Blur will play Civic gig in comeback

Blur will hold a reunion concert in Wolverhampton, after praising fans from the Black Country who supported them before they became famous.

The band will take to the stage at the city's Civic Hall after announcing a long-awaited reunion.

Blur, famous for a string of chart hits including Country House, Parklife and Girls And Boys, are planning a warm-up show at the venue ahead of a showpiece concert in London's Hyde Park next summer.

Lead singer Damon Albarn, speaking last night, said: "We will definitely be playing Wolves, that's for certain.

"We've got lots of people who've been very close to us for a very long time who emanate from the area."

Delighted Civic Hall spokesman Jonn Penney said the venue couldn't wait for the band to return.

"Blur have always had an affinity with Wolverhampton and the Black Country," he said.

"A lot of their crew were from the region and a lot of their first ever gigs were around here.

"Whenever they play in Wolverhampton they treat it like a second home."

Blur hit the height of their fame as the poster boys for Brit Pop in the mid 1990s and released seven albums, the last being Think Tank, in 2003.