Blur @ Goldsmiths Student Union

Almost 10 years after they last performed as a four piece Blur announced their first two tiny reunion gigs via an unheralded email sent out to anyone subscribed to their mailing list. Inevitably they sold out in minutes, leaving many fans disappointed that getting ticket owed more to luck than dedication (personally I didn't even know I was on the Blur mailing list!)

Since then more "secret" gigs have come and gone, with Rough Trade Records, Brixton Academy and Southend squeezed in between the original nostalgic double header of The East Anglian Railway Museum where they made their debut in 1988, and this show in the Student Union of Coxon, James, and Albarn's old college, Goldsmiths.

And so at 7pm a queue snaked into Goldsmith's Tienanmen building (the Winnie Mandela block was double booked) as a couple of hundred lucky people eagerly held out their arms for the blue plastic Blur wrist bands. Inside the bar was five deep and by half past the beer taps were dry, leaving the NME's reviewer to report that "many were forced to drink bottled cider or spirits". Quite how 200 thirty-something Blur fans out-drunk the student unions regular clientele remains unanswered?

According to the press a smattering of celebs were also in attendance including Jude Law, David Walliams melting in a suit, and Emma Watson moshing. More impressively, the not remotely famous but very talented Pictish Trail was not only in the crowd, but after the gig caught two trains and two buses to take him back to Anstruther, Scotland by daybreak. Now thats dedication! Check out his myspace here.

Even as someone who only "quite likes" Blur, the buzz of anticipation as 8pm approached was electrifying. If asked I'd have denied taking Oasis's side in the great BritPop war of 95, I'd have glossed over posting a track on this blog called "Damon Albarn is a pompous c**t" and I certainly wouldnt have mentioned that it was impossible for this gig to better the night at the Elephant & Castle Coronet when Oasis came on to the strains of "Youll Never Walk Alone" directly after Liverpool won their 5th European Cup. My attitude to Blur has always been coloured by my terrible class chip, so while I made and enjoyed a Blur compilation, its title was "Mockney - The best of Blur".

What I could never deny though was just how bloody talented Albarn is, not to mention having seen him with The Good, The Bad & The Queen what a great frontman he is. Not to mention his jaw droppingly good record label and shop! I still agree with that song title though.

Alex James has talked about how reforming felt "a bit like putting the Blues Brothers back together. We had to break Rowntree out of law school and I'm smelling cheese somewhere in Oxfordshire". As they arrive to predictable hysteria its clear the years have been kind both musically and physically. Albarn bounces on his toes like a boxer ready for the fight, his face pretty much as it always was, Coxon seemingly improved by age, and James who's clearly cut back on the cheese for the reunion spent much of the night coolly posing on top of his monitor.

"I remember this place being kind of cavernous, and running around like an excited kid when there was music on. It seems a lot smaller now." (Youtube)

So said Damon after starting with a storming version of "She's So High", the first track from their first album. Gazing out in disbelief at the room described by The FT as "a dark, foetid place that resembled the hold of a particularly dismal passenger ship" he looked genuinely shocked to be there. Barely a second passed however between finishing his sentence and the band setting off the first pogoing session of the night with "Girls & Boys" unmistakable opening refrain.

SETLIST (with links to Youtube footage where available) 'She's So High' 'Girls And Boys' (Snippet) 'Tracy Jacks' (Youtube) 'There's No Other Way' (Youtube) 'Jubilee' 'Bad Head' 'Beetlebum' (Youtube / YouTube2 / Youtube start) 'Out Of Time' 'Trimm Trabb' 'Coffee And TV' (Youtube / Brief clip good quality 'Tender' - (YouTube / YouTube2 / YT3 Brief clip but great quality) 'Co