Last week I went to go see the new
Blur documentary '
No Distance Left to Run' at
Pure Groove record store, in Smithfields. It tells the story of Blur, ending with their triumphant reunion gigs at Glastonbury and Hyde Park in the Summer 2009. Blur are the sort of the band that I've always been dimly aware of -
Song 2, Parklife, Country House etc. are indeed, faintly inescapable -but I've never truly loved them. I guess I was just always that little bit too young for them - I was 5 when their classic album
Modern Life is Rubbish was released in 1993 - and I never really had someone leading me to them, in the same way that my Dad managed to do with the Rolling Stones, and a lot of 60s/70s music. But, I'd heard the documentary was good, I'd been meaning to check out Pure Groove, and my flatmate is a huge Blur fan, so I ended up heading down.
I have to say, to say I was pleasantly surprised would be an understatement. The film, in and of itself, first of all, is really fantastic. It uses unseen footage of interviews, gigs, everything, spliced together with their reunion tour, and contemporary interviews with the band. It's really well filmed too, the quality of the pictures are really great, with the whole film really having a tactile, smooth feel to it. But more than looking good, it's funny, clever, passionate and poignant.
Obviously, the soundtrack's good. First of all, I realised what a huge influence Blur have been on contemporary British music especially, but really just music in general. Secondly, I realised just how many Blur songs I knew without even trying - I mean, they're soundtracking the
latest British Gas advert for crying out loud. They really are ubiquitous - in a good way, not in a Lady Gaga/Florence & the Machine/pop flavour of the moment way. The songs have stood the test of time, perhaps even matured over time. Furthermore,
the gig footage demonstrates that live, Blur are also still relevant, engaging and entertaining (shame they have no further plans to play together!) - the spell-binding, shiver-inducing version of
Tender at the end proves that if nothing else does.
Watch the trailer for 'No Distance Left to Run'
here and a clip of them playing in Hyde Park
here (I would embed them but you NEED to watch these in HD, full screen!!) The DVD is out to
buy now.
