Editing Blur (band) (section)

===Reunion performances, 2008–2015===
[[File:Blur Newcastle 2009 Coxon Albarn.jpg|thumb|250px|Coxon (left) and Albarn (right) on stage at the Newcastle Academy in June 2009]]

In December 2008, Blur announced they would reunite for a concert at [[Hyde Park, London|London's Hyde Park]] on 3 July 2009.<ref name="BBCHydePark" /> Days later, the band added a second date, for 2 July.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/hi/music/newsid_7779000/7779399.stm|title=Blur add second date at Hyde Park|work=BBC News|date=12 December 2008|access-date=21 August 2012|archive-date=21 February 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150221212019/http://news.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/hi/music/newsid_7779000/7779399.stm|url-status=live}}</ref> A series of June preview shows were also announced, ending at Manchester Evening News arena on the 26th. All the shows were well received; ''The Guardian''{{'}}s music critic [[Alexis Petridis]] gave their performance at Goldsmiths college a full five stars, and wrote "Blur's music seems to have potentiated by the passing of years ... they sound both more frenetic and punky and more nuanced and exploratory than they did at the height of their fame".<ref>{{cite web|first=Alexis|last=Petridis|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2009/jun/23/review-blur-live-goldsmiths-college|title=Blur, Goldsmiths College, London|work=The Guardian|date=23 June 2009|access-date=26 June 2009|archive-date=27 March 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170327081440/https://www.theguardian.com/music/2009/jun/23/review-blur-live-goldsmiths-college|url-status=live}}</ref> Blur headlined the [[Glastonbury Festival]] on 28 June, where they played for the first time since their headline slot in 1998. Reviews of the Glastonbury performance were enthusiastic; ''The Guardian'' called them "the best Glastonbury headliners in an age".<ref>{{cite web|first=Time|last=Jonze|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2009/jun/29/blur-glastonbury-2009|title=Blur at Glastonbury 2009|work=The Guardian|date=29 June 2009|access-date=26 March 2010|archive-date=27 March 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170327081432/https://www.theguardian.com/music/2009/jun/29/blur-glastonbury-2009|url-status=live}}</ref> The band released their second greatest hits album ''[[Midlife: A Beginner's Guide to Blur]]'' on 15 June 2009.<ref>{{cite web|first=Sean|last=Michaels|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2009/may/21/blur-release-comeback-compilation|title=Blur to release comeback compilation|work=The Guardian|date=21 May 2009|access-date=14 June 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|first=Cat|last=McGovern|url=https://www.musicomh.com/albums/blur-2_0609.htm|title= Blur - Midlife: A Beginner's Guide To Blur|work=musicOMH|date=21 May 2009|access-date=14 June 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090621080531/http://www.musicomh.com/albums/blur-2_0609.htm|archive-date=21 June 2009|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Blur also headlined at other summer festivals, including [[Oxegen 2009]] in Ireland,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.clashmusic.com/live/oxegen-price-freeze|title=Oxegen Price Freeze|work=Clash Music|date=19 February 2009|access-date=14 June 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/entertainment/music/news/blur-are-back-and-theyrsquore-coming-to-oxegen-14171388.html|title=Blur are back and they're coming to Oxegen|work=[[The Belfast Telegraph]]|date=5 February 2009|access-date=5 February 2009|archive-date=14 February 2009|archive-url=https://archive.today/20090214045600/http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/entertainment/music/news/blur-are-back-and-theyrsquore-coming-to-oxegen-14171388.html|url-status=live}}</ref> and the Scottish outdoor show of [[T in the Park]].<ref name="T in the Park">{{cite web|first=Rosie|last=Swash|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2009/jul/13/blur-overcome-illness-last-gig|title=Blur overcome illness to play 'last' gig at T in the Park|work=The Guardian|date=13 July 2009|access-date=26 March 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00lv70j|title=Blur & Keane|work=BBC|access-date=14 June 2022}}</ref> Their T in the Park headline slot was put in jeopardy after Graham Coxon was admitted to hospital with food poisoning.