The director of Blur‘s new documentary To The End has spoken to NME about the emotional process of making the film – and what the future might hold for the band.
The film, directed by Transgressive Records founder Toby L, follows the reunion of Damon Albarn, Graham Coxon, Alex James and Dave Rowntree on their return to record 2023 comeback album ‘The Ballad Of Darren’ ahead of a tour culminating in pair of shows at London’s Wembley Stadium last summer.
However, with Albarn reeling from his split from his long-term partner Suzi Winstanley after 25 years, and some struggle for other members to return to being in an arena band, the road back isn’t as smooth at first as they’d hoped.
In a five-star review of To The End, NME concluded: “They bicker, they hug, they call each other c**ts, they get the job done. While Blur’s last doc and accompanying live movie No Distance Left To Run was a portrait of a band celebrating their legacy and giving a nostalgia-hungry world exactly what they craved, this spiritual sequel shows a band simply supporting each other. Whether they return again or not remains to be seen. But even if they don’t, this was one hell of a final fling.”
Check out our full interview below, where Toby L told NME about what went into making it, the joy of seeing Blur live, Albarn originally not wanting to play two Wembley gigs, and what’s next for the band.
NME: Hello Toby. Tell us about how you came to make this film. Were you aware that Blur were coming back from the start?
Toby L: “Yes, I found out that Blur were coming back in a slightly unconventional way, in that I’ve been doing projects with Damon and Graham over the last few years via my record label, Transgressive. I was actually at Damon’s 13 Studios to talk about a completely different project, when out of the blue he said, ‘Oh, do you want to hear the new Blur demos?’ I thought he was joking but he had that slightly cheeky glint in his eye that he’s known for.
“We heard all of these early recordings that were basically the blueprint for ‘The Ballad Of Darren’. Even in its rawest form, you could just tell that the basis of the songs was just exceptional really. That was really exciting. Around that time, we were tipped off that there was going to be a Wembley show – and the time it was only intended to be one gig – and my company were asked to make this trailer for it in a short space of time.
“It was then I said to Damon, ‘If you want anyone to film and capture the concert then I would love to throw my hat in the ring’. I wrote a treatment in any event for if we could document what was to be this album-in-secret up to the Wembley show. As I got deeper, I realised it wasn’t just about a reunion – I realised it was about friendship, maturing, reconciliation and some splashes of mortality!”
It’s touching in the film to see how open Damon is about turning to music after the breakdown of his relationship. Did you have conversations about showing that side of his life so honestly?
“When I was asked to do the film, we then had to sit down with all four of the band. That was quite a high-stress meeting. I put my best foot forward in terms of what I thought the film should be and how it should be made. I said to everyone, ‘There’s no point in making a documentary that’s been made before, there are already some really good Blur documentaries with their own essence and story’. This time, we had to tell a new story about four friends undertaking their biggest challenge yet.
“To achieve that, it needed to be completely honest. The only way to achieve honesty is through access. You have to spend more time being filmed. You can’t just come in and out of the process too intermittently. You need to build up that rapport to get the incidental candid insights. I wanted the conversation to be skewed towards honest dialogue, rather than it being a controlled PR puff piece.
“Thankfully, the band were completely on board with that. There’s nothing worse than a fake documentary, and the band then started rattling off documentaries they thought sucked because they were too conceited or whatever. From then, nothing was off the table. All four of them were absolutely open at all times.”
Each band member seems to have their own arc in the film. How would you describe them?
“Damon had gone through a lot of change: both as an artist observing things on a societal level and a lot of personal things. I feel like Graham’s arc was the most hopeful, in a way – he’s gone through a lot and come out the other side to acknowledge that he’s the happiest he’s ever been in his entire life. He’s enjoying being in Blur now more than ever. He’s one of the most consistently funny in the film because of his spirit and headspace.
“Alex, for me, is a really wonderfully warm character that is now embedded with his family life and his farm, then to be brought back into rock’n’roll. He’s wrestling with that shift in roles and headspaces, and is open about that. He talks openly about how’s it hard to talk about when the party finishes after that celebration and euphoria. He openly talks about that dichotomy of being a popular musician and artist and then going back to normal day-to-day living.
