Blur performed all the hits and debuted material from their new album, ‘The Ballad Of Darren’, during a special show at the BBC Radio Theatre for Radio 2.
Taking to the stage on Tuesday, July 18, the group traded the vast Wembley Stadium crowd for an intimate show to 300 lucky fans, with the set broadcast live on BBC Radio 2.
Opening with new album single St. Charles Square, Damon Albarn and co. stormed through 16 songs, including the seminal Popscene, Girls & Boys and Parklife with actor Phil Daniels.
Alongside classics such as Beetlebum, Villa Rosie and Coffee & TV, Albarn told the crowd: “We’re gonna play a couple of new songs. Don’t worry – they’re not shit. Well, beauty is in the eye of the beholder…”
‘The Ballad Of Darren’ songs Russian Strings and The Narcissist featured, along with the first-ever live performance of Barbaric.
In a review of the album, RETROPOP called ‘The Ballad Of Darren’ “a lush body of work that reads as a thank you to fans for a lifetime of continued support and a reminder that, decades into their chart-topping run, Blur are very much alive”.
‘Blur: Radio 2 In Concert’ and the compilation ‘Blur At The BBC’ will be broadcast on Saturday, July 29 on BBC Two. ‘Blur: Radio 2 In Concert’ is now available on BBC Sounds and iPlayer.
Check out performances of The Narcissist and Parklife below.
Setlist: Blur at BBC Radio Theatre for Radio 2
1. St. Charles Square
2. Popscene
3. Beetlebum
4. Villa Rosie
5. Coffee & TV
6. Out of Time
7. Russian Strings
8. Girls & Boys
9. Parklife (with Phil Daniels)
10. Advert
11. Tender
12. The Narcissist
13. This Is a Low
Encore
14. Barbaric (Live debut)
15. End of a Century
16. The Universal
