blur’s coffee & tv, damon albarn severed his finger while making pesto, blur vs oasis: the true story of the battle of britpop, how much of a blur fan are you.

Blur - Tour

Primavera sound, fauna primavera, movistar arena, corona capital festival.

• Consequence

Blur Reunite for First Concerts in Eight Years

The Britpop icons will headline a massive shows at Wembley Stadium next summer

Blur will reunite next summer for their first headlining shows in eight years.

The Britpop icons will play London’s Wembley Stadium on July 8th. Update: Blur have announced a second show at Wembey on July 9th. They’ll be joined by supporting acts slowthai , Jockstrap , and Self Esteem.

Tickets go on sale Friday, November 18th at 10:00 a.m. local time Ticketmaster . An artist pre-sale will precede the public on-sale starting Wednesday, November 16th.

Additionally, they’re confirmed to headline the Beauregard Festival in France on July 6th.

At the moment, it’s unclear if Blur will play additional tour dates beyond the announced shows. The band last embarked on a tour in 2015 in support of their album, The Magic Whip . In 2019, they reunited for a brief three-song performance at an Africa Express performance staged by frontman Damon Albarn.

It’s shaping up to be another busy year for Albarn; in addition to regrouping with Blur, he’ll put out a new Gorillaz album called Cracker Island in February.

Meanwhile, Blur bandmate Graham Coxon will release an album as The WAEVE, his collaborative project with partner and former Pipettes member, Rose Eilnor Dougall, and drummer Dave Rowntree will put out his debut solo album, Radio Songs .

Blur 2023 Tour Dates: 07/06 – Beauregard, FR @ Beauregard Festival 07/08 – London, UK @ Wembley Stadium * 07/09 – London, UK @ Wembley Stadium *

* = w/ slowthai and Jockstrap

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Blur (@blurofficial)

Personalized Stories

Around the web, latest stories.

TOKiMONSTA Announces 2024 North American Tour

June 7, 2024

Thomas Dolby, Thompson Twins' Tom Bailey, and Modern English Top Totally Tubular Festival Lineup

June 6, 2024

Omar Apollo Announces 2024 "God Said No" North American Tour

Billy Bragg Expands 2024 North American Tour

June 5, 2024

Ice Spice Sets Release Date for Debut Album Y2K!, Announces 2024 Tour

ANOHNI and the Johnsons Announce First North American Tour in Almost a Decade

Sturgill Simpson (as Johnny Blue Skies) Announces New Album and 2024 Tour

The Jesus Lizard Announce First Album in 26 Years, Unveil Tour Dates and "Hide & Seek" Single: Stream

• Statistics Stats
• You are here:
• July 8, 2023 Setlist

Blur Setlist at Wembley Stadium, London, England

• Edit setlist songs
• Edit venue & date

Edit set times

• Add to festival
• Report setlist

Tour: The Ballad of Darren Tour statistics Add setlist

• Song played from tape The Debt Collector Play Video
• St. Charles Square Play Video
• There's No Other Way Play Video
• Popscene Play Video
• Tracy Jacks Play Video
• Beetlebum Play Video
• Trimm Trabb Play Video
• Villa Rosie Play Video
• Stereotypes Play Video
• Out of Time Play Video
• Coffee & TV Play Video
• Under the Westway ( First time live since 2014 ) Play Video
• End of a Century ( Preceded by applause for Freddie Mercury ) Play Video
• Country House ( Preceded by Damon going into a tent on stage to find out who was in it ) Play Video
• Parklife (with Phil Daniels ) Play Video
• To the End Play Video
• Oily Water Play Video
• Advert Play Video
• Song 2 ( With false start ) Play Video
• This Is a Low Play Video
• Lot 105 ( First time live since 1994; with "Wembley" intro and chant throughout ) Play Video
• Girls & Boys Play Video
• For Tomorrow Play Video
• Tender (with London Community Gospel Choir ) Play Video
• The Narcissist Play Video
• The Universal Play Video

Note: Soundcheck: "Tender", "Country House", "Parklife", "To the End", "Sing", "Oily Water", "Sunday Sunday", "Advert", "Lot 105", "Girls & Boys", "Under the Westway", "St. Charles Square", "The Narcissist", "Out of Time", "For Tomorrow".

Edits and Comments

124 activities (last edit by rat_pack_gal , 9 Jul 2023, 21:30 Etc/UTC )

Songs on Albums

• End of a Century
• Girls & Boys
• This Is a Low
• Tracy Jacks
• For Tomorrow
• Villa Rosie
• Coffee & TV
• Trimm Trabb
• Country House
• Stereotypes
• The Universal
• St. Charles Square
• The Narcissist
• There's No Other Way
• Out of Time
• Under the Westway

Complete Album stats

More from this Artist

• More Setlists
• Artist Statistics
• Add setlist

Related News

Best of Coachella Weekend Two: Lana, Camila, Kid Cudi Debuts

Coachella 2024 Weekend Two Hopes and Predictions

Blur Play 'Darren' in Entirety, Encores With Rarities

Blur Finally Plays Wembley in an Emotional Pair of Shows

Wembley stadium.

