A pumped Damon Albarn greeted the Isle Of Wight crowd “Are you ready? Are you ready!” as Blur played their first festival in six long years.
“It’s the first time we’ve ever come here, nice to meet you all!” called the frontman to cheering fans.
The band kicked off with songs Lonesome Street and Go Out from their latest album The Magic Whip, which were well-received owing to their much-loved familiar sound.
However, it wasn’t long before the hits started to roll with Coffee & TV – sung by Graham Coxon on the TFI Friday special because of Damon’s sore throat – first up.
Damon greeting his fans #iow2015 https://t.co/AU28Y2puqw
— JOE (@JOE_co_uk) June 13, 2015
Trimm Trabb saw Damon go full throttle, jumping into the crowd and proving he can still execute the old two-footed metre-high dive.
Sweaty and smiling, Blur then moved on to Beetlebum, the lead single from their self-titled fifth album in 1997.
Tender ensured another huge sing-along with Damon confessing: “I’m going to tell you a true story…I lost my voice yesterday and I know it was a little touch and go, but you have definitely carried me a bit and I’m grateful for that.
“There might be a couple of notes I can’t quite get to.”
As if he hadn’t won the crowd over already.
BLUR!!!!!! @Damonalbarn straight in with the crowd, yeeeahhh! #IOW2015 pic.twitter.com/BWSUkVlaiq
— Lia Nicholls (@LiaNicholls) June 13, 2015
Blur’s comeback festival gig wouldn’t have been complete without the legendary Phil Daniels joining them for Parklife, and the energy kept flowing with To The End.
They looked like they were having the time of their lives – it’s as though they’ve never been away.
