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Blur live at the Electric Ballroom,
London
6
September 1999
Reviewed by
NME
 Damon's surprised to receive
little response when he announces that they're about to
play 'Down' an "ancient song from when we
thought we were Spacemen 3" : "I thought
you were here because you knew all our songs."
It's become something of a badge of
longevity and quality to 'do' a B-sides show, Radiohead
did it and Suede did it - but where they were
fanclub only shows this is a shout- it- from- the-
rooftops-any-old-fucker- with- a -credit- card can get in
show.
So Damon don't be surprised - they're
here because they have to be. Your onstage Reading
announcements created a buzz about Blur which has
been absent for much of the half-arsed campaign to flog '13'.
It created a scramble for tickets which resulted in
people being here because they HAVE TO BE HERE without
once pausing to think like, why do they HAVE to be here?
After all, this is just a B-sides show. Nothing else.
But what B-sides. The charming pastoral
English psychedelia of 'Peach', the immense
blistering wall of noise that is 'Down', the
introverted shoegazing brilliance of 'Inertia'. So
despite the Electric Ballroom reaching that very special
temperature that causes dogs in cars to expire, the hour
and twenty minute uninterrupted set is mesmerising.
It's a trip through the difficult Blur
- from sonicsmiths to lazy acoustic guitar strokers to
uncompromising art shoutathons and, of course, the idiot,
why-did-you-bother? easy listening stomp of 'Supa
Shoppa'.
'Mace' - written after the band were
maced by security at one of their own gigs - is a great
lost riff-driven single while 'Young And Lovely' is
a delightful insubstantial light and frothy confection
with a tune which Celine Dion could nick.
B-sides have always been a way for Blur
to let off steam so they could keep writing the skewed
hits to keep record company execs happy. 'Day Upon
Day' finishes the set - it's flashback time to the
anarchy of the Modern Life Is Rubbish tours that
were committed to the Starshaped tourfilm - Graham
explodes skyward again and again, Damon spits and
screams and then at it's conclusion Dave, of all
people, kicks over his drums and prowls offstage
scowling.
Rock 'n' roll babylon? Or resentment that
too few people knew the songs? Doesn't matter - Blur
are firey and awesome even when they play songs you don't
know.
Anthony
Thornton
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