It will be a blur on the big screen when the highly-anticipated and acclaimed feature-length documentary on the iconic British band hits in Irish cinemas from July 19.
Exclusive to cinemas, the film, blur: To The End, comes ahead of the one year anniversary of their already legendary performances at Wembley Stadium in July 2023, with tickets on sale now at www.blur.co.uk.
The documentary follows the four friends – and bandmates of three decades – Damon Albarn, Graham Coxon, Alex James and Dave Rowntree as they came together in early 2023 to record new songs ahead of their sold-out gigs.
Featuring performances of their most iconic, much-loved songs, footage of the band in the studio and life on the road, blur: To The End will be followed by first look footage from blur’s very special, one-off performance of their critically acclaimed #1 album ‘The Ballad of Darren’ at London’s Eventim Apollo, Hammersmith last summer.
Speaking in the film, Alex James says, “We’ve barely communicated for the last 10 years… I mean even when we really split up, it didn’t take this long to make a record, but what’s wonderful is as soon as the four of us get in a room together, it’s just exactly the same as it was when we were all 19….”
With Graham Coxon adding, “With each other… In the nineties, it was a very intense time. On the same sort of level as a relationship, or marriages and things like that. I think it’s okay to say that time apart was taken up with other friendships and just sort of recuperating or doing other things.”
blur: To The End is directed by Toby L who said, “To The End is an intimate glimpse into relationships, motivation and mortality, the sights and sounds of longterm friendship unearthing a fresh new conquest to overcome together. On the subject of capturing a band that has been so well documented, we sat down at the start of the project and agreed that the film had to tell a new story, be shot entirely on location, and crucially, be honest. In To The End, that’s what I hope people can see, and most importantly, feel. Working with blur on this documentary, over the past year has been the honour of a lifetime. They were the first band I ever saw – when I was 10 – at Wembley Arena. To consider that a little over 25 years later, I’d be making a film with the band that changed my entire world view on art, culture and music, remains utterly surreal. I hope that through watching it people feel a little closer to this incredible group of artists and friends, and have a richer insight for a life spent being in a band.”
Dave Rowntree failed in his bid to become an MP for Labour, despite the party’s historic victory at the UK general election last week, which you can read more about here.