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It’s been almost a year since I last wrote about Blur, mainly because the band doesn’t exist at the moment after going on an indefinite hiatus in 2003. Last October saw the four original members of the band meet up for lunch but that was as far it went, with no hint of a studio return since.
Graham Coxon leaving (or being asked to leave) Blur in 2002 was the start of the end for the band, and since then, they have all gone their separate ways and partaken in various side projects, some successful, others not so. But, there is at least some hope for a reunion taking place at some time in the future, with the band insisting relations within the band remain amicable.
However, maybe the chances of a reunion have lessened in recent days. First of all, Blur front man Damon Albarn seemed to rule out a reunion ever taking place when he declared in an interview with Argentinian newspaper Clarin that “Blur is over”.
And now, Coxon has responded to this declaration in a long and rambling post on the band’s official message board. According to NME, Coxon wrote under his username, tweedo, and posted a stream-of-consciousness style update on his feeling about Blur and the chances of a reunion.
“Damon didn’t consult anybody else before he took it into his own hands to make this comment. Therefore I think it is nonsense. It isn’t for him to decide.”
“A good few years ago I said I couldn’t ever see myself going back to Blur. People around me said with winks and nudges ‘never say never, Gra’ and I resented them saying it, but it was a difficult time and we were all hurt.”
“I was one, they [Albarn, Alex James and Dave Rowntree] were three and I felt ganged up on a bit. I don’t think they meant it to be that way. They were angry, I was angry.”
“The anger was all centred around long, deep friendships that were tested and tested by business, mega-fatigue, too much time with each other, problems with the roles we played in the band, a lack of trust and communication.”
“It’s VERY complicated. I know it seems simple to solve all this…a phone call, an arrangement to meet up, a chat, hugs tears and a date pencilled in at the studio. I foolishly thought it could be that simple too, but I was wrong. Of course I was wrong and so was Alex.”
“I think Damon needs to rest and evaluate. I love Damon. I want him safe. The facts are like this really: there’s no Blur at the moment. Damon probably ain’t interested in a Blur that’s not the full head count so I think it comes down to me trying again to contact him and talk to him. I tried before, as I said, and left messages.”
“I want to do this anyway for the sake of all the years we were so close. But it takes guts. I psyched myself for days to call him last time and got the answering machine. It’s a drag to get that after the psyching, the pondering over the mobile phone and the number and the pressing of the call button.
“I may have to psyche all over again. Be patient. No one knows the future, not even Damon.”
Wow, that’s probably the longest quote I’ve ever included in a blog post, and believe it or not, that was with edits. However, it is really interesting to hear Coxon’s side of the story, and a sort of potted history of the break up of the band from someone who was there on the inside.
The problem is that Albarn has moved on from Blur and is now very successful in his own right. Gorillaz have already had two huge albums, and a third is on its way. There is also his work on The Good, the Bad & the Queen, an album by a super group with him at the head. Then there is Monkey: Journey To The West, an operatic reworking of an old Chinese tale in collaboration with Jamie Hewlett. Basically, he doesn’t have time for Blur any more.
I’d personally love to see Blur make a comeback, recording new material as a four piece again, but I just can’t see it ever happening. There seems to be too much history, too much bitterness, and not enough time and energy to get the four back in a studio and working together again. Which is a crying shame for all of us who loved the band.
[Photo Source: Ichibanto at Flickr]
