Graham Coxon at the Dublin Castle on Tuesday (Picture courtesy of Summer, Neverland Photography)

Published: 27 September, 2012
by RUSSELL HANDY

THERE'S always someone popping up unannounced in Camden. Finding out about it is another matter. Prior to this impromptu Graham Coxon gig at Camden Town’s Dublin Castle, the only clues were to be found on social network sites Twitter and Facebook.

After being out on the road this summer playing festivals and arenas, the 43-year-old guitarist returned to his spiritual home of Camden and to the cramped stage of the Dublin’s back room, just a few minutes from former Blur hangout The Good Mixer.

Dressed in a trademark Fred Perry top, Coxon thrashed his black Fender through a set dominated by his latest album, A+E. The punchy Running For Your Life sees Coxon play around with regionalism: “We don't like your accent or your Northampton shoes, get back down the M1.”

Times have changed somewhat since Blur rode the heady 1990s Britpop wave to fame; the days of musical tribalism and supporting a band like a football team are surely over as today’s music fans graze from mp3 players and rarely join “movements”.

Coxon’s band is proof that in 2012 genres now comfortably co-exist; bassist Toby MacFarlaine is certainly at the heavy metal end of the music wardrobe.

Also from A+E, The Truth is dark and moody and, while most of the night’s set is grungy, What’ll It Take – a direct call to the audience to dance – stands out for its electro beat.

Coxon ended his set singing “bye bye”, the lyrics of Sorrow’s Army, from 2009 album Spinning Top.

With eight solo albums now under his belt (more than Blur recorded), you get the feeling the constantly evolving Coxon will be around for some time yet.