Running Times:

Deerhoof 4 - 4.30
Florence and the machine 4.50 - 5.20
Amadou & Mariam 5.40 - 6.20
Vampire Weekend 6.50 - 7.40
BLUR 8.15 - 10.15

SETLIST:

'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'
'Death Of A Party'
'For Tomorrow'
'The Universal'

The day didn't start so well.. the transport network seemed to be grinding to a halt as I left work to drive down to London to Hyde Park. Consequently on a hot day in July I arrived aggitated , hungry and thirsty knowing I was already likely to have missed at least one act. I had Deerhoof.

The park itself was packed, full of people heading in to the fenced off arena area, Fortunately the heat was somewhat lower than the previous few days.... but it was still hot!

So.. a quick nip to the loo and then the start of working my way to the front.

Florence and the Machine were good, Amadou and Mariam were jolly but for me the afternoon really started with Vampire Weekend. They bounced through most of the tracks on their first album and threw in a few new ones too. The crowd was truely warmed up in every sense of the word.

A quick half hour change over and the waiting was over... Blur stepped onto stage to a tumultious roar and surge forward by the crowd which set the mood for the whole show.

They sold 50,000 tickets for the venue and sold out in just two minutes — not bad going for a band who have essentially not worked together since Graham Coxon left back in 2002.

They started their two-hour set with She’s So High their debut single. Blur although now in their 40's were full of energy and vitality. Boys & Girls saw the crowd pogoing and Tracy Jacks became a punk sing‑along whilst it rained beer bottles in the air.

Blur were joined by Phil Daniels — who sang his cockney part on Parklife.

Albarn seemd genuinely moved by the sea of bodies in front of him: as if he never quite expected the come back to work. Well it did. The show was good old fashioned rock and roll, honest, not needing the stage wizardry of a west end show. It was honest and the crowd responded to it by reciprocating an honest adoration for the band; and the crowd wasn't all from the first time round although there were a large number of 40 ish year olds there, I met lots of youngsters maybe 14 upwards who had a genuine knowledge of the band who loved their music. So clearly the audience still exists for Blur and what they achieved to date.

I never held with trhe Britpop battle between Blur and Oasis. It wasnt a battle they were too different and Blur were definately more cutting edge and experimental as was shown by there set today ranging from pure pop through to heavy rock.

Albarn said “We feel so privileged to have come back to this,” and I feel privileged to have been there.

Park life never felt so good.

Score: 12/10