Blur - Blur Don't Need Rehearsal

Blur Don't Need Rehearsal

Blur don't need ''much rehearsal'' ahead of their London Hyde Park show.

The 'Girls & Boys' hitmakers will perform at a special concert to mark the Olympic Closing Ceremony on August 13 and even though it is three years since they made their comeback shows, their songs are as familiar as ever.

Bassist Alex James said: ''The amazing thing is, we don't seem to need that much rehearsal. It's still totally locked in from all those years of playing together.

''When we first started out together, being in a band was all we wanted to do and it was always approached with a great sense of joy and fun. It's great to leave it then be able to come back to it with that spirit we had in the beginning. We all just get really excited.''

The group - also including Damon Albarn, Graham Coxon and Dave Rowntree - admit performing their first shows in six years in 2009 was more emotional than they expected.

Alex added in an interview with The Sun newspaper: ''The Hyde Park shows in 2009 were two of my favourite ever gigs. We get just as emotional as the fans. There was a period where we all had to go and do our own things for a while and all I really wanted to do was play the songs again.

''That was the thing I wanted most, it was cathartic and healing.''