Entertain Me!
blur live at the Electric Ballroom, Camden, London
January/February/March 2000
September 6, 1999
The Electric Ballroom on 184 Camden High Street opens it's doors at 7:30 pm. blur appear onstage slightly before 9:00 pm, I'm two persons from the front, in front of Graham, and am able to get a close up view of damon, Graham, Alex and Dave. They all look so well, what a joy it is to be here! There are bottles upon bottles of Volvic and a couple bottles of beer set up all around the stage floor. Alex is wearing a brown T-shirt with blue trousers; damon, a white T-shirt that has 9.9 APR written on it and blue jeans; Graham, a brown horizontally-striped T-shirt and khaki shorts; Dave, a blue T-shirt and glasses (of course trousers as well which cannot be seen, as usual), he's got a haircut, it seems, and his hair looks cool.
The first song begins, it's "Explain," and damon's voice comes across loud and clear! The next song damon introduces as the song written about the first gig at Dingwalls where the security shot mace in their eyes. What craziness that must have been! The comes "Threadneedle Street," and damon plays his melodica during the instrumental. After that song is over, some punters are yelling out "Parklife!" to which damon yells some expletives at them, to which we, the die-hard blur fanatics yell out our support. We're there for the b-sides gig and they can just go flush themselves down the toilet, those punters. damon is all smiles when he hears us cheer him on...
By this time, 3 songs into the set, all four members of blur are sweating profusely and look uncomfortably hot, reflections of the members of the audience, but more so, as they are being baked with spotlights and playing and singing their hearts out. Hang in there! damon starts showering us with water,
yay! all of us scream like crazy, we just love it! Welcome back indeed, damon!
Next song is "Peach," with damon on acoustic guitar. Nice and mellow it is. Then comes "Bone Bag!" I just love this song!
The live version just makes me fall in love with the song and with damon all over again! Graham's guitar makes my spine-tingle, this full, robust, deeply reverberating sound that the four create is just amazing! Most excellent guitar playing, Graham (I kow-tow before you a gazillion times just for this song) and excellent harmony! All this time damon has been referring to his "sheet music" on the music stand that has been set up for him and he continues to give out the sheet music to those in the front of the audience. Waah! Me arms are too short!
It's such a sweet thing to do for those of us assembled there. Everyone pushes forward each time to inch closer to that sheet of music, such quiet desperation..
After some angry calls for "Popscene" are heard from the audience, Graham tentatively introduces the next song as "this is one of the b-sides to Popscene," to which damon adds, "sounds Beatle-y, I think," and "I'm Fine" begins. "I'm just fine" is repeated with some conviction that we can all believe that he is indeed fine. For the next song, damon asks, "what's this song? Off of "Bang?" and "Unkle Love" begins. "One of my favorite songs and it's "Inertia," says damon for the next song. After that comes "Luminous." damon has been shaking hands with members of the audience on the right hand side (stage left) and has sat on the speaker in front of him and peered down at the people in front of him a'la Liam style. He notices that we're hot, really hot, here in the audience and asks us if we want water, to which we scream, "yes!!!" and damon starts complaining about those people who sit in the back doing he doesn't know what, as they work them to the bone. He requests some water and as he continues to ask for water for the audience, Graham, Dave and Alex start playing "My Sharona." What a precious moment to witness!
I've been splashed by damon's water at least 3 times tonight and there's more to come and am soaked like a sponge, but so is everybody else up front, so what the hey! It'll be an interesting trip back to the B&B via the tube.
Next is "Tame," which is just so great to hear live and I'm beside myself with joy! "We played this one at Reading," damon says and "Fried" begins. How appropriate a song for this night when we are all being "fried" in the Electric Ballroom! damon then slumps down onto the stage floor and says, "it's hot, it's real hot" in what sounds like an American accent, and upon standing up, proceeds to pour H2O onto himself...how hot indeed!
He's soaked as the 12th song, "I Love Her" begins and we are ecstatic! To think that we are able to hear this song live! Wow! The 13th song, "was recorded in Barcelona on an industrial estate" damon explains as "Swallows in the Heatwave" begins. This being the second time I've heard it live, all I can say is "loveitloveitloveit!" We're on a roll as it's followed by "No Monsters in Me!" and damon and Graham are jumping up and down across the stage! damon is either not aware of this, or is, but is so into his jumping that he collides into Graham and the jumping ceases. Just love the way they jump around on stage like they sometimes do, so playful and free they seems to be! Most excellent segueway, love it! After the song ends, damon kneels down onstage and kow-tows to Guitar God Graham. Wow! You slay us with your guitar, Graham!
Next is "Down" and when damon gets little reaction upon introducing the song, he smilingly says "I thought you knew all the b-sides!" Next is "Polished Stone," then comes the nostalgic "Supa Shoppa," and damon playes his melodica during the latter half of the song. Brilliant! damon tells us, "I've been really stressed about this..." meaning the b-sides gig, to which I yell, "don't be!" It's going along so well, no use to have stressed over it.Feedback precedes this confession and damon looks towards the technicians and says, "I'm getting feedback." The feedback problem is fixed and "Young and Lovely" begins. I so love this song and damon sings it with all his heart and soul.Bravo!
The last song is "Day Upon Day" which just makes all of us go hyper-crazy! Man blur can play, DA man can sing and Long Live Blur! is all I can repeat in my mind over and over again. This night's gig was a smashing success both for blur and for me, for blur because they gave one smashing performance and for me because damon looked long and hard at me after "Threadneedle Street," perhaps trying to remember why he recognized me. damon, hope you remembered. "Day Upon Day" ended up being the last song and Dave knocked over his drum kit, thanks for hanging in there and not losing it in the heat, blur, and for treating us to the show of our lifetimes! Three cheers for blur!
BRITGIRL
This is the fifth in a series of neverending blur gig reports by BRITGIRL. Copyright belongs solely to BRITGIRL and
reproduction permitted only by prior written consent.
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