• Steve Davis Add time Add time
• Jockstrap Start time: 5:55 PM 5:55 PM
• Sleaford Mods Start time: 6:40 PM 6:40 PM
• Self Esteem Start time: 7:25 PM 7:25 PM
• Blur This Setlist Start time: 8:35 PM 8:35 PM

Blur Gig Timeline

• Jun 27 2023 Ziggo Dome Amsterdam, Netherlands Start time: 9:00 PM 9:00 PM
• Jun 30 2023 Roskilde Festival 2023 Roskilde, Denmark Start time: 10:30 PM 10:30 PM
• Jul 08 2023 Wembley Stadium This Setlist London, England Start time: 8:35 PM 8:35 PM
• Jul 09 2023 Wembley Stadium London, England Start time: 7:50 PM 7:50 PM
• Jul 14 2023 Les Vieilles Charrues 2023 Carhaix-Plouguer, France Add time Add time

506 people were there

• _gabriela_c
• aaronhammer
• acmiller1972
• AdamAmerica24
• AddieBenYehuda
• alexdescend
• alyssaholden
• AndyPMooney
• AnnaRadozda
• Antnutcake12
• baldymanbryh
• banjokazooie59
• BasildonMott
• BeardedBison
• beatlemaniac47
• benzofury02
• BigBadMonkey73
• bobferguson
• boilthespoil
• boxofpaperclips
• bristoljames
• Bungle90815
• Burtron5000
• callumbr2000
• Carlythfc82
• cecinoconforme
• charliestalker
• cherry_cola
• Chrishutchison
• christickel
• clearestblue
• courtneyldavies
• CrystalPearl
• damiank2000
• Damofortune
• danielsleigh
• danisaloner
• Danisstillalive
• darkshinejewels
• DarrenGibson
• DavidCarter1969
• DavidPinder
• deceiverius
• doctordan666
• douglasmanso
• eakingsbury
• earthvomiting
• EddieRobson
• ediethompsonn
• EdwinMutant
• eleanorofclaire
• Elishacrooks
• Endless_Art
• EricTheHaddock
• ewanwilson99
• fb:511157784
• fb:857345651
• fireleavesagirl
• FrankGriffin
• freyadorman
• Gavin_Forrest
• GenerousZero
• GettoHeaven
• gkdomarkaite
• Gordomuffin
• groaninjock
• hardrockguy
• HarrowCiderMan
• hayleyhuttonx
• HearingLoss
• hillebrandt
• iamanisland
• IAmBadAtUsernam
• IamInYourEye
• Iamkieran55
• ImMrBrightside_
• individual6827
• isabellaacra
• iwannabeabear
• jakefarleybris
• Jambosmitty
• jamesmercer
• jamiemacmillan
• jessicaeccles
• jessieducat
• JoelTheDrummer
• johnstoneman
• Josh_Morris
• joshuahazelden
• Judemayes77
• KimballShirley
• KrispyNoodles
• kyrakyrakyra
• LeeDavis897
• LewisBlackmore
• lilblacksheepc
• Liliacampanella
• linksauce_1
• lizajbarbour
• loads0fcrisps
• luukvdschepop
• manuamarger
• marianna_york
• markrodrigues
• MarkyMark72
• marquismarc
• Matthewb1977
• MatthewFletcher
• mattsherbert
• mattyjones_x
• Mickduff1980
• MicrophoneMayne
• missmccherry
• mjtwilliams
• morethansixcha-
• mrhorse1982
• MrPinkShirt
• Mustang1969uk
• nicoleelouisee
• noelfielbing
• Ollieburger
• paddywalters
• Pete-love-music
• plascala1988
• Polskiadamski
• Pompeygeorge
• Princessmoo
• ptchwkstaccato
• rabbidthenabbit
• RaffertyBarfoot
• random_outcome
• RatOnAScooter
• Redmond2002
• Rileybarnes
• rohan_walters11
• RomanyCrickmore
• SaintEtienneLee
• ScoopInCardiff
• Seanmichael
• sebforthedeaf
• serenfletchr
• sexysam6666
• sheusjshsvsh
• SirBlackhand
• sister2sleep
• Sjaakwilson
• Skillfulperson
• slashishere
• Sofasoldier
• SomeMightSay95
• SpiderBones
• SpoonaciousB
• spoonyblues
• STBestJunior
• StephaneBarbey
• StephanieEphani
• Stephen_Davis
• stevescientist
• stevienbain2
• StrawberryToast
• texarkanapowers
• thecatinthewhat
• thedaytripper
• TheFakeAliG
• therealmixedup
• tillymeredith
• TinyMontgomery
• tomascrespo
• TOMSPOTLEYWHEN
• TrackAttack
• TrelvisGresley
• trooper1971
• tychosaurus
• Willhellmine
• WishList2023
• yoursisterdebra
• zvjlawrence

Share or embed this setlist

Use this setlist for your event review and get all updates automatically!

<div style="text-align: center;" class="setlistImage"><a href="https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/blur/2023/wembley-stadium-london-england-33a7c849.html" title="Blur Setlist Wembley Stadium, London, England 2023, The Ballad of Darren" target="_blank"><img src="https://www.setlist.fm/widgets/setlist-image-v1?id=33a7c849" alt="Blur Setlist Wembley Stadium, London, England 2023, The Ballad of Darren" style="border: 0;" /></a> <div><a href="https://www.setlist.fm/edit?setlist=33a7c849&amp;step=song">Edit this setlist</a> | <a href="https://www.setlist.fm/setlists/blur-13d6bd65.html">More Blur setlists</a></div></div>

Last.fm Event Review

[url=https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/blur/2023/wembley-stadium-london-england-33a7c849.html][img]https://www.setlist.fm/widgets/setlist-image-v1?id=33a7c849[/img][/url] [url=https://www.setlist.fm/edit?setlist=33a7c849&amp;step=song]Edit this setlist[/url] | [url=https://www.setlist.fm/setlists/blur-13d6bd65.html]More Blur setlists[/url]

Tour Update

Marquee memories: quarters of change.

• Quarters of Change
• Jun 5, 2024
• Jun 4, 2024
• Jun 3, 2024
• Jun 2, 2024
• Jun 1, 2024
• May 31, 2024
• FAQ | Help | About
• Terms of Service
• Ad Choices | Privacy Policy
• Feature requests
• Songtexte.com

Culture | Music

Blur tour: how get tickets for the newly announced intimate gigs and other Europe dates

British Britpop band Blur are heading off on a massive tour around Europe in summer, with two major concerts at Wembley Stadium in July.

The news of the upcoming gigs predictably delighted fans – these London gigs looked set to be Blur’s first headlining performances since 2015.

But what’s even more thrilling is that Blur have now announced four intimate “warm up shows” that will be taking place in Colchester, Eastbourne, Wolverhampton and Newcastle next month.

