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Blur has finally addressed the Brit Awards controversy- they were blamed for cutting singer Adele's acceptance speech after they both won awards in the 2012 ceremony.
Blur
bassist Alex James has announced that the band were not aware
that Adele's speech at this year's Brit Awards was interrupted
and cut short. Taken from an
NME article:
Adele flipped her
middle finger after she was interrupted by host James Corden during
her acceptance speech for the Mastercard British Album Of The Year gong. The
comedian was forced to usher her from the stage so that Blur, who picked up the
Outstanding Contribution To Music Award, could begin their live set.
Both ITV and the
Brit Awards have since apologised for the controversy, but in an interviewwithBBC Breakfast, James insistedthathe andhis bandmateshadnot been awareoftheincident,
and also said that the subsequent furore hadn't taken the spotlight away from
Adele.
Alex James, speaking on BBC Breakfast about the controversial issue, said:
That's
live telly. I don't think it overshadowed anything. We were up there backstage
and didn't know what was happening until afterwards. I think Adele is amazing
and has a fantastic career in front of her.
Earlier, we wrote all about Blur being bashed at the Brits for their performance and acceptance speech length. The media was heavily focused on the Blur/Adele issue, as well as Damon's unusual live performance.
This is the first time Blur has spoken out about the issue, although Damon Albarn did mention it very briefly on radio. And it seems like they didn't even know that Adele's speech was cut off. It goes to show, sometimes you just can't trust the media too much.
Read all about Blur being BASHED AT THE BRITS HERE,
Read all about Blur kicking Adele OUT of the Brits HERE,
Alex James appeared on television show Top Gear on March 4th 2012 and spoke about Blur's future plans.
He told host Jeremy Clarkson that Blur has been working on a new song - "We've got a new song to unveil, I just listened to it in the morning".
Alex also added that the unnamed track was "like a hymn, a real tear-jerker".
When asked about their controversial Brit Awards performance of 12 days ago, (click to read a feature article about the happenings of that night) where Blur received the Outstanding Contribution to Music award, he said: "It was utterly magnificent to get back together and smash those
songs out again."
Last month, Blur's frontman Damon Albarn and guitarist Graham Coxon played a new Blur song 'Under The Westway'during an acoustic set at the War Child pre-Brit Awards charity gig at O2 Sheperd's
Bush Empire in London. Watch an exclusive BlurBalls recording of the great performance in the video below.
In a recent NME Magazine interview, Blur did confirmed they were trying out new songs and new material since their 2009 reunion, but were "cagey about whether they'd record a new
album", which would be their first since 2003's Think Tank.
When Graham Coxon was asked about new album plans in time for Blur's massive Olympics 2012 Hyde Park set,
he said he'd be "interested in playing new things" during the live gig, exclaiming: "We always used to play underdeveloped things and kick them into
shape during the shows, but it isn't the occasion for that. Obviously we're not
gonna play the same set we played in 2009, but there things that people always,
always wanna hear."
Previously, super producer William Orbit (who produced Blur's dark, edgy album "13" in 1999) hinted he was working on new
material with Blur in a series of tweets and facebook page, sparking rumours that there was a new Blur album.
Producer Stephen Street, who produced five Blur albums including the hugely successful "Parklife" in 1995, has also said he "would like to work with" the band and "recording with them again". Street is currently remastering all the Blur records, perhaps for a release late this year in a box set/ vinyl collection. Click here to read all about the Blur remasters.
Besides the Hyde Park Olympics concert, Blur are also headlining two other events: Denmark's Skandeborg Festival in August 9th 2012 and Sweden's Way Out WestFestival on August 10th.
A young Blur in their Modern Life is Rubbish days
However, the band still contradicted themselves with mixed messages about their future "new" recording. In recent interviews, there were a lot of "Yes, we are working on new songs" and "No. we are not going to make a new album" and some "We're not sure"'s.
Watch Graham Coxon speak out about the band's preparations for the Hyde Park gigs and click HERE read all about Graham vowing to make this gig bigger and better than their 2009 runs.
With these mixed messages about the potential new Blur album, fans can only speculate. So far, nothing was confirmed by the band. They seem reluctant to talk about any future albums, although are happy to chat about individual tracks. They debuted Under the Westway in the War Child event. However, Alex James did say it's probably a "no" to a new Blur album on last night's Top Gear episode.
