blur leads massive Splendour sideshow announcement
It has been 18 years since blur, one of the most successful British bands of the last two decades, graced our shores. Together, Damon Albarn, Graham Coxon, Alex James and Dave Rowntree, have won a total of five BRIT Awards, and were twice nominated for the Mercury Music Award. And now blur are back with their eighth studio album The Magic Whip and in July will the band make their way to Australia, fresh from headlining British Summer Time Festival in London’s Hyde Park, to play three huge arena shows in Sydney, Melbourne and Perth. Joining the blur on the bill will be very special guest Jamie T, one of the most distinctive voices to come out of the UK in the past decade.
Announcing their arrival with debut album Leisure in 1991 and follow up release Modern Life Is Rubbish in 1993, blur revolutionised the sound of English popular music. Five successive UK #1 albums followed - with Parklife (1994) and The Great Escape (1995) helping to propel the band to mass popularity around the world with tracks like Parklife, Girls & Boys, Country House and of course hit single Song 2.
It’s been 16 years since blur’s last album as a four piece and Monday 27th April sees the release of the band’s critically acclaimed eighth studio album The Magic Whip. The recordings, which began during a five-day break in touring in Spring 2013 at Avon Studios in Kowloon, Hong Kong, were put aside when the group finished touring and returned to their respective lives. Last November Graham Coxon revisited the tracks and, drafting in blur’s early producer Stephen Street, he worked with the band on the material. Albarn then added lyrics and the 12 tracks of The Magic Whip are the result.
In 2013 Blur toured across Europe and South America – also taking in a headline set at Coachella that resulted in rapturous reviews - proving to Blur fans around the world that the English lads still have what it takes to put on an explosive live performance.
One of the most distinctive voices to come out of the UK in the past decade, Jamie T, will be joining Blur to open the arena shows. His infectiously catchy hit Zombie came in at number 43 in triple J’s Hottest 100, he picked up three NME Awards and announced a new EP Magnolia Melancholia.
Its been almost five years since the spiky, globally-informed, occasionally grisly and proudly Clash-influenced Kings And Queens album reached No.2 in the UK charts, inspiring the critics to anoint the then-24-year-old Jamie ‘a rare, cocksure talent’ (BBC) and ‘a national institution’ (NME), and almost four since he last graced a concert stage. Spending his hiatus from the scene refining his songwriting, we welcome Jamie T back to the stage with open arms!
All tickets on sale 10am local venue time, Friday 1st May.
Sat 25th July - Sydney, Qantas Credit Union Arena - tickets from Ticketek
Tue 28th July - Melbourne, Rod Laver Arena - tickets from Ticketek
Thu 30th July - Perth, Perth Arena - tickets from Ticketek
Other Splendour in the Grass sideshows
All tickets on sale 10am Wed 29th April - exclusive pre-sale available to Secret Sounds subscribers
The Wombats with Circa Waves
Thu 23rd July - Perth, Metro City - tickets from Oztix (Wombats only)
Mon 27th July - Sydney, Enmore Theatre - tickets from Ticketek
Tue 28th July - Melbourne, Palais Theatre - tickets from Tickemaster
Thu 30th July - Adelaide, Thebarton Theatre - tickets from Tickemaster
MS MR
Wed 22nd July - Melbourne, 170 Russell - tickets from - tickets from 170 Russell
Sat 25th July - Sydney, Metro Theatre - tickets from - tickets from Ticketek
The Vaccines with Palma Violets
Mon 27th July - Melbourne, Corner Hotel - tickets from the Corner
Tue 28th July - Sydney, Metro Theatre - tickets from Ticketek
Years & Years
Sun 26th July - Sydney, Oxford Art Factory - tickets from Moshtix
Thu 30th July - Melbourne, Howler - tickets from Moshtix
Wolf Alice
Thu 23rd July - Melbourne, the Corner - tickets from the Corner
Fri 26th July - Sydney, Oxford Art Factory - tickets from Moshtix
The Districts
Mon 27th July - Melbourne, Northcote Social Club - tickets from the Northcote Social Club
Tue 28th July - Sydney, Newtown Social Club - tickets from the Newtown Social Club
MØ with Elliphant
Tue 28 July - Melbourne, the Corner - tickets from - tickets from the Corner
Wed 29 July - Sydney, Oxford Art Factory - tickets from - tickets from Oztix
Azealia Banks
Fri 24 July - Sydney, Metro Theatre - tickets from Ticketek
Sun 26 July - Melbourne, Prince Bandroom - tickets from Oztix
Porter Robinson with Wave Racer & Cosmo’s Midnight
Wed 22 July - Sydney, Enmore Theatre - tickets from Ticketek
Thu 23 July - Melbourne, The Forum - tickets from Tickemaster
Everything Everything with Urban Cone
Thu 23 July - Sydney, Metro Theatre - tickets from Ticketek
Sat 25 July - Melbourne, The Corner - tickets from the Corner
Kitty, Daisy & Lewis
Sat 1 Aug - Sydney, Metro Theatre - tickets from Ticketek
Sun 2 Aug - Melbourne, 170 Russell - tickets from 170 Russell
Tue 4 Aug - Adelaide, Governor Hotel - tickets from Oztix
Wed 5 Aug - Perth, Rosemount Hotel - tickets from Oztix
Marmozets
Thu 23 July - Sydney, Newtown Social Club, - tickets from the Newtown Social Club
Sat 25 July - Melbourne, Ding Dong Lounge - tickets from Oztix
Ryan Adams with Jenny Lewis
Sun 19th July - Melbourne, Forum Theatre - tickets from Tickemaster
Thu 23rd July - Sydney, Enmore Theatre - tickets from Ticketek
Announcing their arrival with debut album Leisure in 1991 and follow up release Modern Life Is Rubbish in 1993, blur revolutionised the sound of English popular music. Five successive UK #1 albums followed - with Parklife (1994) and The Great Escape (1995) helping to propel the band to mass popularity around the world with tracks like Parklife, Girls & Boys, Country House and of course hit single Song 2.
