Blur – Live from the Pit Review

Promotional material from the time of album releases in the mid-to-late 1990s are stocked full of brilliance. Care went into those B-Sides, additional discs and live recordings. There is still a genuine care to it now, less so than there was when everyone from Blur to Agadoo were keeping track of their movements on stage and in the studio, but few are as brilliant as Live from the Pit. An hour-long live recording around the release of their horrifyingly brilliant self-titled album. Ripped from the stage in Utrecht, Netherlands, it is hard not to love Live from the Pit for the energy it carries, the pure adrenalin of a fresh release in the hands of an audience likely hearing these songs live for the first time. This elevates bands and artists across the globe. The very cycle that destroys them is also what feeds them. 

Evidence enough to that can be found in Live from the Pit. Movin’ On and Country Ballad Sad Man slot right in. Damon Albarn sounds in fine tune as he did for much of this tour, those higher pitches reached with shocking ease and mixing well with the crunchy guitar work from Graham Coxon. The pivot between solid percussion and groove-laden bass work from Alex James comes into play later in the set with classics like Girls & Boys, but the overall build of the fourpiece is marvellous. Country Ballad Sad Man is certainly a highlight, a complete cacophony of those blisteringly good electronics and the brilliance of it paired with Coxon on guitar. A much better version than the one found on the album, though the latter is far cleaner in sound quality. Popscene too sounds punchy, bold and a far stretch better than it does on Modern Life is Rubbish.  

Such is the inevitability of toying with the structure of a song on stage for three years. Blur’s self-titled effort in these early moments is already coming apart in a punchy rock-like momentum. A tougher sound to separate themselves from the offerings of the mid-1990s, the twee and often tongue-in-cheek push for Little England. Blur’s purge of this sound and a drug-addled realism, a dark step in a new direction, is a defining moment for the band and provides some of their best material. Live from the Pit is just an example of this power. Where the best of Live from the Pit comes from is in the adaptation of Girls & Boys, a setlist staple at this point and fitting with the harsh new sound of the band. It remains a perfect song for both its studio version and live interpretations, often preceded by some grim, piercing alarm sounds.  

Those alarm bells ringing are all part of the charm and unforgettable nature of the track. From Coxon on backing vocals to an immediate and lush bassline carried by James. All of it flows well, blurring together as the rest of the gig ripped for Live from the Pit does. Even Parklife gets a look-in, again with the similar roughness attributed to the rest of their earlier hits. Live from the Pit is all about adaptation. About making the sounds of their previous image fit the new mould. Blur succeeds because their bouncy, energetic best bits fit in with the energy and anger heard in their latter successes. An outstanding performance and a neat mixture of a band both vulnerable and volatile.