Read all about Blur being BASHED AT THE BRITS HERE,
"It was a disaster, a beautiful disaster"- or was it ?
Stumbling Damon Albarn, tangled up strings, a broken guitar strap, cutting singer Adele's speech off, messy singing, a too-fast Tender, strange sounding "Oh Oh Oh Oh"s from Girls and Boys, the "Woo Hoos" becoming a bit too primal, Phil Daniels being on stage in the, gasp, Brits ...
What have all the items on this list of descriptions, used by people, bloggers, journalists and Adele-fans, have in common ? Go on, give it your best guess.
If you've noticed the fingers-pointing and negative vibes in the exhaustive list, then well done. The feedback Blur got back from the world was rather negative. It's been three days since the Brit Awards 2012 and Blur has been hit by negative reviews and media features criticizing their performance in the award show.
Blur were already marginalized by the fact that their two best performances of that night, Tender (from 13) complete with a 32 piece gospel choir and Alex James on Cello, and This is a Low (with Damon's heartfelt, pitch perfect solo) were not shown on ITV1. They was pushed to the lesser channel ITV2.
Viewers all around the world watched Blur's arguably less impressive performances of that night (although there was raw energy, passion and they did get most lyrics correct, and Dave was smashing on the drums). All because of a broadcasting decision completely out of the band's control.
A band shot at the Brits 2012
And Adele's speech cut off ? Again, it's a broadcasting decision, not the host James Corden's fault, nor Blurs. The media clung to Adele's middle finger like there was no other exciting event of the night. Poor bloke James, he was bashed too for being "boring" and "unfunny". So is the new trend "bash-the-brits" now ?
Some comments were simply accusatory, such as "It was Blur's fault Adele was kicked off the stage", or critical- "Blur has gone past their sell-out date". Others have said that they'd "rather watch One Direction" or Rihanna hammer out her tunes.
Speaking of boy bands - Blur were quite the lads back in 1995's Brits where they took home 4 awards and had a feud with Oasis
Of course, the article was strewn with the worst pictures taken of that night, at unflattering angles, of Damon's eyes half closed and mouth in the middle of singing "Parklife". Wait a minute. What about all the epic photos and band pictures, or the glorious solos from Tender and This is a Low ?
Thanks DailyMail for posting deliberately picking the most gorgeous Blur photos
The article from Daily Mail suggests that Damon should "mime", "for the sake of the world's eardrums". because apparently, Blur sounded horrible on television. The writer called Damon a "drunk" who was "yelling" instead of singing.
Damon a drunk ? He was sober alright - otherwise how'd he talk for so bloody long ?
How's that as a blow to the head for one of Britain's most influential and definitive bands of the 90s (and 2000s). How's that for the winners of Outstanding Contribution to Music award- with previous winners including David Bowie and The Kinks. How's that for a band with 20+ years of making British music and hits like "Song 2" and "Girls and Boys"? Ouch.
The writer goes on for more Blur-bashing, and all the ya-da-das. He then admits that Blur's albums however, sounds "so good" and that the final performance of Tender was rather good". A rant on live music and more Damon-bashing follows. So in short, Blur sucked at the Brits and looked drunk and couldn't sing a tune. Yes, that sums the night up, doesn't it ?
Blur recently in NME magazine - not every band gets 10 pages of space you know
So here's our point- but what's music, live music, without the mess, the errors and the glamourous rock n' roll mentality? We all know Adele sings perfectly, with no errors - she will not forget lyrics or hit the wrong note! And One Direction's poppy boy-band tracks are too well-rehearsed, dance choreography too in sync- are we watching automated people sing to viewers on television ?
We want to quote the MP Kerry Mccarthy, who published a feature post in pop music culture website Louder than War which counter-balances the Daily Mail's critique on Blur. It's rare we read something so accurate and describes exactly what we hear a lot of long time, devoted Blur fans say.
Adele has a flawless, powerful voice. So does Florence. So does little Ed Sheeran, in a wimpy sort of way. And Bruno Mars (also little) performed very nicely, and Olly Murs and Rihanna did the singing & dancing at the same time thing, and they did it with panache. Polished, professional, perfect, every single one of them. Not a note out of tune, not a dance step out of time. Everything went to plan. They’d all practised very hard.
