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Finally got to see “To the End” which is showing this week at some cinemas in Japan. Took ages to add very bad subtitles (that’s another story).

We managed to get home for Wembley (first night), loved it so much we picked up tickets for Sunday too so it was lovely to see the build up and more importantly the relationships between them.

Thing is, I am in the middle of reading Alex’s book, Over the Rainbow and the stories do not align at all. Even what was known from interviews before the documentary contradicts the story told. I recognise they used creative license but seems they had some big holes to fill and tried to tell the story using Damon’s place in Devon.

The Alex book has the chronology as:

• Live agent called about open dates in Summer 2023 asking does Blur want to play. This seems like a really odd way for this to get initiated. One would have assumed Damon started the process… perhaps these agents called every year to the bigger bands. But that’s the Alex version

• Band then has a hastily organised summit in London sometime in late 2022. Per the book it was cold … not sure when it was as tickets were announced Nov 14 and went on sale on 18th. In another interview Alex said this Summit was “full of awks” and I can imagine some pretty awkward moments. A fly on the wall might have seen Graham going off on Damon with a “wtf, calling us here like your effing circus ponies to come here on your beck and call”

• They agreed to the Wembley one-off gig, which became two nights after the band took the second night option based on demand. And in same summit agreed to do the album. I assume Damon teased them with the new songs written during Gorillaz 2022 US tour

• The LP was mainly recorded in London in February 2023. Alex recounts going back and forth to Damon’s “Thirteen” studio. Process began with him listening back to rough mp3 versions Damon had put together while in car to London on the first day. There was no mention of Devon except a comment that after the main recording was complete and first playback around Easter and Damon was going to “get stuck into” the vocals alone in Devon

• Then rehearsals for the tour begin in June - again in London (SW18)

I have to skim back thru the book (currently on the section about a Japan and wondering which Ramen place Alex went to in Shibuya as I live right close) but pretty sure there was no more mention of Devon again. So what I believe was filmed in Devon was the bands likely only visit there, likely in late Spring ‘23 and the full playback with Damon’s final vocals and final mix complete. Still an emotional moment but not the first awkward meeting and first rehearsals. So we never actually saw the first anything and the documentary actually picks up from somewhere around April/May.

I’m OK with what was shown but would have preferred the narrative to be a little more honest. Maybe capturing them talking about the legit first meeting and the recording process

I

I'm curious if there's any genre you think Blur would absolutely nail?

personally I think they could do power/rock ballad and kill it.. but that's just me!

I've been a Blur fan for a whils, here's my current tier list of the albums

For me, Music is my Radar, To the End, No distance left to run, Caramel

What's your personal interpretation of the lyrics?

long story short, my roommate and i were super bored and she made an origami frog. we were watching blur music videos at the time so she named it graham. long story short, he now rests on the guitar.

For meee i’d say, Badhead , This is a low , No distance left to run too name a few.

i listen to a bit of everything lol my favs besides blur are slipknot, ghost, wallows, harry styles, arctic monkeys, megadeth, david bowie and nine inch nails

For me, i’d have to say Music Is my Radar or Swamp Song

Hey y’all, has anyone in the US received their track jacket when they were restocked recently? I ordered mine in November and it was able to purchase a Large. Just wondering if anyone has received theirs yet.