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Coxon: "Damon needs to rest and evaluate"
The Quietus , September 22nd, 2008 16:06

Graham Coxon writes lengthy and revealing response to Damon Albarn's "Blur are over" comments

Blur in happier times

Graham Coxon has written at length about Damon Albarn's recent comments that Blur are "over", NME reports.

In an interview with an Argentinian newspaper, Albarn appeared to finally lay to rest the idea that the four members of Blur might one day reunite. This seems to have upset the former Blur guitarist somewhat, for he went onto the official Blur messageboard to post a long and at times revealing message about Albarn's comments, saying that they were "nonsense" and that the future of the band wasn't for the singer to decide.

Speaking about the period a year or so back when the music world was getting dizzy with will-they-or-won't-they Blur reformation rumours, Coxon wrote, "It's VERY complicated. I know it seems simple to solve all this...a phone call, an arrangement to meet up, a chat, hugs tears and a date pencilled in at the studio. I foolishly thought it could be that simple too, but I was wrong. Of course I was wrong and so was Alex."

Coxon goes on to blame the band's fraught history and difficult internal relationships for what has happened, but seems to leave the greatest part of the responsibility on Albarn's doorstep. "All four of us are kinda sick you must understand," he wrote. "We had around 12 years of really freakish behaviour, serious personal relationship problems, alcohol addictions and drug problems. You don't come through that without damage, without deep scars. It's the scars that have to be healed and they can't be unless we are willing to heal them ourselves.

"I feel I have done so much work on my own problems, stupidity, malfunctions, defects...as has Alex and Dave. I cant help thinking that Damon is still within a bit of a mad world that Blur were in in 1997 or 1998. Careering headlong into chaos, never resting, never pausing for thought. Because when you pause for thought the thoughts don't always like you. The thoughts tell you stuff you don't want to know or contemplate. I think Damon needs to rest and evaluate. I love Damon. I want him safe."

Blimey. It continues: "The facts are like this really: there's no Blur at the moment. Damon probably ain't interested in a Blur that's not the full head count so I think it comes down to me trying again to contact him and talk to him. I tried before, as I said, and left messages.

"I want to do this anyway for the sake of all the years we were so close. But it takes guts. I psyched myself for days to call him last time and got the answering machine. It's a drag to get that after the psyching, the pondering over the mobile phone and the number and the pressing of the call button. I may have to psyche all over again. Be patient. No one knows the future, not even Damon."