Adele shows the finger at the Brits - the media has blown it out of proportions, she did not overreact in reality
Oh, and there was Coldplay. They had fireworks, and laser beams bouncing off a giant mirror ball. They “put on a good show”. It wasn’t much of a song, but at least it wasn’t one of the really annoying ones. There was Noel Gallagher too, who played it safe. I saw him do a much better version of the same song in the Jools Holland studio a few months ago; it was a real racket then, this was a bit pedestrian.
And then there was Blur, who, so we are told, were out of tune, out of time, under-rehearsed, shambolic, shabby, even ‘a disgrace’. I thought they were bloody brilliant. Maybe it was just the relief of seeing a band that sounded like a proper live band, flaws and all. I’m not a massive Blur fan by any means, and yes, the sound was pretty bad, but when Graham Coxon did his fuzzy, choppy guitar thing, and his weedy little “Oh my baby” bit on ‘Tender’ I almost wanted to cry, because in Brits land guitars aren’t meant to be distorted, and singers are meant to be able to sing. And dance down the runway, not be all hunched up over a mike stand or, like Damon Albarn, leaping around like an un-choreographed lunatic, getting all tangled up in his leads.
Have people become so accustomed, so attuned to perfection now, that anything else seems bad? Like listening to music on vinyl with hisses and scratches? Or a magazine picture that isn’t airbrushed or photoshopped to utter blandness?
The stage that night - lit and ready to roll
It's true isn't it - however you view Blur's performances, whether you are an old fan disappointed at their performance, or whether you are sentimentally ecstatic at Blur's return, or you were screaming form the joy of seeing them back on stage since the 1995 Blur Brits takeover episode. What Mccarthy wrote about is in some ways true.
Blur has always been like that - a great stage presence and an amazing live show. Just watch some old footage and you will marvel at their raw energy and passion. Even from the Seymour days, where Blur performed a recently surfaced song "Superman" - you can see Damon bopping and jumping around just like he did at the Brits 2012.
Damon Albarn looking melancholic (or exhausted from jumping around)
Damon Albarn, in a radio show afterwards, said something about the audience of the awards that night. The audience just weren't that into the songs (although we swore many were dancing below the stage!). Generally, there was a very mixed review of the show - some good, some bad, some terrible.
Live shows are about excitement, unpredictability, energy, passion and being able to deliver an entertaining show. Blur were never the band to produce elaborate sets, or have 100 back up singers strutting around scantily clad. Nor do they don up in Lady Gaga-esque costumes or pretend to be glittery and ditzy.
Graham Coxon, guitarist of Blur, had something to say about it when he posted a comment online. He said "it was the brits...since when do we have to be slick and boring...i remember the brits 17 years ago, it was mayhem...rock n roll pandemoonium...fun...fuck em."
Click to enlarge Graham's post and read his opinion on this Brits bash
We are not denying that music changes- of course, anything evolves and new trends emerge. Nor are we saying everyone must love Blur's performance that night - everyone is entitled to their own opinion. But Blur is amongst the good old fashioned quintessential British bands - that is if you call the 90s old. They won the award that night, and are headlining the Olympics closing concert. A huge honour, and few bands get this opportunity.
The exciting news in NME was about Blur's Olympic headliner
When will London host another Olympics again ? Even if they do, it may not be in Blur's time.
Britain has chosen it's musical representatives - Blur, because they embody what British music has been about in the 90s and even early 2000s. This once-in-a-lifetime opportunity is a greatest achievement in itself - why should we continue to bash Blur about it ?
The band in 2009 where they first got together again after a hiatus
Perhaps people who decide so easily to compare a band like Blur- who won the top award of the night with their long-term achievements- to drunkards on stage, should think about not putting their opinion out there so strongly for the sake of the world’s eyeballs .
If you want note-perfect songs, go and listen to their albums.
Written by BlurBalls, 24/2/2012 - after a touching 2 hour Blur BBC6 radio show.
BLUR'S COMEBACK PERFORMANCE at the Brit Awards 2012was outstanding. No matter what teeny-boppers say, the press, the media and celebrities dancing their heads off at the Brits tables has got to admit, Blur rocked the stage.