“Dave was running to be a Labour MP and was talking about the state of the UK as it stands, but then he also had a major health scare with his leg injury that threw the Wembley gigs into jeopardy. All four of them have a lot going on, but what’s lovely is seeing them have these experiences individually, but then you see them unite, come together and conquer. You realise the strength in numbers that we can have as humans. This is what happens when we come together.”
Especially for Damon – he said he’d been through so much, but could only do these songs with the people that know him best?
“Yes, definitely. He says in the film that he can only do Blur when it’s wanted. Obviously it’s wanted from the audience all the time because they’re such a special band, but it goes both ways. The reason it matters each time that Blur make a record or play shows is that they all want it to but it also feels like the last time. That’s something the film flirts with: ‘is it the end?’ I kind of feel like that’s irrelevant. As long as we’ve got the moment and the music, that’s all that matters. We’re all obsessed with putting a pretty ribbon on things, but sometimes it’s a bit more complex than that.
“Whatever the band choose to do in the future, things are currently in the best place they’ve ever been for them.”
Was there ever a point where you thought they might not make it to Wembley or have it in them?
“When I was watching the film back, there are times when it feels like that. The film starts in Devon with them making the record and everything’s dreamy perfect: they’re eating together, making music, frollicking in the sea – it’s all idyllic. Then the business of being in a band kicks in quite promptly. They’re suddenly having to do promo, to rehearse, to figure out the production of the shows. That tension is real, and it’s in the film in its real state. I never thought they wouldn’t get through it, but I was definitely anxious at the energy.
“Not all of the band are still constantly touring. It’s a huge adjustment to go from a family lifestyle to suddenly being either on the bus, on stage, in rehearsal or doing an interview, each and every day. It’s a lot of hard work. As much as it’s the best job in the world, it comes at a price.”
Damon mentioned some reluctance to play two shows at Wembley rather than just the one – did you sense that at the time?
“I think there was just a sense of having already done something, so to go out and repeat it for a second time seemed strange. The irony of all ironies was that the second night ended up becoming Damon’s favourite show ever. I get it. The amount of anticipation for the first night was colossal and they put everything into it. It must have been so straining to think about doing it again, but they did. The thing I loved about capturing the whole tour, was that they basically did the same show – whether in Colchester to 400 people or at Wembley. There were a few extra lights but there was no ego ramp, no pyro, no choreographed dancers, no lasers – just Blur with amazing fucking songs.
“That’s one thing that other artists can maybe take a note of: as we enter the world of never-ending possibility for live production, just because you can do something doesn’t mean you should. Blur managed to make Wembley Stadium feel small because the songs, the charisma and the quality of the performance did all the work. It would be nice if more artists had more courage in their convictions.”
How much did you think about making something spiritually different to the last big Blur documentary, No Distance Left To Run?
“Hugely. I really spooked myself by rewatching that the week before we started shooting this film. We re-watched [1993 documentary] Starshaped too. It felt good. Even though we were familiar with them, it was necessary to ensure that our tone of voice, style of shooting and overall direction had its own point of distinction. No Distance Left To Run is a really good account of the origin story of the band up to 2009 and that first reunion. We didn’t need to do that again, and needed to go in a different emotional space. That’s why we made it more about friendship dynamics and brotherhood.
“No Distance Left To Run is so gorgeously framed and composed, and even though there’s a lot of beautiful portraiture in this film, it’s also quite rough and ready. It’s fly-on-the-wall. I wanted it to feel like the viewer was in the room at all times.
“In many ways, I wanted it to be a sibling to that film – but also to stand up autonomously.”
Is this the end for Blur, or could you see another return in the near future?
“What I love about Blur is that there have been so many times where I thought it was over. I have no idea. At the end of the film, there are allusions as to whether it could continue or not. Again, it is ambiguous. That’s what’s great about this film and the live concert movie from Wembley: regardless of what happens, these are wonderful souvenirs that will always exist.
“The band always have life and that impetus in them. I hope there’s more to come, but you’d have to ask the great men themselves.”
To The End receives its official London premiere tonight (Tuesday July 16) before being released in cinemas on Friday July 19.
This will be followed by their concert film of the Wembley gigs: Blur: Live at Wembley Stadium. A live album will be released on July 26, before the film arrives in cinemas across the UK and Ireland on September 6.
Coxon and partner Rose Elinor Dougall are currently gearing up to release their second album as THE WAEVE, with ‘City Lights’ arriving on September 20 via Transgressive Records.