Blur’s Coachella Set “Is Probably Our Last Gig”

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Onstage at Coachella during their weekend two set, Blur’s Damon Albarn revealed that the performance was “probably” the band’s “last gig.”

Continuing, Albarn alluded to the tension the band seemingly had with the crowd during their weekend two performance, assuring that their decision to call it quits was “no reflection of Coachella,” which he believes is “beautiful.”

Perhaps that’s the missing context we didn’t know about when Albarn told the weekend one crowd that they’d “never see us again, so [they] might as well f*cking sing” the chorus to “Girls & Boys.” In fact, contrary to some reports about their weekend one performance, Albarn seemed to be having good fun last night. “I love Coachella, I love you. Really,” he said at one point.

At other times, though, Albarn did demonstrate some of his frustration. Comparing the crowds from the first weekend to the second, he said “Yeah man, this is the truth of Coachella isn’t it? The second week is music fans, people who appreciate music.” Referencing that there seemed to be less phone-use during the second weekend, Albarn praised the crowd. “That’s really good, well done, you.”

Those few grumbling moments aside, it seems that Blur’s “last gig” was a good time. The band performed hits like “Beetlebum” and “Song 2,” and were once again joined by the Torres-Martinez Desert Cahuilla Bird Singers for a number of songs, including the closing number, “Tender.”

As for whether Blur is really done for now, we’ll have to wait and see, but it would make sense considering recent comments from Albarn. The band’s first album in eight years, The Ballad of Darren, arrived last summer, but by the end of last year, Albarn was saying that he was ready to “wrap up this campaign.”

“It’s too much for me,” Albarn told the French publication Les Inrockuptibles in December. “It was the right thing to do and an immense honor to play these songs again, spend time with these guys, make an album, blah-blah-blah… I’m not saying I won’t do it again, it was a beautiful success, but I’m not dwelling on the past.”

Meanwhile, for more on Coachella, check out our full Coachella 2024 coverage here.