Coxon, in particular, began to resent his band mates and, in a rejection of the group's Britpop aesthetic, made a point of listening to noisy American alternative rock bands such as Pavement.

Childhood friends Damon Albarn and Graham Coxon met Alex James when they began studying at London's Goldsmiths College in 1988.

Not long after the sessions began, Coxon left the group.

Albarn along with Graham Coxon met Alex James when they began studying at London's Goldsmiths College in 1988.

Not long after the sessions began, Coxon left the group.

After a 2003 tour without Coxon, Blur did no studio work or touring as a band, as members engaged in other projects.

Coxon later pointed to Parklife as the moment when " went from being regarded as an alternative, left field arty band to this amazing new pop sensation ".

Coxon, recognising his own personal need to — as Rowntree put it —" work this band ", wrote a letter to Albarn, describing his desire for their music " to scare people again ".

Graham Coxon recorded a string of solo albums, while Damon Albarn dedicated his time to Gorillaz, the animated band he had created with Jamie Hewlett.

Coxon stated that " there were no rows " and " band just recognised the feeling that we needed some time apart ".

In 2005, XFM news reported that the band would be recording an EP, and denied the idea of hiring a new guitarist to replace Coxon.

After Coxon significantly thawed in regards to the subject of rejoining the band, in 2007 band members announced that Blur would reunite and that they intended to record together first in August, with the date later being pushed back to September, then October.

After studying Drama and playing in short lived synth pop outfit, Two's a Crowd, Albarn formed a band with Coxon which, after various incarnations, evolved into Blur with additional members, Alex James and Dave Rowntree.

Coxon later pointed to Parklife as the moment when " went from being regarded as an alternative, left field arty band to this amazing new pop sensation ".

Coxon stated that " there were no rows " and " band just recognised the feeling that we needed some time apart ".

In 2005, XFM news reported that the band would be recording an EP, and denied the idea of hiring a new guitarist to replace Coxon.

After Coxon significantly thawed in regards to the subject of rejoining the band, in 2007 band members announced that Blur would reunite and that they intended to record together first in August, with the date later being pushed back to September, then October.

Coxon took this as a sign and left the band.

Damon Albarn frequently stated that the door was always open for Coxon to rejoin the band.

However, at the time Coxon seemed adamant and refused to rejoin the band.

After Damon Albarn's revealing that he and Coxon have rebuilt their relationship, on 9 December 2008, Blur announced that the whole band would reunite for a show at Hyde Park on 3 July 2009.

The song was a re-working of the Sham 69 hit " Hurry Up Harry ", and was released as " Sham 69 and The Special Assembly " ( as well as Coxon and Sham 69, Virgin Radio DJ Christian O ' Connell, who had run a competition on his show to find a band to record a song in support of the team, was involved in the recording of the song ).

The period also yielded Benatar's first and only single until her eventual 1979 debut on Chrysalis Records: " Day Gig " ( 1974 ), Trace Records, written and produced by Coxon's Army band leader Phil Coxon and locally released in Richmond.

This tour saw another substitution – drummer Stephen Gilchrist ( Graham Coxon, The Scaramanga Six, Stuffy / The Fuses ) stood in for Bob Leith, who had previous tour commitments with art-punk band Blurt.

Wales was formerly a composer of contemporary classical music and leader of the band Crazy About Love, while Coxon was a successful remixer and producer ( most notably for Betty Boo ) prior to their joining forces.

He was initially replaced by Kevin Cowen from fellow Rugby band The Darkside, Cowen only completed one gig ( Glastonbury 1994 ) before himself leaving to be replaced first by John Coxon ( Spring Heel Jack, Betty Boo ) and then later on by Julian Cope's former guitarist Michael Mooney ( Coxon returned to replace Mooney following his eventual departure ).

Unlike his band mates Albarn and Coxon, James has not released any solo material, although he has been involved in other collaborative side projects.

Blur guitarist Graham Coxon owns hundreds of pairs of shoes, many of them quite expensive ; He has said that his love of footwear dates back to his childhood.

Introductions with Coxon ’ s old school friend Damon Albarn and Dave Rowntree soon took place ; at the time Albarn and Rowntree were part of a band called Circus.

At one point, Albarn is impressed to see a man ( Graham Coxon ) carrying a placard reading " Modern Life Is Rubbish ", the title of Blur's previous album ; on the reverse is written " End of a Century ", the title of their subsequent single from Parklife.

* Newcastle upon Tyne, Binns ( formerly James Coxon ; closed 1994 )

Formed in London in 1988 as Seymour, the group consists of singer / keyboardist Damon Albarn, guitarist / singer Graham Coxon, bassist Alex James and drummer Dave Rowntree.

In February 1996, when Coxon and James were absent for a lip-synced Blur performance broadcast on Italian television, they were replaced by a cardboard cutout and a roadie, respectively.

Graham Coxon studied Fine Arts at Goldsmiths College, London, for two years, where early on he met bassist Alex James.

* Former Goldsmiths students include Graham Sutherland, John Cale, Mary Quant, Malcolm McLaren, Damien Hirst, Sam Taylor-Wood, Lucian Freud, Antony Gormley, Julian Opie, Hisham Matar, Linton Kwesi Johnson, Neil Innes, Brian Molko, Alex James, and Graham Coxon.

In 1988 James met future bandmate Graham Coxon at Goldsmiths College, where James studied French.

In 1989 James joined Coxon, Albarn and Rowntree's new band, Seymour, which would later be renamed Blur.

A screenshot from the video for Blur's " Bang " showing the band ( Left to right: James, Rowntree, Albarn, Coxon ).

Stars featured have included: Dizzee Rascal, Al Murray, Plan B, Alex James, Graham Coxon and Damon Albarn, former Madness singer / drummer / manager John Hasler, all 6 members of the reformed Specials, ex-Bodysnatcher and Madness collaborator Rhoda Dakar, Martin Freeman, Eamonn Holmes, Jeremy Clarkson, Lulu, and Peter Andre, as well as an Elvis Presley lookalike security guard from Australia.

Le Frange ) on drums, Johny Lamb ( Thirty Pounds Of Bone, King James, Lynched Recordings ) on bass and long-term collaborator Jenny Macro ( Graham Coxon, Robyn Hitchcock, Charlotte Hatherley, Stuffy / The Fuses, Something Beginning With L ) on guitars.

All songs credited to Damon Albarn, Graham Coxon, Alex James and Dave Rowntree