Tuesday, June 23, 2009 6:23am ET by  
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Blur return to play the college where they first met

Blur played a gig in front of a few hundred fans at the London Goldsmith's College earlier tonight (June 22) – the university where guitarist Graham Coxon and bassist Alex James attended and first met.

The show followed intimate comeback gigs for the reunited band at London’s Rough Trade East store and the East Anglia Railway Museum as the four-piece prepare to headline the Glastonbury Festival on Sunday (June 28).

The band opened their set with their debut single 'She's So High', with frontman Damon Albarn reminiscing about the venue shortly afterwards.

"I remember this place being cavernous," he recalled, "running around when there were bands on. It seems a lot smaller now."

The band played hits including Albarn-fronted 'Parklife', 'Girls And Boys' and 'Popscene' in front of the sweltering crowd – many of who were forced to drink bottled cider or spirits as the beer taps quickly ran dry, such was the demand for booze.

Later in the set Albarn told the crowd how amazed he was that the band were playing again in such intimate venues. "I didn't think we'd do this kind of gig again," he said. "I'm pleased we have, thanks for coming."

After a rapturously-received 'Country House', the singer explained how the show took him back to the younger days of the band. "It's truly what it used to be like," he gushed. He then referenced the dry ice effects, adding: "Except we never used to be able to afford that excessive smoke."

Following 'This Is A Low' Blur returned to the stage for a five-song encore, climaxing with 1995 single 'The Universal'.

Blur played:

'She's So High' 
'Girls And Boys' 
'Tracy Jacks'
'There's No Other Way'
'Jubilee'
'Badhead'
'Beetlebum'
'Out Of Time'
'Trimm Trabb'
'Coffee And TV'
'Tender'
'Country House'
'Oily Water'
'Chemical World'
'Sunday Sunday'
'Parklife'
'End Of A Century'
'To The End'
'This Is A Low'
'Popscene'
'Advert'
'Song 2'
'For Tomorrow'
'The Universal'

BLUR are also set to play sold-out shows at London's Hyde Park (July 2, 3), while some limited tickets are still available for the band's gig at the Manchester MEN Arena this Friday (June 26).