Blur's 'To The End' documentary shows an iconic band at their tenderest

First day of filming, the tone for Blur's new documentary At the end it was set. Gathering the band in the Devon, England, recording studio, frontman and lyricist Damon Albarn was in a flood of tears as an early version of their ninth studio album. The Ballad of Darren, is played through the speakers. It was the first time he and the band had heard the songs recorded with vocals, and it made for a brutal, shocking scene.

Talking to you Advertising sign, guitarist Graham Coxon reflects on the moment. “It's great to sit down and write lyrics, but when they've been recorded and listened to again [that can be] extremely powerful,” he says. “The song is suddenly there in a sometimes overwhelming way.”

At the end, which hits cinemas in the UK and Ireland on July 19, captures the band in a thoughtful, tender mood and follows the recording journey and the first leg of the Britpop icons' two triumphant shows at London's Wembley Stadium in July 2023. Directed by Toby L (whose previous collaborators include Olivia Rodrigo and Liam Gallagher), At the end is a depiction of the loss and maturation of the friendship between Albarn, Coxon, Alex James (bass) and Dave Rowntree (drums). The hustle and bustle of the oversized, colorful '90s persona – a gilded cage, they note in the film – is gone, focusing instead on quiet reflection and contemplation.

“There are a lot of artists who might not want that vulnerability captured,” says director Toby L. Advertising sign in a separate conversation. “I think the current state of music documentaries is a bit cynical – I don't necessarily believe in them that much. But the band agreed that we wanted to show the uncertain truth, and we unequivocally agreed that this shouldn't be a bloated film.”

After announcing two 75,000-capacity concerts at Wembley Stadium, Albarn sent Coxon some demos he had been working on and brought the band into the studio in early 2023. The Ballad of Darren informed by the breakdown of Albarn's relationship with Suzi Winstanley, his partner of 25 years. The opening lyrics of the title track get to the heart of the matter: “I just looked at my life/And all I saw was you ain't coming back.”

However, the recording provided a reunion. The sessions were the first time all four members had been in the studio to work on Blur music since 1999 13. Their 2003 album Think tank recorded after Coxon left the group. of 2015 The Magic Whip combined by Coxon and Albarn from previous demos. Produced by James Ford [Arctic Monkeys, Depeche Mode, Haim]”The Ballad Of Darren” reached No.1 on the UK Albums Chart and earned the band their first top 10 appearance Advertising signThe Chart of Top Selling Albums. They also reached No. 2 Advertising signAdult Alternative Airplay chart with lead single “The Narcissist”.

Coxon – who has known Albarn since they were schoolmates in Colchester, Essex – says the band “very easily fell into their old roles” when they entered the studio. But where 2010 documentary There is no distance left to run picked up old wounds during the group's demise, At the end he is happy to leave the marks as they are. To reconnect, Albarn and James go for a swim on the frozen English coast, and during one-on-one interviews the team acknowledges their deep love for each other, even if it doesn't always seem obvious. In one scene, Albarn notes that in the past they wanted to solve any problems “there and then”, but with time they are “happy to let it dissipate” and avoid unnecessary confrontation.

“We just care a little less what the other person might think of us,” Coxon says today. “We have a very old-fashioned relationship that way – sometimes it's easier not to talk about emotional things, but we know that being in each other's presence is a support.”

There is a joyous camaraderie on the road to Wembley Stadium, shown through stirring footage of regional warm-ups in the UK and continental Europe. The danger only came when Rowntree injured his knee in the week before the Wembley shows. Spoiler: he made it.

The two concerts are spectacularly recorded and will be released as a live album, Live at Wembley Stadium, on July 26, alongside a standalone concert film later this year. “They were both so good,” Coxon recalls. “It was shocking. It was a very out-of-body experience.” Any thoughts after watching them? “I wish I looked cooler. I looked a bit sore and tired,” he laughs.

Despite the focus on the malaise of middle age, some of the most heartening shots are of the young, diverse crowds that flock to the front row of these shows. Toby L says that although the optimism of Britpop and the 90s is long gone, British teenagers are still looking for their music. “The themes that Damon sang about back then – particularly that disillusionment with British culture and also the satire of the human condition – are still relevant,” he says.

This affinity does not necessarily always travel. Albarn drew attention to this during Blur's set in front of an unsuspecting Coachella audience in April: “You'll never see us again so you can sing it.” Coxon plays it down though admits the California festival can be a “weird, hot show” and that it “felt a bit like 'who are these old people?' Last year the crowd was fantastic all the way through. So I don't mind a few tender faces in the audience now and then.”

Blur's future, as it has been for much of the 21st century, is open. “We always like to leave enough time to live life, so if there's anything else to do with Blur, we can bring new experiences to it. But it's big: it's a huge machine and it's stressful, so I'm fine with a few years off.” As At the end turns out, they will be there for each other, so much so.