Blur announce a 400-capacity hometown show in Colchester

This special show marks the start of a short run of warm-up performances which will see the band visit Eastbourne Winter Gardens, The Halls, Wolverhampton and O2 City Hall, Newcastle ahead of two massive shows at London’s Wembley Stadium on 8 and 9 July – their first performance together in seven years.

Colchester is the hometown of band members Damon Albarn, guitarist Graham Coxon and drummer Dave Rowntree, with Albarn and Coxon first meeting as teenagers at Stanway School.

Emma Wallis – marketing manager of the 400-capacity venue – said that the event had taken months to organise, and they're excited to have pulled it together after decades of the band playing together.

"Graham and Dave both played here but in other bands - so it's very exciting," she said. "It is surprising [they haven't performed at Colchester Arts Centre], but they formed when they were at Goldsmiths. Damon's father was on our board many years ago - so there are lots of connections. It's great that they are coming back to play Colchester and we're really pleased it is with us."

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Blur (@blurofficial)

The quartet has a history of playing smaller and unexpected venues. In 2009, they performed a comeback charity gig to 150 people at the East Anglian Railway Museum, near Colchester – which was where they played their first ever show in 1988.

Whilst at the height of their Britpop battle with Oasis in 1995 - and the year of the release of their album The Great Escape - Blur set off on their Seaside Tour where they visited venues far removed from the gig circuit, including Oscars in Clacton, and the Ocean Rooms in Gorleston, Norfolk.

Albarn released a new Gorillaz album titled Cracker Island in February, while Rowntree showcased his debut solo album titled Radio Songs in January. Coxon has also busy with The WAEVE, a collaborative project with Rose Elinor Dougall, and their self-titled debut album arrived in February.