TOUR REVIEW: Blur at Glastonbury

Blur has played the Glastonbury Festival four times in their career: in 1992, 1994, 1998, and 2009. Each one of the gigs has passed into legend (yes, even 2009 already!) and are regarded as some of the best shows of their career. The dates and set lists
were as follows:

June 28, 1992:

Popscene
Come Together
Into Another
Never Clever
She's So High
Oily Water
Colin Zeal
Luminous
Sunday Sunday
Pressure On Julian
There's No Other Way
Coping
Day Upon Day

June 26, 1994:

Lot 105
Sunday Sunday
Jubilee
Tracy Jacks
Magic America
End Of A Century
For Tomorrow
Chemical World
There's No Other Way
To The End
Advert
Parklife
Girls & Boys
Bank Holiday
This Is A Low

June 27, 1998:

Girls & Boys
On Your Own
Beetlebum
End Of A Century
Country Sad Ballad Man
Freestyle (early version of Trailerpark)
Popscene
M.O.R.
There's No Other Way
Repetition
I'm Just A Killer For Your Love
Coping
For Tomorrow
This Is A Low
Parklife
The Universal
Death Of A Party
Essex Dogs
Song 2

June 28, 2009:

The Debt Collector
She's So High
Girls & Boys
Tracy Jacks
There's No Other Way
Jubilee
Badhead
Beetlebum
Out Of Time
Trimm Trabb
Coffee & TV
Tender
Country House
Oily Water
Chemical World
Sunday Sunday
Parklife
End Of A Century
To The End
This Is A Low
Popscene
Advert
Song 2
For Tomorrow
The Universal

So why are they legendary gigs? Besides being great shows played at the biggest English festival, each concert has something unique and exciting about it. 1992's appearance has surprises in the set like Luminous and Into Another and is the famous show where Damon bodyslammed a PA stack which landed on his foot, breaking his ankle. He proceeded to limp off stage (as documented in the bootleg concert video, as well as the Starshaped DVD). 1994 was their triumphant gig in the summer of Parklife, where they purposely curtailed their set so that a stunning rendition of This is a Low was played as the sun set on the massive crowd. 1998's show was the only "big" concert of a low-key summer for Blur, and included surprises such as the first live performances (at least captured on an available recording) of Trailerpark (called Freestyle by Damon at this show), Essex Dogs, and a rare version of Repetition (not played since the early 1990s!). And of course, the 2009 show was the highlight of this past summer's reunion tour and was a fabulous show all around...I dare anyone to listen to the massive response from the crowd after Blur's 6 year absence and not tear up (as even the band themselves did).

Video footage exists for all 4 of these shows (of various completeness), as do audio recordings. In fact, all of the Glastonbury concerts have complete audio available except for 2009, which only has 15 songs available. Hunting down a complete copy is one of my newest Holy Grails (if anyone out there has one, please contact me privately).

In conclusion, Blur's appearance at Glastonbury have all been amazing gigs, showing that when the occasion necessitates it, they can rise to meet (and exceed) expectations with magical concerts.