Blur had their energy, their passion and their catchy tunes from the 90s all on set at the Brits 2012. Blur arrived on the red carpet with Damon in jeans, boots and a flatcap, Graham Coxon in a denim jacket and a signature mop-top (reminds us of the Leisure era) and Alex with mismatched buttons, a white t-shirt and blue suit piece. Dave also had on a pair of boots; it was the 90s all over again.
Damon Albarn also hugged and posed with Oasis's Noel Gallagher, who was nominated for an award. They said they were "over" the Britpop war and the feud between Oasis and Blur, who battled it out to reach No. 1 on the 1995 UK Singles.
After Lana Del Rey's award, Blur was called on stage to receive their Outstanding Contribution to Music award by Ray Winston. Damon Albarn made a long speech thanking everyone, including producer William Orbit (rumoured to produce their new album) and his crew. Adele was called onto stage by a sunglasses-donned George Michael. She won "Best Album".
Shortly after Adele began to spoke, the host had to interrupt her and cut her short, as Damon's speech was a bit longer than expected. She made a rude gesture and raised her middle finger to the audience, and apparently stormed out of the O2 saying "This is a Low". We think this is quite inappropriate of her, as her awards is much smaller compared to Blur's Outstanding Contribution Award, after all Blur had to work for nearly 20+ years to get to this point- give them some credit!
Watch Adele being booted by host James, flips, and Blur rolls on!
The stage was lit, the Blur sign sparkled and glowed. Spotlights shone and the music immediately started with Girls and Boys' signature tune blaring out. Dave rocked the drums, and there was a moment when Graham's guitar strap broke, but all went well. Damon's Woo Hoo's were simply powerful.
Blur then started playing their medley. They played all the hits that made them rise to the top of the charts- Girls and Boys, Parklife, Song 2, followed by Tender and finally This is a Low. The music's energy was great, though Damon made small errors on Tender. He jumped up and down, but the crowd didn't sing along for Girls and Boy's "Oh Oh Oh"s.
The highlights were the hits Tender and This is a Low, Damon's personal favourites, which he sang with all his heart. It was emotional and rang out onto the entire stage. Blur also played for the longest set in record for Outstanding Contribution Award - 11 minutes, and a bit more than that! They played:
1) Girls and Boys
2) Song 2
3) Parklife
4) Tender
5) This is a Low
Comments on youtube and various social networking sites seems to suggest that Blur made Adele cut off her speech - in fact, we think this is bollocks - the shows have time constraints, and Blur were there to perform the LONGEST set, so it's all fair to cut off Adele, who has won many awards already, for the main performances of the night from Blur.
Blur were the guest of honour, they won the award when everyone was waiting anxiously to see if they won. It would be like being the centre of the show, only to be rushed out of your own party. After all, how much effort has Blur put into making music for the world and many times a year do they do this ?
Their publicity, gained from performing the smashing Song 2 (Fifa 98 song) made Blur, Damon Albarn and Woo Hoo trend worldwide on twitter for a long time.
When was the last time Blur trended ? Fans , be PROUD!
No Adele on the trends, hey, except being cut off!
Outstanding gig. Amazing energy and Adele - you were given the boot by the Brits and Blur! Blur had raw emotion, albeit some slip ups, but true fans will simply love the performances, no matter what they were like. And give them a break - it's been a few years since the 2009 reunion gigs, and since then Damon's produced Gorillaz and the others has had solo works/ projects out.
Damon's long speech was nice - this is probably Blur's best bet at gaining publicity again after their long hiatus and side-projects. Now Blur's got new fans, new younger fans, and will be ready if they launch any new record.
In fact, record sales of Blur went up 2700% since last night - yes you read that right - 2700%! It really seems that Blur's getting publicity again, and now even tweens who watched the Brits know about this epic band. Perhaps this is another act to get Blur back to the charts!
Watch theentire set below here, on BlurBalls:
Read all about Blur's rehearsal for Brits HERE, Olympics Gig HERE, new album HERE and check out their newest song HEREand read our REVIEW HERE.
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Blur interview on what the song Beetlebum (No. 1 on the UK Charts) was about.
Are they trying to test their fan base ? Could this mean something's up ?
We think Blur is up to something here, perhaps signaling a new album is in progress or that Blur are truly making some new single or album to be released in 2012...
And what of the Brit Awards ? It's up and coming, and how can Blur perform without rehearsals ? There may just be the chance of a warm up pre-Brits gig in the future!
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