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Monday, March 31, 1997

MUSIC:

English band puts on show that pleases both old and new fansBy Mike Prevatt

Daily Bruin Contributor

Touring in support of its newly released self-titled album, Blur delighted a tightly packed, sweat-covered crowd at the Palace on March 19 while giving a peek at its truly stellar live-performance abilities.

With lead singer/court jester Damon Albarn at the helm, the quirky English foursome took the fanatical and the curious on a musical journey that had the crowd at the sold-out show bouncing, screaming, clapping, swaying, singing and rolling over each other for almost two hours.

At first, the show seemed like it was going to be a mellow affair as Blur opened with its easy-going "Beetlebum." But after about four minutes, Albarn sprung from his little stool, the band switched gears and blew the crowd away with its hit single "Song 2," which had all the concertgoers jumping and yelling "woo-hoo" in unison with the singer.

Revving up the thirsty crowd even more was a bumping version of their pop classic "Girls and Boys" and a rendition of Blur's soon-to-be classic "M.O.R."

Blur went back and forth during its whole show with tempos and styles, switching from the slow and melancholy ("Death of a Party") to the bright and the perky ("Stereotypes"). Old favorites and new songs were highlighted by a powerful light show, with a mirror-ball adding to the sheer elegance and beauty of Blur classics "Until the End" and "The Universal." The strobe effects added to the intensity of bombastic songs such as "Chinese Bombs."

At one point, Albarn challenged the energetic crowd to keep up with him as he and the band sped through "Bombs" and "Bank Holiday." They even threw in some old album cuts, including songs from the less-familiar "Modern Life is Rubbish" album, while only playing two songs from their last, more popular album, "The Great Escape" (missing from the set list were popular standouts such as "Country House" and "Charmless Man").

The encore was easily a Blur fan's dream and a preview to the Blur newcomer as to what makes this band great. Blur jumped back onstage amid thunderous applause and ear-deafening screams to begin the happy-go-lucky "On Your Own" from the new album. They continued with such favorites as "The Universal" and the show-stopper "Parklife."

Blur ended its set with "Sing," its beautifully bouncy yet haunting and emotional contribution to the "Trainspotting" soundtrack.

What made Blur's performance truly standout was the way the band catered to the crowd and committed itself to giving it the best possible show. From soaking the sweaty and cramped fans with water and dumping hundreds of balloons over the "dance floor" to playing many more obscure fan favorites and exciting the ravenous crowd by Albarn jumping right into it, Blur whetted the appetite of an audience hungry for a great show.

Albarn went the extra mile himself by not only making himself the accessible singer but also by climbing the scaffolding of the set and jumping out of control, adding to the visual spectacle of it all and making it all the more wonderfully theatrical. Furthermore, the musicianship was prime, from Graham Coxon's cranking guitar to Dave Rowntree's pounding drums.

And bassist Alex James ­ well, he never let us forget he was the cool rock star of the lot, keeping a lit cigarette in his mouth for the duration of the entire show and going back to his beer during every song break in the style of Liam Gallagher of Oasis (although the singer is surely not his inspiration!).

With a crowd consisting of both old die-hard fans and new, curious spectators, many bands choose to cater to one group or the other, picking either to preserve loyalties or to go for increasing record sales. Blur found the middle ground without compromising either group.

Their musical precision recreated their songs flawlessly, and their melodic and physical exuberance moved and entertained the Palace attendees. This proves that Blur is not only the "fan's band" but also has widespread appeal despite the media's attempts to label it as being too "British."

With the new, more American-influenced sound of their new album and the success of their current, sold-out tour, perhaps Blur will attain the audience, respect and opportunity here in the States that it truly deserves. Let's hope so.

CHARLES KUO/Daily Bruin

Damon Albarn, lead singer of Blur, rocked the Palace on March 19.

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