<ref name="T in the Park"/> Ultimately, the band did play, albeit an hour and a half after they were scheduled to appear.<ref name="T in the Park"/> After the completion of the reunion dates, James said the group had not discussed further plans, and Albarn told ''Q'' soon after that Blur had no intention of recording or touring again. He said, "I just can't do it anymore", and explained that the main motivation for participating in the reunion was to repair his relationship with Coxon, which he succeeded at.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/8168723.stm|title=Albarn rules out more Blur gigs|work=BBC News|date=25 July 2009|access-date=15 September 2012|archive-date=20 December 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141220132522/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/8168723.stm|url-status=live}}</ref> Coxon also said that no further Blur activity was planned, telling NME.com in September, "We're in touch and we say 'Wotcha' and all that but nothing has been mentioned about any more shows or anything else".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nme.com/news/blur/47568|title=Graham Coxon: 'No more from Blur for now'|work=NME|date=29 September 2009|access-date=14 June 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091003030753/https://www.nme.com/news/blur/47568|archive-date=3 October 2009|url-status=dead}}</ref>

In January 2010, ''[[No Distance Left to Run (film)|No Distance Left to Run]]'', a documentary about the band, was released in cinemas and a month later on DVD.<ref>{{cite web|first=Tom|last=Breihan|url=https://pitchfork.com/news/37602-blur-documentary-coming-to-dvd|title=Blur Documentary Coming to DVD|work=Pitchfork|date=15 January 2010|access-date=14 June 2022|archive-date=27 May 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140527033218/http://pitchfork.com/news/37602-blur-documentary-coming-to-dvd/|url-status=live}}</ref> The same month, their 1994 album ''Parklife'' was one of ten classic album covers from British artists [[Great Britain commemorative stamps 2010–2019#2010|commemorated on a UK postage stamp]] issued by the [[Royal Mail]]; the collection was unveiled by [[Led Zeppelin]] guitarist [[Jimmy Page]].<ref>{{cite web|first=John|last=Hall|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/news/royal-mail-unveil-classic-album-cover-stamps-1860738.html|title=Royal Mail unveil classic album cover stamps|work=[[The Independent]]|date=7 January 2010|access-date=23 September 2022|archive-date=11 May 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200511182125/https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/news/royal-mail-unveil-classic-album-cover-stamps-1860738.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/gallery/2009/nov/21/guidelines-rock-stamp-album-covers|title=Royal Mail puts classic albums on to stamps|work=[[The Guardian]]|date=20 November 2009|access-date=23 September 2022|archive-date=23 September 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220923165945/https://www.theguardian.com/music/gallery/2009/nov/21/guidelines-rock-stamp-album-covers|url-status=live}}</ref> In April 2010, Blur released their first new recording since 2003, "[[Fool's Day]]", for the [[Record Store Day]] event, as a vinyl record limited to 1000 copies; it was later made available as a free download on their website.<ref>{{cite web|first=Josiah|last=Hughes|url=https://exclaim.ca/music/article/listen_to_blurs_record_store_day_single_fools_day_now|title=Listen to Blur's Record Store Day Single "Fool's Day" Now|work=Exclaim!|date=19 April 2010|access-date=14 June 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.twentyfourbit.com/2010/04/download-new-blur-fools-day/|title=Download New Blur – "Fool's Day"|website=twentyfourbit.com|date=17 April 2010|access-date=27 July 2017}}</ref> ''No Distance Left to Run'' was nominated as [[Grammy Award for Best Long Form Music Video|Best Long Form Music Video]] for the [[53rd Grammy Awards]], Blur's first-ever Grammy nomination.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.grammy.com/grammys/artists/blur|title=Blur|publisher=National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences|date=4 June 2019|access-date=14 June 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190430190055/https://www.grammy.com/grammys/artists/blur|archive-date=30 April 2019|url-status=dead}}</ref>