“In 2012 I was amazed to find Blur playing an intimate warm up gig for a stadium tour in Wolvo civic hall up the road. Was MIGHTY. Turns out they have a huge affinity with the place from the old days. Well, they’ve done it again !” tweeted one excited fan.

The band has been on a hiatus of sorts for years, with its lead singer, Damon Albarn, being busy with his other super-successful band, Gorillaz, and its lead guitarist Graham Coxon otherwise occupied with his solo career.

Coxon left Blur in 2002, but, after reportedly rebuilding his relationship with Albarn, returned to the band in 2008 for the beginning of their seven year long series of “reunion” performances.

Bassist Alex James, meanwhile, has his own cheese farm, while drummer Dave Rowntree has also been focusing on his solo career, releasing his first solo album, Radio Songs, in January this year.

Now they’ve announced some intimate gigs

This week Blur announced the series of intimate gigs, which will take place at Colchester, Eastbourne, Wolverhampton and Newcastle in May.

Kicking things off, the band will first play at 300-capacity Colchester Arts Centre on May 19, followed by Eastbourne WInter Gardens on May 21, at Wolverhampton The Halls on May 26 and Newcastle O2 City Hall on May 28. Tickets can be found here .

Blur drummer Dave Rowntree selected as Labour's Mid Sussex election candidate

Raye hailed as ‘music legend’ for beating Blur and Adele to make Brits history

Raye storms Brits early with four awards

First look at exceptional new London properties for sale in 2024

Albarn, Coxon and Rowntree all grew up around Colchester in Essex which is almost certainly why one of the handful of gigs will be played there.

Plus, last November Colchester Council’s culture boss Pam Cox said to the Daily Gazette, “I’m a massive Blur fan. I saw Albarn at Latitude festival a few years ago and it was amazing... It would be great for us if they performed here before next year’s [London] gig[s].” Maybe they listened to Pam?

Where else are they playing?

The rock pop band will also be playing across Europe over the summer, with stops including the Barcelona and Madrid editions of Primavera Sound , Dublin’s Malahide Castle, Roskilde, Beauregard Music Festival, Vieilles Charrues Festival, Lucca Summer Festival, Lokerse Feesten Festival, Way Out West and Flow Festival, to name a few.

What’s all the fuss about?

The London gigs at Wembley Stadium will not only be the band’s band’s first headlining performances since 2015 - remarkably, it will also mark the first time the band has ever performed at the legendary venue.

“We’re a band that’s done almost everything it’s possible to do… what an iconic place, what an iconic venue. It’s just incredibly exciting,” said Rowntree to Sky News about playing at the 90,000 capacity venue.

“It’s one of these iconic places that are secretly up on your bucket list, even though you pretend they’re not,” he said. “I sincerely hope we are a band that can fill a stadium like that. I don’t want there to be four people and a dog.”

But Rowntree needn’t have worried. In November, Blur’s first London date on July 8 completely sold out. A second date added due to the huge demand, will now take place the following evening. The first performance will be supported by rapper Slowthai, singer Self Esteem and electro-pop duo Jockstrap, with support for the additional date to be confirmed.

How can you get tickets?

Tickets for all of Blur’s upcoming gigs, including the intimate gigs, a pair of London Wembley Stadium shows, and the band’s many festival appearances, can all be found on Blur’s website here .

Tickets for the warm up shows will go on sale at 10am on Friday April 28.

Blur will be playing at Wembley Stadium on July 8 and 9; blur.co.uk

Create a FREE account to continue reading

Registration is a free and easy way to support our journalism.

Join our community where you can: comment on stories; sign up to newsletters; enter competitions and access content on our app.

Your email address

Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number

You must be at least 18 years old to create an account

* Required fields

Already have an account? SIGN IN

By clicking Create Account you confirm that your data has been entered correctly and you have read and agree to our Terms of use , Cookie policy and Privacy policy .

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in

Interview Blur : Holding on for Tomorrow

Back with a stunning new album following their enormous stadium tour, blur’s graham coxon and dave rowntree tell us why blur are still the least nostalgic reunion band around..

Words: Lisa Wright Photos: Reuben Bastienne-Lewis 20th July 2023

For a band whose sporadic reunions consistently provoke gleeful fan furore, whose back catalogue sits objectively within the top tier of Britain’s best and who sold out Wembley Stadium’s 90,000 tickets in literally two minutes for the first date of their current comeback run, Blur have never been interested in being a nostalgia outfit. Their last get-together in 2015 brought with it ‘The Magic Whip’ - the band’s first album since 2003 - and now comes ‘The Ballad of Darren’ : a melodically-rich addition to their canon that continues to push the quartet’s story forward.

“We like to have something out if we’re gonna do shows otherwise it’s like we’re doing it for the money or something - which is not true actually,” says guitarist Graham Coxon, aggressively ruffling his hair as if trying to expel even the notion of a reunion cash cow from his head. Joined on Zoom today by drummer Dave Rowntree, it’s not that the pair aren’t proud or interested in their past, but they’re just far more invested in the present. As Dave puts it: “We’re not wistful people. We don't sit around going, ’Remember that time…’ We’re rather more in the moment than that.”

As such, ‘The Ballad of Darren’ is marked by a relatively speedy conception period that saw the band working hard and fast to meet the deadlines sprung upon them. Having secretly had the Wembley shows in the works for a number of years, a series of pandemic-based delays meant that, even as recently as last autumn, their viability was still up in the air. “It was a longstanding plan to do Wembley and I thought this year it wasn’t going to happen again - maybe it would be pushed to next year - but then suddenly the venue released some new dates and we got this phone call from our agent going, ‘It’s on but we’ve got to put the tickets on sale tomorrow!’” recalls Dave.

“So it wasn’t really much time to make an album. To do that, we had to start immediately and everything had to work,” he continues. “There wasn’t any time to fiddle around, we had to get going and it had to be good and it had to happen now. None of that was guaranteed and it never is, so the stars aligned really. Sometimes you’re playing tennis and your tennis racket seems twenty feet across and every shot goes in, and your opponents applaud at the end of every point. It kind of felt a bit like that. Everything just worked.”

