Blur live at the Royal Court, Liverpool
24 November 2003
Reviewed by Liverpool Echo

IN a certain light, Blur singer Damon Albarn looks like Jonny Wilkinson. They're both heroes, not because of their blond good looks and saleable image.

Deep down, they're stand up, stand-offish kind of guys, dedicated to their profession. Awkward little fellas. They've had some terrible hits and come back for more.

In rock'n'roll you're sometimes mocked for trying too hard and Blur have always tried very, very hard.

Here, the singer was barracked from near the front row, slagged off by someone happy to fork out £20 just to give the one-time Mockney wide-boy some advice on getting home after the gig. Albarn bridled for a bit, smirked, shrugged and got on with the game.

Albarn's lost his pal, guitarist Graham Coxon, to musical differences and Britpop's been consigned to the dustbin. Instead, Albarn took off to Morocco and Mali to discover world music and came back with an edge that would do justice to the stripped-down noise of today's white rockers.

This sold-out tour is heavy on their latest and perhaps most inventive album, Think Tank. Ambulance and Good Song are clever and fun at the same time. Brothers and Sisters gives the band's bluesey-funk backing singers something to do.

Song 2 is great grunge and File On You is outrageous white noise.

Smash hits Parklife and Country House are left in the trailer but Boys and Girls is delivered full pelt to give some of the screaming girls (and boys) a party gift.

Bassist Alex James, pin-up of the Parklife era, is happy now to lope around the edges and give Albarn centre stage.

Albarn has bags of charisma but lacks the natural touch. He tried a walkabout in the front rows but an ever-present giant of a minder got in the way.

A studious attitude doesn't always go down too well with Liverpool crowds, who like their musical geniuses down to earth. Blur simply let their music do the talking.

By the end Albarn had sharpened his punchlines to perfection.

"I used to know a Scouse postie in south London," to wild cheers. "He was a miserable git." Wild laughter. "I quite liked him really."

David Booth

© 2003 Liverpool Echo

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