​Damon Albarn says Blur’s Coachella show could be their “last ever gig”

Damon Albarn has said that Blur’s latest Coachella show could be their “last ever gig”.

The band played their largest US shows in almost a decade over the past two weekends at Coachella, performing ahead of Tyler, The Creator’s headline set on April 13 and again on April 20.

“In the spirit of clarity and truth, this is probably our last gig,” the Blur frontman told fans on stage before performing their final track, ‘Tender’.

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During Coachella weekend one, Blur were met with lacklustre crowds who remained silent through some of their biggest hits, including ‘90s chart-toppers ‘Girls & Boys’ and ‘Popscene’.

Albarn vowed that the group would never return to the festival again, frustratedly saying over the mic: “You’re never seeing us again, so you might as well fucking sing it!”

Fans online dubbed the crowd reactions “embarrassing” following the band's performance. There was no confirmation on whether the group would perform again on weekend two.

Despite this, Blur made their return to the festival on Saturday, April 20, confirming that their decision to go on hiatus is “no reflection on Coachella”. Albarn explained: “I love Coachella, it’s beautiful”.

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The Desert Sun reported that Albarn praised crowds during the second weekend of Coachella. “That’s really good, well done, you,” he said on stage.

He then told crowds, who appeared more present during Blur’s second performance: “This is the truth of Coachella, isn’t it? The second week is music fans, people who appreciate music,” (via Desert Sun).

Last year, Albarn announced that Blur would go on a hiatus following their brief reunion - during which they released their ninth studio album, ‘The Ballad of Darren’ - telling French magazine Les Inrockuptibles: “It’s time to wrap up this campaign. It’s too much for me.”

Gemma Ross is Mixmag's Assistant Editor, follow her on Twitter