“When you listen to a lot of [music] these days it’s very embellished, and it’s like polishing a turd.”

— Graham Coxon

Starting life as a series of demos written by Damon Albarn while on a recent tour with Gorillaz, ‘The Ballad of Darren’ finds Blur working together as four musicians relying solely on each other - and a little help from producer James Ford. It’s a back-to-basics album in a way; one written with limitations in mind (the initial demos would have no strings, no brass) that instead puts all its chips on Damon’s intrinsic way with a melody and the band’s longstanding chemistry. On ‘Russian Strings’, layers of backing harmonies and richly chiming guitars create the heavenly backdrop; ‘Barbaric’ is all choppy, poppy tempos, while recent single ‘St. Charles Square’ harks back to the band’s scrappy youthfulness in a way that feels magical. There’s no tricks, it’s just Blur doing what only Blur know how.

“When you listen to a lot of things these days it’s very embellished, there are a lot of choral arrangements and vibraphones on some types of music and it’s polishing a turd, it really is, because the song underneath is as flimsy as it gets,” argues Graham. “So I think the limitation we had of it just being us four to begin with was a good decision.”

Describing the sessions as ones that were less chat and more “pick up your instruments and get on with it”, Blur began work on their ninth in January and finished it just two weeks before releasing lead single ‘The Narcissist’ in May. Embracing the vibrancy and fertility of ideas that came from this shortened timeframe, it’s the unexpected moments that also make the record such a fresh listen. “There’s what I would call mistakes or things that didn’t go to plan - especially with the guitars, like when I lost control or lost my place,” recalls Graham. “On ‘Goodbye Albert’, it was like freefall, but then those parts took on a life of their own; that’s why I like working fast.”

30 years on from second album ‘Modern Life is Rubbish’, there are parallels of Blur in 2023 that hark back to that game-changing time. ‘Modern Life…’, says Dave, was a “sink or swim” record for the band. “The head of the label was so disgusted by it that he said if it wasn’t successful he was gonna dump us. So it was a leap off into the abyss,” the drummer remembers. And while there are no such pressures these days, a similar sort of instinctive musicality seems present, of going against the predominant radio landscape into “something that was a lot more traditional… when instruments just sounded like instruments”. “It’s a good album,” decides Graham of their second before adding: “It’s great that, 30 years later, people are celebrating it so much because they didn’t back then…”

“We’re not wistful people. We don’t sit around going, ’Remember that time…’ We’re rather more in the moment than that.”

— Dave Rowntree

Though both Dave and Graham note that the public have a far greater appetite for these sort of anniversary celebrations than the quartet themselves (“It’s an interesting way to feel old,” summarises the drummer of his feelings towards the matter), there have nonetheless been plenty of recent opportunities for romantic reflection, should they have wished it.

In May, the group kicked off a short run of warm up dates at Colchester Arts Centre, in the town where Graham, Dave and Damon all grew up before forming the band properly - alongside bassist Alex James - in London. It was, says Dave, the venue where he first met Damon “after a gig of his in some other band, so it was quite surreal [to come back and play it] really”. “I remember how big it looked as a teenager,” he continues with a chuckle, “and thinking, ‘Wow imagine if you could sell enough tickets to sell out this place…’”

There’s still a lingering trace of those young musicians, embarking on an uphill battle to success, present when they talk about their forthcoming fixtures too. “The idea of a band like us at the ‘Modern Life is Rubbish’ time playing Wembley Stadium is almost laughable,” says Dave. “I remember there being a column in the NME making fun of our lofty ambitions to want to be anything more than a tiny little miserable indie band still signed on the dole, making fun of the fact that we might even be successful. And it genuinely was funny, the idea that a little indie guitar band would ever be in the charts; they used to have the Independent Chart to make it look like people were doing something and we weren’t even in that.”

They might prefer to be firmly focussed on what’s next, but the members of Blur are clearly aware of their singular trajectory; that, 35 years on from those first steps, to still be this beloved by so many is a fate bestowed on only the very, very few. As long as people keep offering them exciting new opportunities, says dave, the band could still keep going. “There must be some kind of shady committee somewhere - the Blur Carrot Committee - that meets every five years to dangle something tempting in front of us,” he laughs.

“I didn’t even think into next week when I was 21 or 22, so to be approaching middle-50s and have this going on…” Graham smiles quietly, “I’d have been quite amazed.”

Album Review

Blur - The Ballad Of Darren

Older, wiser and more reflective.

‘The Ballad of Darren’ is out 21st July via Parlophone.

Tags: Blur , Features , Interviews

Find ‘The Ballad of Darren’ at Rough Trade

Vinyl LP (black) - £24.99

Cd - £19.99

Cd - £14.99

As featured in the July 2023 issue of DIY , out now.

Subscribe to DIY

blur announce feature length documentary blur: To The End

The film will be in cinemas across the UK and Ireland from July.

7th May 2024, 3:36pm

Public vote now open for BRIT Awards 2024

Fans are eligible to vote for who they think should win the ceremony's five genre awards.

1st February 2024, 12:30pm

DIY ’s Tracks of the Year 2023

From debut singles to established artists breaking bold new terrain, this is what's dominated our collective headphones since January.

8th December 2023, 5:00pm

DIY ’s Albums of the Year 2023

It's safe to say that it's been a stellar twelve months on the musical front, but what have DIY's writers had on repeat?

7th December 2023, 6:00pm

✉ Stay Updated!

Get the best of DIY to your inbox each week.

Popular right now

Charli XCX  — BRAT

The Neu Bulletin ( Soft Launch , Yuneki , She’s In Parties and more!)

Aurora : With Every Heartbeat

Eels  — Eels Time!

Glass Animals announce 2024 international tour dates

Goat Girl - Below The Waste 

Glass Animals are the cover stars of DIY ​ ’ s June 2024 issue!

Get To Know… oreglo

AURORA - What Happened To The Heart?

