Jeff Tweedy’s declaration of peace. Then tragedy ensues

Impeccably tracklisted Blur for the connoisseur

1999 TV show offers priceless insights and powerful renditions

Basic, solo demo tracks – and no harmonies!

When these two Hyde Park shows were announced last December, we ran a piece in UNCUT celebrating the return to active service of Blur, where David Cavanagh quite reasonably asked the question: which Blur are coming back? After all, here was a band who had undergone many creative iterations during their recording lifetime; equally, so much had happened since the four of them last played together, in July 2000, it seemed appropriate to wonder what Blur would do with these shows. Could they really reconnect with the moptops who made the buoyant baggy pop of “There’s No Other Way”? Would they really revisit “Parklife”, a song intrinsically linked to an era and movement they’d subsequently gone to considerable lengths to distance themselves from? And what about the more abstract, edgier material from the later albums – what place would that have in Hyde Park?

See footage from Staples Center concert run through

The Beach Boys singer played a London members bar on Thursday

Very pleased to see the love is spreading for Sun Araw, judging by the comments here when I mentioned “Heavy Deeds” the other day. A few days on, I’m still feeling it’s one of my favourite albums of the year so far.

Read Uncut's live review of the Britpop reunion here

Bank holiday gig booked as part of 30th anniversary tour