It’s been 16 years since blur’s last album as a four piece and Monday 27th April sees the release of the band’s critically acclaimed eighth studio album The Magic Whip. The recordings, which began during a five-day break in touring in Spring 2013 at Avon Studios in Kowloon, Hong Kong, were put aside when the group finished touring and returned to their respective lives. Last November Graham Coxon revisited the tracks and, drafting in blur’s early producer Stephen Street, he worked with the band on the material. Albarn then added lyrics and the 12 tracks of The Magic Whip are the result.
In 2013 Blur toured across Europe and South America – also taking in a headline set at Coachella that resulted in rapturous reviews - proving to Blur fans around the world that the English lads still have what it takes to put on an explosive live performance.
One of the most distinctive voices to come out of the UK in the past decade, Jamie T, will be joining Blur to open the arena shows. His infectiously catchy hit Zombie came in at number 43 in triple J’s Hottest 100, he picked up three NME Awards and announced a new EP Magnolia Melancholia.
Its been almost five years since the spiky, globally-informed, occasionally grisly and proudly Clash-influenced Kings And Queens album reached No.2 in the UK charts, inspiring the critics to anoint the then-24-year-old Jamie ‘a rare, cocksure talent’ (BBC) and ‘a national institution’ (NME), and almost four since he last graced a concert stage. Spending his hiatus from the scene refining his songwriting, we welcome Jamie T back to the stage with open arms!
All tickets on sale 10am local venue time, Friday 1st May.
Sat 25th July - Sydney, Qantas Credit Union Arena - tickets from Ticketek
Tue 28th July - Melbourne, Rod Laver Arena - tickets from Ticketek
Thu 30th July - Perth, Perth Arena - tickets from Ticketek
Other Splendour in the Grass sideshows
All tickets on sale 10am Wed 29th April - exclusive pre-sale available to Secret Sounds subscribers
The Wombats with Circa Waves
Thu 23rd July - Perth, Metro City - tickets from Oztix (Wombats only)
Mon 27th July - Sydney, Enmore Theatre - tickets from Ticketek
Tue 28th July - Melbourne, Palais Theatre - tickets from Tickemaster
Thu 30th July - Adelaide, Thebarton Theatre - tickets from Tickemaster
MS MR
Wed 22nd July - Melbourne, 170 Russell - tickets from - tickets from 170 Russell
Sat 25th July - Sydney, Metro Theatre - tickets from - tickets from Ticketek
The Vaccines with Palma Violets
Mon 27th July - Melbourne, Corner Hotel - tickets from the Corner
Tue 28th July - Sydney, Metro Theatre - tickets from Ticketek
Years & Years
Sun 26th July - Sydney, Oxford Art Factory - tickets from Moshtix
Thu 30th July - Melbourne, Howler - tickets from Moshtix
Wolf Alice
Thu 23rd July - Melbourne, the Corner - tickets from the Corner
Fri 26th July - Sydney, Oxford Art Factory - tickets from Moshtix
The Districts
Mon 27th July - Melbourne, Northcote Social Club - tickets from the Northcote Social Club
Tue 28th July - Sydney, Newtown Social Club - tickets from the Newtown Social Club
MØ with Elliphant
Tue 28 July - Melbourne, the Corner - tickets from - tickets from the Corner
Wed 29 July - Sydney, Oxford Art Factory - tickets from - tickets from Oztix
Azealia Banks
Fri 24 July - Sydney, Metro Theatre - tickets from Ticketek
Sun 26 July - Melbourne, Prince Bandroom - tickets from Oztix
Porter Robinson with Wave Racer & Cosmo’s Midnight
Wed 22 July - Sydney, Enmore Theatre - tickets from Ticketek
Thu 23 July - Melbourne, The Forum - tickets from Tickemaster
Everything Everything with Urban Cone
Thu 23 July - Sydney, Metro Theatre - tickets from Ticketek
Sat 25 July - Melbourne, The Corner - tickets from the Corner
Kitty, Daisy & Lewis
Sat 1 Aug - Sydney, Metro Theatre - tickets from Ticketek
Sun 2 Aug - Melbourne, 170 Russell - tickets from 170 Russell
Tue 4 Aug - Adelaide, Governor Hotel - tickets from Oztix
Wed 5 Aug - Perth, Rosemount Hotel - tickets from Oztix
Marmozets
Thu 23 July - Sydney, Newtown Social Club, - tickets from the Newtown Social Club
Sat 25 July - Melbourne, Ding Dong Lounge - tickets from Oztix
Ryan Adams with Jenny Lewis
Sun 19th July - Melbourne, Forum Theatre - tickets from Tickemaster
Thu 23rd July - Sydney, Enmore Theatre - tickets from Ticketek