Parklife unveil 2024 lineup, including headliners Doja Cat , Disclosure and J Hus

Latest Issue

With Glass Animals, Los Campesinos!, Alfie Templeman, Lava La Rue and many more.

Read Now Buy Now Subscribe to DIY

By submitting my information, I agree to receive personalized updates and marketing messages about blur based on my information, interests, activities, website visits and device data and in accordance with the Privacy Policy . I understand that I can opt-out at any time by emailing [email protected] .

• Today's news
• Reviews and deals
• Climate change
• 2024 election
• Fall allergies
• Health news
• Mental health
• Sexual health
• Family health
• So mini ways
• Unapologetically
• Buying guides

Entertainment

• How to Watch
• My watchlist
• Stock market
• Biden economy
• Personal finance
• Stocks: most active
• Stocks: gainers
• Stocks: losers
• Trending tickers
• World indices
• US Treasury bonds
• Top mutual funds
• Highest open interest
• Highest implied volatility
• Currency converter
• Basic materials
• Communication services
• Consumer cyclical
• Consumer defensive
• Financial services
• Industrials
• Real estate
• Mutual funds
• Credit cards
• Balance transfer cards
• Cash back cards
• Rewards cards
• Travel cards
• Online checking
• High-yield savings
• Money market
• Home equity loan
• Personal loans
• Student loans
• Options pit
• Fantasy football
• Pro Pick 'Em
• College Pick 'Em
• Fantasy baseball
• Fantasy hockey
• Fantasy basketball
• Download the app
• Daily fantasy
• Scores and schedules
• GameChannel
• World Baseball Classic
• Premier League
• CONCACAF League
• Champions League
• Motorsports
• Horse racing
• Newsletters

New on Yahoo

• Privacy Dashboard

Blur Kick Off Reunion Tour: Setlist + Video

The post Blur Kick Off Reunion Tour: Setlist + Video appeared first on Consequence .

Blur took the stage at the Colchester Arts Centre in Colchester, England on Friday. The concert served as a warm-up show ahead of the band’s summer reunion tour — their first such outing in eight years.

The 23-song setlist boasted several notable moments, including the debut of two tracks from their newly announced album The Ballad of Darren : “The Narcissist” and ” St. Charles Square.”

The band also performed “Villa Rosie,” from 1993’s Modern Life Is Rubbish , for the first time ever, and dusted off live rarities “Chemical World,” Oily Water,” and “Popscene.”

See the full setlist and watch fan-captured footage of the performance below.

The Ballad of Darren is due out on July 14th. Over the course of the summer, they’ll play shows in the UK, Europe, Japan, and South America. Tickets are available through Viagogo .

Blur Reunion Setlist:

St. Charles Square (Live debut) There’s No Other Way Popscene (First time live since 2013) Trouble in the Message Centre Chemical World (First time live since 2009) Badhead Beetlebum Trimm Trabb Villa Rosie (Live debut) Coffee & TV Out of Time End of a Century Parklife To the End Oily Water (First time live since 2012) Advert Song 2 This Is a Low

Encore: Girls & Boys The Narcissist (Live debut) Tender For Tomorrow The Universal

GIRLS & BOYS – insane scenes #Blur #Colchester #awwww 🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 pic.twitter.com/hBSd35bMlI — Antonello Guerrera (@antoguerrera) May 19, 2023

WHAT YOU’VE DOOOONE BEETLEBUM #Blur #Colchester #awwww 🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 pic.twitter.com/A4g2U9eLgD — Antonello Guerrera (@antoguerrera) May 19, 2023

SONG 2 – WHOOOOHOOOO #Blur #Colchester #awwww 🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 pic.twitter.com/Unn08RQwLR — Antonello Guerrera (@antoguerrera) May 19, 2023

Blur Kick Off Reunion Tour: Setlist + Video Scoop Harrison

Popular Posts

Jay-Z and Beyoncé Purchase the Most Expensive Home in California History

Foo Fighters Reveal Josh Freese As New Live Drummer

Post Malone Helped a Fan Buy a Home After Meeting at a Bar

Robert Fripp and Toyah's 10 Best "Sunday Lunch" Performances

Lil Wayne Ends Show Early Due to Lackluster Crowd Response

Billy Corgan on Kurt Cobain's Death: "I Cried Because I Lost My Greatest Opponent"

Subscribe to Consequence’s email digest and get the latest breaking news in music, film, and television, tour updates, access to exclusive giveaways, and more straight to your inbox.

Recommended Stories

Sparks rookie cameron brink: 'there's a privilege' for wnba's younger white players.

The Sparks rookie had plenty to say about her WNBA rookie class, headlined by Caitlin Clark.

Angel Reese's 'weak' ejection from Sky-Liberty game draws attention, offer from Bulls' Lonzo Ball

Reese was ejected after two very quick whistles from referee Charles Watson.

GameStop stock soars as 'Roaring Kitty' announces livestream, reveals $382 million unrealized gain

First X, then Reddit, now YouTube. GameStop's most bullish enthusiast announced a livestream, and the stock surged.

Rivian's path to survival is now remarkably clear

Rivian has had a lot on its plate as it transitioned from pitch mode to selling EVs. It created an electric pickup and an electric SUV while prepping a monster IPO. It now plans to sell an even cheaper SUV that could make Rivian a dominant EV player for years to come.

Larry Allen, Cowboys legend and Pro Football Hall of Famer, dies at 52

Allen was a seven-time first-team All-Pro and part of the Cowboys' Super Bowl XXX winning team.

Top RBs for 2024 fantasy football, according to our experts

The Yahoo Fantasy football analysts reveal their first running back rankings for the 2024 NFL season.

Vikings reveal 'Winter Warrior' alternate all-white uniforms to be worn on Week 15

The Minnesota Vikings revealed their all-white "Winter Warrior" uniforms that the team will wear for Week 15's matchup with the Chicago Bears.

Sky's Chennedy Carter has 'no regrets' about foul on Caitlin Clark; Angel Reese will 'take the bad guy role'

The Sky have broken their silence about the flagrant foul on Caitlin Clark, and they had a lot to say.

