There’s such a wonderful buzz in the air tonight and the trams are packed. Everyone is heading to the same place, ready to see one of their favourite bands, who haven’t played in Australia in almost two decades.

Blur frontman Damon Albarn’s cheekiness is revealed as soon as he takes the stage. He grabs bottles of water and shakes and sprays them all over the crowd.

For the next two hours, the diverse crowd, full of diehard fans of all shapes, sizes, and ages, is taken on a rollercoaster ride from the band’s earliest songs, right through to new album The Magic Whip.

And the crowd has to learn to be patient, because Albarn is intent on showcasing a lot of their new album early on in the night. While the album has received its share of mixed reviews, tonight’s performance proves Blur are capable of dipping into multiple genres and aren’t afraid of losing fans because of it.

When they launch into their obscure, dancey numbers, the huge disco balls suspended from the ceiling flick light across the crowd and the mosh pit turns into a giant dance floor. Albarn lies down on the stage as if in a dreamland before wandering into the crowd.

Then a whole slew of classics. People are dancing, shouting, falling over, and screaming. During ‘Parklife’, Albarn argues with the security guards to get some punters up on stage, and they look as though they’re having the time of their lives.

‘Song 2’ predictably turns the whole arena into a jumping, shouting mosh pit, while ‘Girls and Boys’ evokes sentimentality and sweaty hugs.

Throughout the show, Albarn is highly complimentary of Melbourne, and the crowd laps up every word. “Melbourne’s always alright,” he says. “It’s slightly more tuned in. Not saying that other places aren’t tuned in,” he chuckles. The crowd knows what he means.

He then reveals something to make the audience feel even more special, that part of The Magic Whip was “conceived” right here in Melbourne.

Albarn is a laidback, enthusiastic performer who looks like he’s having a great time. Even performing songs Blur must have powered through a thousand times, Albarn makes it look fun and carefree.

Finishing with ‘The Universal’, he shouts “Melbourne you’re beautiful.” The crowd must have been thinking, “Blur, you’re beautiful,” and they are cemented in Melbourne’s mind as one of the greatest bands on Earth. Hopefully they don’t make us wait another 17 years until their next visit.

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