Blur
Live At Hyde Park

Less than a year ago, while browsing the internet, I came across news that would soon bring immense joy to me and countless other Blur fans: "The Blur reunite for a unique date at Hyde Park in London on July 3rd".

I immediately searched for ticket purchase methods; unfortunately, all tickets sold out on the first day of pre-sale. I felt lost, as I had never seen all four Blur members together, given that during the "Think Tank" tour concerts Coxon had already left the band.

To overcome this inconvenience, I had to make do and rely on the usual scalpers on the web, much to the dismay of my finances, but it didn't matter. Being present at Hyde Park was out of the question; I had to be there at all costs.

With tickets purchased for me and my brother, I only had to wait for that distant July, which, after much suffering, finally arrived...

Here I am now at Hyde Park, an immense place where giant structures overshadowing anything I had seen in Italy for concerts: mega screens, colossal stage, and lights everywhere. The wait is long; it's only 1 PM, and I will have to wait for at least another 6 hours before reaching the Blur, hoping at least that the supporting bands are acceptable (which will not happen).

Skipping those terrible 6 hours of agony, we arrive at the highlight of the day: the Blur's performance!

The band enters the stage together, greeting the over 55,000 spectators present and starting with their very first song "She is so High". It's clear that the audience will be an integral part of the show, as every single person practically sings along to every single line of the proposed songs.

Damon appears moved several times to those present, admitting several times that he is decidedly grateful to us for the extreme affection shown; the show is one of those historic ones that every attendee will remember for a lifetime. Songs like "Country House", "Song 2", "Tender", "Beetlebum", "For Tomorrow", "Parklife" (with the exceptional presence of Phil Daniels) drive the audience wild, bringing back memories of those good old times.

Damon Albarn, after all these years, is still that stage animal that drives the audience wild, Graham Coxon appears frantic, and all this makes the concert a true show. It concludes with the stunning "The Universal", which unites all 55,000 in a warm, single choir.

"It really, really, really could happen
Yes, it really, really, really could happen
If the days they seem to fall through you
Well, just let them go"

My heart beats fast, and tears almost start to fall because I know I will never see anything like this again.

I leave the park and find my brother, lost during the performance. We recollect ourselves a bit and go get a damn hamburger.