REVIEW: Blur - Closing Ceremony Celebration Concert

The London Olympics Closing Ceremony Celebration Concert announced their line-up earlier this year under the banner 'Best Of British'. In that line-up featured The Specials, New Order and headliners Blur. In their own unique way, each of these bands has come to represent Britain either in their style of music, or their lyrical content.

The atmosphere at Hyde Park was patriotism on steroids. Union Jacks were present at every turn: on handbags, dresses, hats, even painted onto faces. As the band sets were interspersed with Olympics highlights footage, the audience would cheer for their English victors as if the results were just being announced. Electric, unifying, call it what you will, there was a definitive Olympic spirit to the whole occasion.

Bombay Bicycle Club began proceedings in a last minute line-up addition. The audience lapped up their simple indie rock songs, dancing jovially around picnickers in front of the stage. A pleasant, if unremarkable, opener.

The real excitement was felt the moment New Order appeared. With the sky turning gloomy, everyone stood to their feet, packed away the blankets and began shouting the lyrics to every song from opener Crystal to crowd pleaser Temptation. Bernard Sumner attempted light-hearted Olympic based banter but he soon learnt a concise 'C'MON' would rouse spirits sufficiently. The curious final song choice of Love Will Tear Us Apart felt forced and generally discomforting. There is a strange surreality to watching people shout Ian Curtis' lyrics like a football chant. The chanting which continued for The Specials' set. Hook laden and pounding with ska energy, the band made the earth quake as thousands stamped their way around the park, imitating the beat on songs like A Message To You Rudi and Too Much Too Young. The party atmosphere was truly in full swing by the time they came to a close to allow for a brief countdown to the Closing Ceremony occurring in the Olympic Stadium.

Finally the main act, Blur. If there ever was a band to represent Britain, in all of its endless contradictions and traditions, with songs that mock their hometown but simultaneously celebrate it, it was Blur.

As they played a setlist that felt geared to a London audience (the second track was London Loves, after all), fans hysterically jumped around and the band themselves looked thrilled. The excitement was in the sheer number of people sharing the experience, as the crowd would singalong to the songs. Some fans were so far back that there was a sound travelling delay, made all the more beautiful as wave after wave of “Oh, my baby” came swelling forward from the other end of the park during Tender. Some special songs got a rare airing, including the rediscovered b-side Young & Lovely and the Trainspotting soundtrack tune, Sing, opening the encore.

Blur have never sounded more in sync, as Alex James hung back with his bass, looking almost exactly as he did in 1996, perhaps with a few new grey hairs, whilst Dave Rowntree attacked the drums with glee on back to back percussion heavy tunes Popscene and Song 2.

Damon Albarn's voice teetered between devastatingly beautiful, like on tearjerker No Distance Left To Run and painful shouting on Jubilee, whilst Graham Coxon shredded guitar with dexterity, though he often looked uncomfortable within himself on stage, as if he'd rather be holed up in a room alone. Yet when Damon ran over and gave him a peck on the cheek and a sly grin to go with the first strummed chords of Tender, he lit up and simultaneously melted the hearts of every fan from front row to the nosebleed section aka the park gates.

Blur's songs are memorable pop gems, channelling the British lifestyle with wit and ease, making it easy for the crowd to both relate and join in. And how they did. When they weren't turning every song into football chants, the crowd leapt spontaneously, rushed towards the stage and cheered Albarn's every move.

By the time the encore came around, the warmth buzzing through the crowd was infectious. As the strings played out on final song The Universal, and the knowledge dawned on locals that the next day would see their city return to its pre-Olympic tourism state, all they could do was sing the refrain with conviction stirred on by the years glistening in Albarn's eyes as he looked out at this sea of adoring fans, “When the days they seem to fall through you, Well just let them go.” Blur are victorious once more, on their home turf in perfection personified.

FULL SETLIST

Girls & Boys
London Loves
Tracy Jacks
Beetlebum
Out Of Time
Jubilee
Coffee & TV
Young & Lovely
Trimm Trabb
Caramel
Sunday Sunday
Country House
Parklife
Colin Zeal
Popscene
Advert
Song 2
No Distance Left To Run
Tender
This Is A Low

Sing
Under The Westway
End Of A Century
For Tomorrow
The Universal

Sevana Ohandjanian