Graham Coxon live at the Zodiac, Oxford
3 June 2004
Reviewed by The Observer

Blur are now just a blur

'Where's Damon?' shouts one drunken jester. 'Play "Country House",' yells another. All this before Graham Coxon has even begun to play.

Yet everybody knows the former guitarist from Blur would rather jump out of a sixth-floor window than re-join the group. And tonight's gig is a two-fingered riposte to such a suggestion.

Coxon is on tour to promote his fifth solo album, Happiness in Magazines. While in Blur, one of the brightest bands of Britpop, Coxon would retreat into dark caves to work on angry solo projects. Since leaving in 2002, he has quit drinking and produced his best solo work to date, an album full of unashamedly melodic and riff-pounding tunes.

Tonight, he is brilliant. From the punk explosion of 'Freakin Out' to the perfect pop sensibilities of 'Bitter Sweet Bundle of Misery', the night is a powerful reminder of his talent.

And for a man who has spent his career dodging the limelight, Coxon has unexpected charisma, joking and sneering at his fans. He ends his 75-minute set with 'Who the Fuck?'

So, to the drunken jester at the back, does that answer your question?

Martha Housden