Blur (Olympic Closing Ceremony Concert) - Hyde Park, London - 12th August 2012 (Live Review)
Wednesday, 15 August 2012
Written by Ryan Crittenden
What an extraordinary two weeks it has been for Great Britain. With London the focus of world’s eye over the last fortnight, it appears that everyone in the country has adopted unprecedented levels of Olympic Spirit and patriotism. However, as it all came to an end there was more than enough reason to celebrate what has been described as the most successful Olympic Games in history. Whilst there was a kind of party going on in East London at the closing ceremony which featured Beady Eye, One Direction and a ‘surprise’ appearance from The Spice Girls, the real celebration was in central London as Blur returned to Hyde Park - three years after their two acclaimed comeback shows at the outdoor venue.
At 9pm the closing ceremony kicked off over at the Olympic Park and with the big screens in Hyde Park showing events the crowd went mad. Joining in gleefully and proudly with the national anthem, cheering Prince Henry/Harry and creating a mass sing-along for Madness it was almost as if the thousands in attendance had forgotten they had paid over £50 to see Blur! Luckily as ‘Our House’ came to an end the stage opened up to reveal the Britpop legends who launched straight into 1994 hit ‘Girls & Boys.’ It was loud, energetic and set the tone for the rest of the night with Damon Albarn jumping around and Alex James nonchalantly plucking his bass strings whilst smoking a cigarette. To follow up the raucous start, the four-piece call upon a trio of Parklife favourites with 'London Loves', 'Tracy Jacks' and 'Jubilee' flashing by with relative success.
Classic Blur tracks ‘Bettlebum’ and ‘Coffee and TV’ go some way to waking up what is a rather lacklustre crowd, a problem possibly caused by continued complaints about the poor sound in Hyde Park. Towards the front however, the sound was just fine and you can hear every shred of Graham Coxen’s twangly guitar in the latter track. Performing under a giant stage set of London's Westway dual carriageway, the quartet had support from backing singers and a brass section throughout. As Albarn then dedicated a rendition of 'Out Of Time' to the people of Syria and the "athletes that were not able to compete because of the current political situation in their country”, they were joined by special guest Khyam Allami playing the oud.
The underrated highlight section of the show was a trio of tracks that come straight from Blur’s extensive back catalogue. 1993 B-side ‘Young and Lovely’ is just that, a lovely song dedicated to the band’s kids and performed brilliantly. Albarn’s youthful lyrics are given a new meaning and with a catchy chorus, it is a surprise that it was only a b-side to ‘Chemical World.’ Two excellent numbers from '13', ‘Trimm Trabb’ and ‘Caramel’ followed, with both tracks contrasting Albarn’s soft vocals with a rousing musical breakdowns spearheaded by Alex James’ and Dave Rowntree’s powerful drum and bass combo. ‘Caramel’ sees lead guitarist Coxen delicately caresses his guitar to produce a sumptuous guitar riff that runs throughout the song.
After a good old dance to ‘Sunday Sunday’ and a mass sing-along to ‘Country House’ actor Phil Daniels is wheeled out again to provide his iconic vocals on ‘Parklife.’ He is not the only special guest on stage during the hit, it appears a demented looking tea-lady has gate-crashed the party complete with trolley and urn. Upon closer inspection, the man behind the outfit is Mr Harry Enfield who gives a great comedy performance to the delight of the fans. The lesser known ‘Colin Zeal’ is giving a well-deserved airing to the delight of some surprised Blur fans, and unlike their show three years ago the Britpop band seem to be playing what they want to play and haven’t got a set list determined by demand.
‘Popscene’ and ‘Advert’ are energetic, as is Damon Albarn who is bounding around the stage trying to join the crowd as fans at the barriers clamber to touch their music saviour. The energy levels are just right for Rowntree to nail that familiar drumbeat that allows the band and crowd alike to explode into ‘Song 2.’ Again, some sound appears to get lost, as people at the back seem to be left out of what is a right hoot at the front! Things get a bit more mellow and mature as the set comes to a close with a heartfelt and emotional rendition of ‘No Distance Left to Run’ leading into one of the greatest campfire/festival sing-a-long songs ever written. ‘Tender’ is pure class, no other words can be used to describe a song which captures the hearts and emotions of so many, with 80,000 people in the choir it sends a shiver down your spine. The theme of powerful indie ballads continues as the delicate opening verse of ‘This is Our Low’ moves aside for the massive chorus that has taken many drunken man’s vocal chords before this night.
