Nineties rockers Blur have announced a special show in Newcastle in the run-up to their much-hyped London reunion concert.
The award-winning Britpop favourites generated huge excitement in November when news first emerged that all four members - Damon Albarn, Graham Coxon, Alex James and Dave Rowntree - will be performing together at a double-date at Wembley Stadium in July, for the first time since 2015, with a showcase of their greatest hits. And now North East fans are in for a treat too following the revelation that the band will be back in action earlier than that, in a series of warm-up shows which will being them to Newcastle ahead of Wembley.
Blur, who followed up their 1991 debut album Leisure with five successive number one albums, have announced they will be playing four new dates this May, including one at Newcastle's 02 City Hall - and the venue says it will have priority tickets available 48 hours early - from 10am on Wednesday, April 26.
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Otherwise, tickets are set to go on general sale at 10am this Friday, April 28 and those interested are invited to sign up on the band's website for upcoming information. The warm-up shows will be in Colchester Arts Centre on May 19, Eastbourne Winter Gardens on May 21 and then The Halls, Wolverhampton, on May 26 before Newcastle hosts the last one on May 28.
Then the eagerly-awaited Wembley shows, which will see Blur joined by 'Modfather' Paul Weller and which no doubt will include hits such a Country House and Beetlebum, are the band's first at the stadium. Their July 8 date is a sell-out while the second, July 9, still has tickets available.
This second show is where they will be joined by musician and former frontman of The Jam Paul Weller as well as other guests -the two-tone ska band The Selector and snooker champion-turned-DJ Steve Davis.
Responses on the band's Facebook page to the warm-up gig news included: "Wow I wish if I could go wow;" "One of my all time favourite bands they are,"; "I would love to go see these" and "so wanna be at these smaller shows". One added: "This would be amazing if I hadn't spent millions of £s on the 'one-off' Wembley gig". For information about signing up for priority tickets for the 02 City Hall show see here.
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