All photos courtesy of Converse.Last night Blur performed the entirety of their new album, The Magic Whip, to a small crowd of 500 or so excitable fans, which included members of NYC-based acts Skaters, Drowners, TV host Alexa Chung, and, wait for it, the girl from Labyrinth—Jennifer Connelly! There were probably a lot of other "notable" people there too, but let's be real, who cares! Blur have released their first record in TWELVE YEARS and seeing them in such a tiny venue was totally bananas.Damon came out swaggering, flicking water on the crowd, and generally behaving like the cocky upstart we fell for way back in 1995. As per, Coxon jumped around like a hyperactive kid and drummer Dave Rowntree hit his kit so hard his spectacles flew off his face, never to return.Normally, a band running through a new LP in full can be a bit of a drag—come on,everyone wants some golden oldies—but last night was a genuine party. Moreover, Blur sounded flawless and looked thrilled to be playing side-by-side. Standout newies included "Lonesome Street," "Ghost Ship" (that guitar line is one cool noodle removed from Steely Dan), and "Go Out" ("Going to the local, oh-oh-oh-oh!").Of course they couldn't leave without playing a few hits: "Beetlebum" and "Trouble in the Message Centre" (off Parklife), before finishing with "Song 2"—cue everyone losing their shit, obviously.It only served to whet our appetite for a proper tour. Come back soon boys, we love you.Here are some pics from the show.
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