Live Review: Blur, Jamie T

"I've a bit of a sugar rush," confessed Jamie T after his opening number. "I've had some cake."

Rock'n'roll sure has mellowed since the days when Ozzy Osbourne used to bite heads off bats. Book the man into a NutraSweet clinic. Mr T (sorry, couldn't resist it) has headlined some decent sized venues, but Perth Arena did seem somewhat overwhelming, even with a four-piece band behind him.  Likewise his songs, given their wordy, sometimes introspective nature, are probably better suited to intimate settings. He cranked the volume like a South London Springsteen though for a closing barrage of bruising takes on Sticks 'N' Stones and Zombie.

Strolling out in that other great British export, Doc Martens, Blur exuded enviable levels of confidence. From the opening Go Out, singer Damon Albarn's effervescent energy was very much the visual focal point; from his patented, "knees up to his chest" jump-dancing to what looked like a spell of zero gravity swimming during Thought I Was A Spaceman. Apparently his mother never told him to "look before you leap," as, having sprung backwards off the drum riser, he blindsided bassist Alex James, crashing him to the floor. James took roughly a minute to reorient himself and rejoin Trouble In The Message Centre, although his brief absence didn't seem to change Blur's sound in any perceivable way.

Highlights stacked up with such constant regularity that only rare moments of so-so-ish-ness stood out as deviating from the otherwise towering norm. That said, it was possible to identify a madcap rendition of Parklife, the lusty indie-disco of Girls & Boys and a devastating yet somehow empowering Tender as sublime moments that bordered on magic. Graham Coxon occasionally usurped the spotlight from Albarn for the occasional solo, although his technique sometimes bordered on trying to ripping his guitar to pieces rather than play in a conventional sense — not least during the Radiohead-like climax of conflicting emotions that is This Is A Low. A heart-swelling performance of The Universal, replete with horn section and gospel-style backing vocalists, ended the night on a suitably triumphant note. All that remained was to reflect that despite a gap of 18 years since their last Perth show, it had indeed been worth the wait.