Paul Skenes blows away Shohei Ohtani, who returns the favor in his next at-bat

The Dodgers-Pirates matchup lived up to its billing.

Yes, Marshall's has an online store — and we found 10 summer steals under $50

Tommy Bahama, Ralph Lauren, Jantzen: It's a treasure trove of deals — like going in person, but better!

Blur announce new ‘Live at Wembley Stadium’ album to accompany new documentary and concert film

Their new album will arrive this July, whilst their brand-new concert film will land in cinemas this September - find all details here

Blur have announced their new ‘Live at Wembley Stadium’ album, which will accompany their brand-new documentary and concert film – find all details below.

• READ MORE: Blur live in London: stadium-sized eruptions of pure, utter joy

The band took to social media to share the news, posting a teaser trailer of their huge Wembley gigs that took place last July. While there, Blur played to over 150,000 fans across two nights at the stadium. Now, over a year later, a live concert album of the Wembley gigs will be released this July 26 – it’s currently available to pre-order now here .

If that wasn’t enough, Blur have officially announced their concert film of the Wembley gigs: Blur: Live at Wembley Stadium. It is set to arrive in cinemas across the UK & Ireland on September 6. Ticket and cinema details will be shared soon.

It will be their second upcoming film, alongside their previously-announced reunion documentary To The End . The feature-length documentary will land in cinemas on July 19. You can book tickets for To The End here.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Blur (@blurofficial)

NME  attended the Blur Wembley gigs last July, dubbing them “stadium-sized eruptions of pure, utter joy” in a five-star review : “At one point, [frontman Damon] Albarn turns to us and says, “You’re properly mad, you lot, for sticking with us for so long.” Well, the proof is here.

Recommended

“This two-hour performance shows that Blur have soundtracked the audience’s lives with real emotional impact. James recently called the making of their new album an “utter joy”. It’s clear that fans would say the same about tonight.”

Along with classics such as ‘Song 2’ and ‘Girls & Boys’, Blur played tracks off their most recent album ‘ The Ballad of Darren ‘, which  NME  gave four stars: “Unlike many of their peers, there has never been a timelessness to a Blur album – that’s a good thing. When you listen to ‘Modern Life Is Rubbish’ now, you can feel disdain for the culture that surrounded them, or the raw confusion of heartbreak on 1999’s ‘13’; they have a way of transporting you to a precise moment or emotion.

“It’s why ‘The Ballad of Darren’ is so memorable and touching: you can feel it, everything, in every line sung or note played. Speaking to NME last week, Rowntree says that when they were recording, “everything we tried, worked”, and that “magic was in the air”. It is keenly felt here; may it never fade away.”

Damon Albarn announced in December that it was time to “wrap up” Blur again, reasoning: “It’s too much for me. It was the right thing to do and an immense honour to play these songs again, spend time with these guys, make an album, blah-blah-blah.”

He continued: “I’m not saying I won’t do it again, it was a beautiful success, but I’m not dwelling on the past.”

After a rocky performance at Coachella Festival’s first weekend – in which Albarn told the lacklustre crowd: “You’re never seeing us again so you might as well fucking sing it” – the frontman later claimed that the weekend two performance was “probably our last gig” .

Albarn had previously spoken with KROQ about the Coachella audience , saying: “I don’t know, it’s a weird one Coachella when it comes to audience you know. It’s hard to know sometimes because they’re quite sort of on their own planet really.”

In other news, Damon Albarn has revealed he didn’t want to perform during the second night of Blur’s Wembley shows.

• Related Topics
• Damon Albarn
• Graham Coxon

You May Also Like

Pharrell williams tells us about his biopic in lego, ‘piece by piece’: “this is an amazing experience of history for me”, say now: the straight-talking girl group taking ownership of their journey, kneecap: giving peace, protest and partying a chance, ‘the acolyte’ review: star wars revenge story feels fresh and original, we played ‘elden ring’ dlc shadow of the erdtree and punched a lot of dogs, more stories, the offspring announce new album ‘supercharged’ with high-energy single ‘make it all right’, the black keys split from managers after cancellation of entire north american tour, hull to receive 50 giant rat sculptures to honour spiders from mars guitarist mick ronson, prince’s sister shares details of their final conversations, disturbed’s david draiman calls roger waters a “monster” and an “anti-semitic to his rotten core” , mc5 announce ‘heavy lifting’ – their first new album in 53 years .

Find anything you save across the site in your account

Blur Announce Live at Wembley Stadium Album and Film

By Jazz Monroe

Blur have announced a live album recorded at their Wembley Stadium concerts last July. Live at Wembley Stadium is out July 26, in digital and physical formats, via Parlophone . A film of the same name, directed by Toby L , will screen in cinemas in the United Kingdom and Ireland from September 6, with international release details to follow. Watch a teaser and listen to “‘Parklife,” from the live album, below.

Blur previously announced a documentary, Blur: To the End , also directed by Toby L. A few months after the Wembley shows, the band released its latest album, The Ballad of Darren , which was soon followed by a pair of bonus tracks .

