Retaining the old form, Blur, consists of (from left to right) Graham Coxon, Dave Rowntree, Damon Albarn and Alex James. (Blur.co.uk)

Britpop heroes Blur will perform in Jakarta next Wednesday, nearly four years after they finally reunited back in 2009. Be prepared, this will probably be one of the most memorable concerts this year.

In the 1990s, Blur played an important role in the British music scene. Their rivalry with Oasis was one of the cultural magnets of the era. They represented the inter-class clashes in the musical sphere between Londoners and Mancunians, referring to the cities they hailed from: London and Manchester.

Blur made remarkable albums'Parklife, Modern Life is Rubbish, The Great Escape and Blur'during the decade. They topped the charts all across the globe and influenced many people.

Their long journey were also filled with tough times. Guitarist Graham Coxon left the band in 2001, leading the band into a hiatus. The band finally called it quits in 2003 after releasing an album, Think Tank, as a trio and a couple of years touring together.

Apart from Coxon, since its initiation in 1988, Blur has had Alex James on bass, Dave Rowntree on drums and Damon Albarn on vocals. There has been no line-up change in the band's history; the duration of years they've spent together is quite remarkable as not many bands in the world can survive the tensions with the same personnel.

In 2009, Blur finally staged its comeback to the music scene by playing two sold-out nights at London's Hyde Park, followed by a brief tour across the UK. And now, Blur is back on the road again. In a recent concert in Hong Kong, Albarn announced plans to work on a new album.

Indonesia gets its turn next Wednesday, May 15, as Blur is scheduled to play at the Big Sound Festival at Lapangan D Senayan, Jakarta. They will share the stage with the likes of Van She, Tegan and Sara, The Temper Trap and several other local bands.

Cherry Ibrahim from the festival's promoter, Dyandra Entertainment, said it expects 10,000 people to come to the show.

'We invited Blur to play at this festival because Indonesians have been waiting for them for so long. Apparently, they're on tour and playing at many festivals all around the world. We're lucky to have them in the Big Sound Festival,' Cherry told The Jakarta Post.

For fans the news is good. Despite many not managing to secure the bargain price of tickets offered in the presale, enthusiasm remains high.

'After hearing the news, I instantly blocked my schedule. No gig on that day, just like what I did when The Stone Roses played Jakarta,' said Daniel Mardhany, vocalist of metal band Dead Squad who is also a big fan of Blur.

Daniel grew up listening to lots of Britpop era bands before landing up on the metal shores. That's why he was in the line when the news broke that Blur would perform in Jakarta.

'I've listened to their music since I was in fourth or fifth grade. For me Blur's music is epic, their work is great and the band is experiment's best friends. They never had a dull moment in their career by keeping themselves busy with new things all the time. Not like Oasis who, for me, got quite stuck in their musical direction,' explains Daniel.

Another concertgoer, Dimas Ario, has also slotted in time to attend the festival and see Blur live for the first time in his life.

'Blur is one of the bands I listened to extensively back in my teenage years. For me, I need to be there because they're not the type of band that will come here too often,' Dimas said.

Both Daniel and Dimas are examples of Jakarta fans' enthusiasm for concerts. After the recent cancellation of Aerosmith show, citing security reasons, doubts had lingered over whether Blur would do the same.

Cherry said that Dyandra Entertainment directly put themselves in contact with all artists involved in the Big Sound Festival after the cancelation.

'There's been a small impact from Aerosmith's cancellation but we have talked with each artist's management representing the bands who will play at Big Sound Festival. They're all committed to coming here and playing for their fans in Indonesia,' she said.

That confirmation also ensures that the Big Sound Festival will happen as promised. Blur will come to Jakarta and play their hits live in town. Expect a great night of memories from the band's glory days.

'Please come early, there will be few local band performances before the big bands play,' said Cherry.

Big Sound Festival
Lapangan D Senayan
Wednesday, May 15
Ticket info: dyandraentertainment.com

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