Leaving the stage to mass applause and adulation, the band give the crowd enough time to regain their voices and breath before returning for their encore.
Kicking off with ‘Sing’ it is hypnotically good. With the methodical drum beat and crashing piano combining brilliantly it is hard not to get caught up in it all. Albarn introduces the next song as one written “written just for you” and considering bassist Alex James had tweeted “Cried during utw in soundcheck #emotional #blur #westway” earlier on in the day, it sure was an emotional performance. The song written in February this year about the Olympics and this moment could not be more appropriate. Albarn praised the games as a whole and singled out double gold medal winner Mo Farah for praise. Describing him as an "incredible human being", this encouraged the crowd to do Farah's trademark 'Mobot' move before the well-received new track was played.
A formidable final three tracks are ones right out of the top draw. ‘End of a Century,’ ‘For Tomorrow’ and closing number ‘The Universal’ all get a massive reception and rightly so. This could well be the last time we see this band live and although it would be a shame, they will certainly be going out in style after this performance.
Earlier on in the day, the mini-festival that BT Live had put on saw a decent performance from Bombay Bicycle Club, New Order and The Specials. Bombay Bicycle Club opened proceedings, but their obvious talent and live presence was wasted as the early afternoon slot failed to grab the attention of the crowds. The song of the set was ‘Ivy and Gold’, a song from their exquisite acoustic album 'Flaws'. The track was given more tempo and force and it swept up the doubters like a whirlwind. The almost bluegrass acoustic guitar had to take a back seat as drummer Suren de Saram let rip with a mid-song drum solo to complete an already excellent live song. Elsewhere the set just did not get going, the songs were not the problem but when you are playing to such a vast space, it is easy for their magnificent sound to get lost. A real shame for one of the best British bands around at the moment.
New Order (minus Peter Hook) decided to open with some lesser known hits and this seemed to affect the whole set. Bernard Sumner’s voice placed low in the mix, he does not possess the best vocal ability but the Manchester band have written some quality songs that help them along the way. Joy Division number ‘Isoloation’ does not have the drive or sound needed to capture the audience and despite little flurries in the form of ‘True Faith’ and ‘586’ the magic was never captured. ‘Blue Monday’ got the crowd on side but a poor version of ‘Love Will tear Us Apart’ leaves me disappointed.
The line-up for today’s celebrations seemed to be more geared towards music from Britain’s past and as another reunited band The Specials come on stage, nostalgic Specials fans rush to the front. The material the ska band are playing was written under a Conservative government marked by a recession economy, they are songs about simmering social tension and recession. Sound familiar? With life back to normal this week, these same issues are still engulfing the country and no successful sporting event is going to change this. Politics aside, The Specials are fantastic, ‘Do The Dog’, ‘(Dawning Of A) New Era’ and ‘Monkey Man’ stand out as highlights, saying this the near hour long set was full of massive songs that make you smile and dance. They reformed in 2009 and haven’t stopped since and it is clear to see why, they have recaptured the energy and spirit from their heyday and sound so tight. Surely time for a new album? With Damon Albarn side of stage enjoying the show, it is the perfect warm up for the main event.
NOTE FROM THE EDITOR
We don't run any advertising! Our editorial content is solely funded by lovely people like yourself using Stereoboard's listings when buying tickets for live events. To keep supporting us, next time you're looking for concert, festival, sport or theatre tickets, please search for "Stereoboard". It costs you nothing, you may find a better price than the usual outlets, and save yourself from waiting in an endless queue on Friday mornings as we list ALL available sellers!
At 9pm the closing ceremony kicked off over at the Olympic Park and with the big screens in Hyde Park showing events the crowd went mad. Joining in gleefully and proudly with the national anthem, cheering Prince Henry/Harry and creating a mass sing-along for Madness it was almost as if the thousands in attendance had forgotten they had paid over £50 to see Blur! Luckily as ‘Our House’ came to an end the stage opened up to reveal the Britpop legends who launched straight into 1994 hit ‘Girls & Boys.’ It was loud, energetic and set the tone for the rest of the night with Damon Albarn jumping around and Alex James nonchalantly plucking his bass strings whilst smoking a cigarette. To follow up the raucous start, the four-piece call upon a trio of Parklife favourites with 'London Loves', 'Tracy Jacks' and 'Jubilee' flashing by with relative success.
