The group performed live for the first time in summer 1989 in the goods shed of the East Anglian Railway Museum at Chappel & Wakes Colne.

Already in the band were drummer Dave Rowntree, who had joined in October, and guitarist Graham Coxon, Albarn's childhood friend from Essex, who was studying at London's Goldsmiths College along with Albarn and James. History Formation and Leisure, 1988–1991 After their original name Seymour was rejected by Food, the band chose Blur from a list of alternatives the label drew up.īlur were formed in December 1988 when bassist Alex James joined Damon Albarn's band, Circus, and they changed the name to Seymour after J. After the Magic Whip tour, Blur went on hiatus until the release of their ninth album, The Ballad of Darren, in 2023. Their eighth album, The Magic Whip (2015), was their first in twelve years and the sixth consecutive Blur studio album to top the British charts.

In 2012, they received a Brit Award for Outstanding Contribution to Music. In the following years, they released several singles and compilations and toured internationally. In 2009, Blur reunited with Coxon and embarked on a European reunion tour. Coxon left the band early in the sessions for Think Tank, and Blur disbanded for several years after the tour. Their seventh album, Think Tank (2003), continued their experimentation with electronic sounds and was shaped by Albarn's growing interest in hip hop and world music, featuring more minimal guitar work. Their next album, 13 (1999) saw the band experimenting with electronic and gospel music, and featured more personal lyrics from Albarn and Coxon. Its single ' Song 2' brought the band mainstream success in the US for the first time. As a result, the band helped to popularise the Britpop genre and achieved mass popularity in the UK, aided by a chart battle with rival band Oasis in 1995 dubbed 'The Battle of Britpop'.īlur's self-titled fifth album (1997) saw another stylistic shift, influenced by the lo-fi styles of American indie rock groups, and became their third UK chart-topping album. Following a stylistic change influenced by English guitar pop groups such as the Kinks, the Beatles and XTC, Blur released Modern Life Is Rubbish (1993), Parklife (1994) and The Great Escape (1995).

Their debut album, Leisure (1991), incorporated the sounds of Madchester and shoegaze. The band consists of singer Damon Albarn, guitarist Graham Coxon, bass guitarist Alex James and drummer Dave Rowntree. Blur are an English rock band formed in London in 1988.

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