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 | footer = Blur perform at [[Provinssirock]] 2013 in Finland
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In February 2012, Blur were awarded the Outstanding Contribution to Music award at the [[2012 Brit Awards]].<ref>{{cite web|first=Alexandria|last=Topping|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2012/feb/21/brit-awards-adele-triumphant-return?INTCMP=SRCH|title=Brit awards: Adele takes away two awards on a triumphant return|work=[[The Guardian]]|date=21 February 2012|access-date=21 August 2012|archive-date=27 March 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170327081243/https://www.theguardian.com/music/2012/feb/21/brit-awards-adele-triumphant-return?INTCMP=SRCH|url-status=live}}</ref> Later that month, Albarn and Coxon premiered a new track together live, "[[Under the Westway]]".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://news.qthemusic.com/2012/02/blurs_damon_graham_reunite_liv.html|title=Blur's Damon & Graham play new song as they reunite live for War Child's 2012 Brit Award gig|work=QTheMusic|date=19 February 2012|access-date=14 June 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120705033037/http://news.qthemusic.com/2012/02/blurs_damon_graham_reunite_liv.html|archive-date=5 July 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref> In April, the band announced that a box-set entitled ''[[Blur 21]]''—containing all seven Blur studio albums, four discs of unreleased rarities and three DVDs—would be released in July.<ref>{{cite web|first=Evan|last=Minsker|url=https://www.pitchfork.com/news/46210-blur-announce-massive-retrospective-box-set/|title=Blur Announce Massive Retrospective Box Set|work=[[Pitchfork (website)|Pitchfork]]|date=18 April 2012|access-date=14 June 2022}}</ref> Blur had also entered the studio early that year to record material for a new album, but in May producer [[William Orbit]] told the ''NME'' that Albarn had halted recording.<ref name="halted_nme">{{cite web|url=https://www.nme.com/news/blur--2/63943|title=William Orbit: 'Damon Albarn has halted new Blur recording sessions|work=[[NME]]|date=23 May 2012|access-date=14 June 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120525184051/https://www.nme.com/news/blur--2/63943|archive-date=25 May 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref> Blur's official Twitter and Facebook pages announced that the band would release two singles "[[The Puritan (song)|The Puritan]]" and "Under the Westway" on 2 July.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nme.com/news/blur--2/64481|title=Blur announce the release of two brand new singles|work=[[NME]]|date=22 June 2012|access-date=14 June 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120625073338/https://www.nme.com/news/blur--2/64481|archive-date=25 June 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref> That August, Blur headlined a show at Hyde Park for the [[2012 Summer Olympics closing ceremony]].<ref name="Olympics">{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-17110538|title=London 2012: Blur to headline Olympics closing show|work=[[BBC]]|date=21 February 2012|access-date=20 October 2012|archive-date=18 June 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180618065345/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-17110538|url-status=live}}</ref> In 2013, the band performed at the [[Rock Werchter]] in Belgium, the Spanish and Portuguese dates of the [[Primavera Sound]] festival,<ref name="Primavera Sound Festivals">{{cite web|first=Laura|last=Snapes|url=https://pitchfork.com/news/48128-blur-confirmed-for-primavera-2013/|title=Blur Confirmed for Primavera Sound 2013|work=[[Pitchfork (website)|Pitchfork]]|date=8 October 2012|access-date=14 June 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121012061454/https://pitchfork.com/news/48128-blur-confirmed-for-primavera-2013/|archive-date=12 October 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref> and the [[Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival]] in the United States.<ref name="Guardian – Coachella Announcement">{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2013/jan/25/coachella-2013-blur-headline?INTCMP=SRCH|title=Coachella 2013: Blur, Phoenix and Red Hot Chili Peppers to headline|work=[[The Guardian]]|date=25 January 2013|access-date=7 February 2013}}</ref>