Graham Coxon

GRAHAM BACK IN A BLUR!

Oct 20 2004

Britpop boys are friends reunited

HE QUIT Blur after a massive bust-up with frontman Damon Albarn, but after two years as a solo artist Graham Coxon is set to make a sensational return to the band.

The 35-year-old guitarist agreed to return after an emotional meeting with the other band members, including Damon, last week.

He left the band in 2002, blaming it on a crisis of confidence sparked by being in his 30s.

A record industry insider tells us: "The meeting went well - probably better than any of them expected.

"It's very positive for everyone and Graham will still be able to do his solo work as well as working with the band again."

The talks were arranged after Coxon met former Blur producer Stephen Street while preparing his next solo album.

Speaking of his reunion with Street, Coxon said: "I've just had a little meeting with my people and Mr Street.

"I reckon Stephen will be doing the next one. I enjoyed it last time we recorded - it was really smooth." Coxon won acclaim for his recent album Happiness In Magazines and played Radio 1 concerts at Reading and Leeds. Next month he is due to tour Spain and play another concert at the Forum in London.

Blur became one of the biggest bands of the 90s and Coxon's departure came as a surprise.

We were the first to reveal that he had quit the Britpop band after an almighty row with Damon in which the singer said Blur needed him more than he needed the band. Coxon was also said to be slightly envious of Damon's success with virtual reality band Gorillaz.

In a jealous rant he said: "It's obviously going to be more popular than the Blur stuff because it's of a sub-standard nature.

"The music is pretty good, but the more popular a thing is in this country, the more rubbish it is."

Coxon also rubbed Fatboy Slim up the wrong way when the DJ was brought in to work on some of their tracks. Fatboy, who is married to Zoe Ball, moaned: "When I went into the studio and he wasn't there I was relieved.

"He was like: 'What are you going to do - turn us into an awful pop-dance band?'"

Recently, recalling his decision to quit Coxon, said: "I've always been a little bit... expressive. I would have tantrums.

"I thought that expressing anything negative wasn't allowed."

Now play nicely together lads.