All products featured on Pitchfork are independently selected by our editors. However, when you buy something through our retail links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Live at Wembley Stadium :

01 St Charles Square (Live at Wembley Stadium) 02 There’s No Other Way (Live at Wembley Stadium) 03 Popscene (Live at Wembley Stadium) 04 Tracy Jacks (Live at Wembley Stadium) 05 Beetlebum (Live at Wembley Stadium) 06 Trimm Trabb (Live at Wembley Stadium) 07 Villa Rosie (Live at Wembley Stadium) 08 Stereotypes (Live at Wembley Stadium) 09 Out of Time (Live at Wembley Stadium) 10 Coffee & TV (Live at Wembley Stadium) 11 Under the Westway (Live at Wembley Stadium) 12 End of a Century (Live at Wembley Stadium) 13 Sunday Sunday (Live at Wembley Stadium) 14 Country House (Live at Wembley Stadium) 15 Parklife (Live at Wembley Stadium) 16 To the End (Live at Wembley Stadium) 17 Oily Water (Live at Wembley Stadium) 18 Advert (Live at Wembley Stadium) 19 Song 2 (Live at Wembley Stadium) 20 This Is a Low (Live at Wembley Stadium) 21 Lot 105 (Live at Wembley Stadium) 22 Girls & Boys (Live at Wembley Stadium) 23 For Tomorrow (Live at Wembley Stadium) 24 Tender (Live at Wembley Stadium) 25 The Narcissist (Live at Wembley Stadium) 26 The Universal (Live at Wembley Stadium) 27 Trouble in the Message Centre (Live at Colchester Arts Centre) 28 Young & Lovely (Live at Eastbourne Winter Garden) 29 Intermission (Live at Wolverhampton Civic Hall) 30 Bank Holiday (Live at Newcastle City Hall)

By signing up you agree to our User Agreement (including the class action waiver and arbitration provisions ), our Privacy Policy & Cookie Statement and to receive marketing and account-related emails from Pitchfork. You can unsubscribe at any time. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

By Grayson Haver Currin

By Matthew Strauss

By Pitchfork

By Alphonse Pierre

Things you buy through our links may earn  Vox Media  a commission.

Drake May Be on Tour But He’s Stuck in Neverland

Drake kicks off his career-spanning It’s All a Blur tour like a prize fighter. Flanked by two beefy security guards, he enters from halfway up the arena, sauntering past screaming fans before walking onto the stage and sitting next to an unnerving, younger Drake lookalike. The doppelgänger (who I’m calling Frake from here on out) hits a bong then hands over a notebook to present-day Drake, who begins rapping the first verse of 2011’s “Look What You’ve Done,” detailing an argument he had with his mother the night before Lil Wayne flew him out to sign with Cash Money. It’s a direct call back to when Drake left his breakout role on Degrassi in an attempt to take music seriously. The stakes were high — he was the primary breadwinner of his household at the time — but his attachment to rap was pure, driven as much by his desire to help his family as it was by being the best. That fresh-faced hunger is represented through Frake, who’s all smiles and enthusiastic head nods while older Drake raps of recording So Far Gone and earning enough money to send his mom to Rome like it’s a bedtime story.

The temporal mismatch of the Canadian superstar reminiscing with a younger version of himself — or his real-life mother, who subbed in for Frake during Tuesday’s Madison Square Garden set — is a double-edged sword. Drake is looking back on a tumultuous time from a place of comfort. And starting the show by retelling an underdog tale after entering the arena like Floyd Mayweather highlights the distance he’s traveled from the desire that once propelled him. Drake in 2023 is far from the same figure he was in 2009 — he’s become complacent, set in his position as a virtually bulletproof pop culture institution. But to indulge in the lavish fantasy world Drake inhabits is to valorize the history and come up that preceded it. It requires recognizing every hater, ex-girlfriend, and fellow artist as a stepping stone for his eventual makeover into a rap giant. “Marvin’s Room” and “Started From the Bottom,” both of which pop up early in the set, are crucial to understanding how Drake can turn any situation, whether it’s horny drunk dialing or disputing claims that he grew up rich, into rallying cries for his status as both victim and victor.

Her Loss , the album he and 21 Savage are on tour promoting, plays this angle from the opposite end. All 16 tracks pull from Drake’s deep bag of tricks — petty fuckboy come-ons, region-hopping flow changeups, the seemingly endless sea of relationships bound to his money and status — in ways that may be fun to rap along to in a room full of strangers but aren’t particularly fresh or timely (save for when Drake talks about the kind of paranoia that comes with having an alleged net worth of a quarter of a billion dollars). Considering the lukewarm response to his first 2023 release, the fun but scattered dance-rap excursions Honestly, Nevermind and Her Loss, and its accompanying road trip feels as if he’s resigned himself to making and embracing the old Instagram caption rap that made him famous.

The tour’s throwback-heavy first half puts this into perspective. Early tracks linger on times when the only concern on Drake’s mind was who he’d be sharing his bed with that night. Most of the song choices — from the wistful romance of “Say Something” and “Can I” to the shoulder-brushing confidence of “The Motto,” “Headlines,” and “Energy” — highlight a Drake who was charting singles but had yet to reach the height of his celebrity. These songs lay out the blueprint for the contemporary hits that fill out the back half of the set, including “God’s Plan,” “Nice for What,” and “Laugh Now Cry Later.” Drake’s brand of market-tested, function-ready hitmaking is well-practiced, and hearing that strategy feed into itself live makes for a captivating experience with a crowd that knows all the words. But it can also be disorienting. The pacing seems to take the It’s All a Blur moniker literally with most songs not lasting longer than a verse and a hook, like a setlist being chosen by an overeager Drake fan skipping through tracks on a party playlist.

Later, the tour’s production design gets in on the nostalgia act with balloons and other props that call back to specific Drake songs in both funny and unnerving ways. A giant bride mannequin — seemingly the spirit of a past relationship that haunted him — bounces around the stage while Drake performs “Jaded,” while a huge balloon of an anime-style bikini-clad woman joins him for “Way 2 Sexy.” During Frake’s second appearance — tucked into an onstage bed as he flips through TV channels playing the intros of Family Matters, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air , and Degrassi — an inflated Peter Pan floats by while Kathryn Beaumont’s rendition of “Your Mother and Mine” from the 1953 animated film plays over the speakers. It feels like a blatant nod to the constant critiques of Drake never growing up, which dovetails with his decision to plant a Degrassi flag within the pantheon of old Black sitcoms — a not-so-sly acknowledgment that his own legacy has always started with Jimmy Brooks.

