Blur Play Rousing Show At Hyde Park Homecoming

Blur triumphed in front of 55,000 fans at the first of two dates at London's Hyde Park last night.

Just like their closing headline slot at Glastonbury on Sunday, it was a highly charged, emotional show with Damon Albarn looking close to tears before 'Popscene'.

He told the crowd just before they launched into the track: "We feel very privileged to be able to do nothing for years and then come back to this. It's really incredible."

He failed to break into full-blown tears, however, like he did following At The End at Worthy Farm.

Damon and co. performed a sprawling 25 show, a set-list that echoed Glasto almost entirely except for an added 'Death Of A Party'.

Once again a shouty, hyperactive Phil Daniels joined the band for a rabble-rousing rendition of 'Parklife'.

Damon told the crowd that the track was inspired by Hyde Park, saying: "I had the idea for this song in this park, I used to live near Kensington Church Street and I used to watch pigeons and people and all that stuff."

The full set-list was as follows:

1. She's So High
2. Girls & Boys
3. Tracy Jacks
4. There's No Other Way
5. Jubilee
6. Badhead
7. Beetlebum
8. Out Of Time
9. Trimm Trabb
10. Coffee & TV
11. Tender
12. Country House
13. Oily Water
14. Chemical World
15. Sunday Sunday
16. Parklife
17. End Of A Century
18. To The End
19. This Is A Low
20. Popscene
21. Advert
22. Song 2
23. Death Of A Party
24. For Tomorrow
25. The Universal

(by Scott Colothan)

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