Blur - Wembley Stadium - 8th July 2023

Mile End aside, Blur were never a stadium band even if they could easily have been, but when Steve Lamacq interviewed them earlier in the year the conversation turned to their Wembley Stadium shows.

Pressed by the DJ on the scale of the venue, Damon Albarn was indifferent to the size of the crowd, claiming: “It’s just multiples of the same people.”

As is his wont, the difference between Interviewee Damon and Frontman Damon is vast. To be frank, it’s a rare sight to see him tonight without a shit-eating grin on his face, from when the group step onto the stage and he stands at the front (taking it all in while wearing some very fetching Harry Palmer spectacles) to the group hug after the last number, Albarn and his bandmates are very obviously living the dream (which he confesses to mid-gig).

Three diverse support acts, all equally high calibre, function as testament to Blur’s forward-thinking mentality: Jockstrap’s neu-noise is an acquired taste on record but live it all makes sense, while Sleaford Mods’ skull-thudding beats lose none of their potency in the vast arena. Self-Esteem probably pips them both however, if only for her backdrop of life advice, including ‘Don’t Fuck Up The Blur Gig’.

There’s something glorious about Albarn’s first vocals in the iconic venue being ‘I fucked up’, but the ‘Scary Monsters’-esque ‘St. Charles Square’ is a reminder that Blur aren’t all about the past, with a promising new album due later this month.

https://www.live4ever.uk.com/2023/07/review-blur-live-at-wembley/