Drake is now 36 years old with 17 years in the music industry, nearly a dozen Billboard chart-topping hits, and more put-on accents and flows than a rapping AI. But he’s at a strange crossroads: too relevant and restless to be a legacy act but so far removed from the ain’t-shit antics that have defined his music that he ought to be considering what the next phase of his career looks like. The blend of earnest history and gaudy spectacle — the tour has already featured a guest appearance by J.Cole, a mid-set walk-on from Stephen Curry, and a giant drone-powered sperm balloon whizzing above the stage — is more than expected from a rapper who’s spent years trafficking in both. But that also leaves Drake jogging comfortably in place — in his live performances and his albums and interviews. He’s become notorious for letting his music do the talking, yet Honestly, Nevermind and Her Loss offer little insight into Drake outside of his love-hate relationship with fame. Nor do his recent sitdowns with fellow rapper Lil Yachty, Barstool Sports’ Caleb Pressley, and deadpan TikTok star Bobbi Althoff, which are basically comedy skits masquerading as journalism (and the closest thing he’s done to press since his raw 2019 chat with Rap Radar). Drake has turned his multipronged approach and mysterious underpinnings into a template for one of the most profitable and influential careers in rap history — but the kind where you still fashion yourself as a boxer entering the ring years after you actually stopped fighting. In Drake’s universe, if it ain’t broke, keep flexing.

• vulture section lede
• vulture homepage lede
• it's all a blur
• concert review

Most Viewed Stories

• It’s the End of Paramount+ As We’ve Known It (and That’s Fine)
• Cinematrix No. 75: June 7, 2024
• Hacks Isn’t a Good Comedy
• Appetite for More Hunger Games Will Be Met
• The Acolyte Is Not the Star Wars You Were Looking For
• Andy Cohen Vs. the Housewives  
• A Grey’s Anatomy Catch-up Guide, No Matter How Far Behind You Are

Editor’s Picks

Most Popular

What is your email.

This email will be used to sign into all New York sites. By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy and to receive email correspondence from us.

Sign In To Continue Reading

Create your free account.

Password must be at least 8 characters and contain:

• Lower case letters (a-z)
• Upper case letters (A-Z)
• Numbers (0-9)
• Special Characters (!@#$%^&*)

As part of your account, you’ll receive occasional updates and offers from New York , which you can opt out of anytime.

Kendrick Lamar sets a victory-lap show for Juneteenth: Forum gig is first since Drake feud

• Show more sharing options
• Copy Link URL Copied!

Kendrick Lamar, the widely acknowledged champion of this year’s most brutal rap feud, will be taking an onstage victory lap this month in the form of a just-announced live Juneteenth performance in Inglewood.

On June 19, Lamar will headline “The Pop Out — Ken & Friends” at the Forum in a show produced with his label/creative agency pgLang and Free Lunch . While the full lineup has yet to be announced, this will be Lamar’s first live set in Southern California since he and Drake scorched the earth with reams of diss-tracks that topped charts and changed their legacies forever.

Where do Kendrick Lamar and Drake go from here?

The feud between the two superstar rappers appeared to climax over the weekend. What will it mean for their careers going forward?

May 7, 2024

The beef with Drake started with Lamar’s shot-firing appearance on Future and Metro Boomin’s song “ Like That, ” which kicked off a generational war between two of hip-hop’s most successful and acclaimed artists.

Lamar arguably came out ahead with cuts including “Euphoria,” “Not Like Us” and “Meet the Grahams,” which displayed a whole new tier of viciousness from the Pulitzer winner , including unsubstantiated accusations of pedophilia against Drake. Drake parried with songs including “Family Matters,” “Push Ups” and “Taylor Made Freestyle,” deploying the AI-ghost of Tupac Shakur, but after accusing Lamar of domestic abuse (also without evidence), he ultimately threw in the towel on “The Heart Part 6.”

Amid the heated rivalry, several trespassers harassed folks at Drake’s Toronto home , including one incident in which a security guard was shot.

“How, then, do Lamar and Drake — the latter of whose home in Toronto was the site of a shooting in which a security guard was injured, according to police — move on from this?” The Times’ Mikael Wood asked . “Do they make new work within the parameters of what we’ve learned about them? Or do they treat the beef as a kind of off-the-record exhibition game, as Lamar says in ‘Meet the Grahams’ he initially intended?”

J. Cole says his Kendrick Lamar diss didn’t ‘sit right with my spirit’ in public apology

J. Cole said ‘the past two days felt terrible’ as he apologized to Kendrick Lamar for his ‘7 Minute Drill’ diss track during his Dreamville Festival on Sunday.

April 8, 2024

The gig appears to take its name from a line in “Not Like Us”: “Sometimes you gotta pop out and show ... / Certified boogeyman, I’m the one that up the score with ‘em.” One possible guest — SoCal’s own DJ Mustard, who produced “Not Like Us” — just announced a new album of his own, “ Faith of a Mustard Seed ,” due out this summer.

Tickets for the show are in presales sale now with the general sale starting Friday.

More to Read

Shooting near Drake’s mansion wounds security guard, sparks police investigation

Kendrick Lamar responds to Drake in new diss track ‘Euphoria’

April 30, 2024

‘Push Ups’ — by Drake? — sparks AI speculation as more players join diss-track drama

April 16, 2024

Entertainment & Arts

Drake removed from lawsuit over Astroworld crowd crush that left 10 fans dead

April 12, 2024

J. Cole repays Kendrick Lamar’s shade with diss on new ‘Might Delete Later’ album

April 5, 2024

Grammys 2024: How to watch ‘music’s biggest night’

Feb. 2, 2024

Drake just revealed J. Cole will join his It’s All a Blur tour. Will they play L.A.?

Nov. 13, 2023

The biggest entertainment stories

Get our big stories about Hollywood, film, television, music, arts, culture and more right in your inbox as soon as they publish.

You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.

August Brown covers pop music, the music industry and nightlife policy at the Los Angeles Times.

More From the Los Angeles Times

Five non-headliners not to be missed at No Values

June 7, 2024

The 24 best songs of 2024 so far

Omar Apollo announces world tour ahead of ‘God Said No’ album release

June 6, 2024

Odesza takes a bow on ‘The Last Goodbye Finale’ tour by going out on top at L.A. show