Along with the announcement of the anniversary vinyl, the band posted on twitter a video of the album art, new band images and details on the availability of the record. This vinyl is only sold at the band’s blur-store and is now available to order here.

The original release of The Great Escape was in 1995 and was met with critical acclaim and brought the London natives worldwide fame. The band hit the top 100 Billboard charts and reached number 5 on the UK hit charts during their brit-pop years in the early 90s.

To celebrate it’s 25th anniversary, @parlophone are releasing a limited edition split vinyl version of The Great Escape, only available from the blur store: https://t.co/nWV6oPkwu7 pic.twitter.com/DuqETfFJqL

— blur (@blurofficial) November 26, 2020

Blur had been on hiatus since the mid-2000’s and recently got together for a surprise reunion at Damon Albarn’s Africa Express Show in East London. Though it is not confirmed, some of the band members have expressed interest in playing Blur gigs in the future, including the lead-singer Damon Albarn.

Albarn is also known as one of the co-creators and lead singers of the virtual band Gorillaz, which will be on tour in 2021 for their latest album Song Machine: Season One-Strange Timez. The record was released last month and will likely post-pone any possible Blur reunions in the near future. 

 

 

 

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Blur has not played together seriously for years before their 2008 reunion, which saw a spring of summer concerts around the UK and even a headlining gig at Glastonbury festival. Their performance was noted as one of the best Glastonbury headliners in years. In 2009 the band reached their peak with a Grammy nomination for Best Long Form Music Video for the documentary No Distance Left to Run.

In 2012 they won the Brit Award for Outstanding Contribution to British Music. In April 2015, Blur released their first studio album in twelve years, The Magic Whip. This album received critical praise worldwide and it was a triumphant comeback for the group.

The band has since been on another long hiatus despite their impressive comeback. There are no upcoming tour dates or music announced as of yet and their newest celebratory 25th anniversary vinyl is available for purchase today.

On 8th and 9th May 2021, The Road to The Great Escape will kick off in various Glasgow venues with up and coming artists performing, though the line-up is yet to be announced. It will then travel to Dublin on 10th and 11th May, before heading down to Brighton on 12th-15th May for the official The Great Escape festival.

Promoter Rory Bett commented, saying, “We’re really pleased to announce we will be heading on tour to Glasgow and Dublin to launch our brand new music showcase The Road To The Great Escape in May 2021. We look forward to sharing the line up later this year – it will once again be one that should not be missed.” Furthermore, The Great Escape’s official Twitter page shared an exciting post with the news, writing, “TGE is hitting the road in 2021.”

TGE is hitting the road in 2021.

The Road To The Great Escape comes to Scotland and Ireland, with 2 day showcases across Glasgow on 8-9 May, and across Dublin on 10-11 May 2021.

Line up to be announced soon. Sign up to be the first in the know. https://t.co/QJus27ftWz pic.twitter.com/m8ZkRVaQTb

— The Great Escape (@thegreatescape) August 4, 2020

This announcement follows that of The Great Escape in July, which revealed that the festival will go ahead in 2021 with various ticket options (early bird available now) and a brand new line-up, also to be announced. Organisers took to social media to reveal the news, saying, “We cannot wait to open the TGE doors again in 2021.”

On the festival homepage, fans can look back at previous performances, with the likes of Sam Fender, Lewis Capaldi, Little Simz, Oh Wonder, and AJ Tracey gracing the stage, as well as Rag’n’Bone Man playing the Spotlight Show, which requires a separate ticket.

During this difficult and confusing time, The Great Escape have been showing their support for campaigns such as ‘Let The Music Play’ and ‘Light It In Red’, which aim to save grassroots venues, record stores, record labels, and, of course, festivals. All of these are at risk since the Covid-19 pandemic caused economic struggle in various industries, especially arts and entertainment.

The music industry is in crisis. Today we stand together to call for action to protect our venues, workforce, and the companies that make up this incredible and essential industry.

Share and retweet to help amplify this message today#LetTheMusicPlay pic.twitter.com/RDpaAqKLmq

— The Great Escape (@thegreatescape) July 2, 2020

Beginning in 2006, next year will also be the festival’s fifteenth anniversary, continuing to shine a light on new acts who will no doubt break into the mainstream soon enough. This is why The Great Escape is so passionate about saving these festivals and venues; the artists topping the charts today all began their careers there.

According to a release on The Great Escape’s website, there will be both three-day tickets from £70, and four-day delegate passes from £180. The festival will be taking place all around Brighton from 12th-15th May 2021.

Organisers took to social media to reveal the news, saying, “We cannot wait to open the TGE doors again in 2021. Tickets for our belated 15th birthday year go on sale tomorrow at 9am. Watch this space….” Having first opened its doors in 2006, this year was to be the 15th anniversary for The Great Escape, however this will now be moved to next year.

We cannot wait to open the TGE doors again in 2021. Tickets for our belated 15th birthday year go on sale tomorrow at 9am. Watch this space…. pic.twitter.com/etu5EtmrTu

— The Great Escape (@thegreatescape) July 13, 2020

On the festival homepage, fans can look back at previous performances, with the likes of Sam Fender, Lewis Capaldi, Little Simz, Oh Wonder, and AJ Tracey gracing the stage. The acts for 2021 are currently unknown, but it was confirmed by festival organisers that there will be a fresh new line-up for a new year. It is certain that there will be an incredible collection of up and coming artists and bands, as well as a few chart-toppers for the spotlight show, which requires a separate ticket.

Promoter Rory Bett commented, “Once again, we will be curating a line-up of the best in new music, and a conference schedule like no other. We look forward to welcoming back new and old fans alike to make our 2021 edition truly unforgettable!”

During this difficult and confusing time, The Great Escape have been showing their support for campaigns such as ‘Let The Music Play’ and ‘Light It In Red’, which aim to save grassroots venues, record stores, record labels, and, of course, festivals. All of these are at risk since the Covid-19 pandemic caused economic struggle in various industries, especially arts and entertainment.

The event was due to run from 13th-16th May in 2020, and the line-up was full of many talented artists including Hayley Williams, Gang Of Youths, and Aitch as the Spotlight act. This was to be the festival’s 15th year running, but was sadly cancelled due to coronavirus concerns. Event organisers posted a statement to the official website and social media, explaining the situation to ticket-holders. The post read “We are very sorry to have to say that The Great Escape 2020 will no longer be taking place this year. We’ve not taken this decision lightly.”

Important information regarding TGE20 pic.twitter.com/9UrtMp02I3

— The Great Escape (@thegreatescape) March 23, 2020

They went on to offer fans help with obtaining a refund, saying that they should receive it from the ticket retailer or record store from which they purchased tickets. Alternatively, ticket-holders can carry it over to next year, when the festival will restart on 12th-15th May 2021.

Fans were saddened by the news, but supported the decision to maintain everyone’s safety. Some asked whether artists from this year’s line-up would perform next year instead, to which The Great Escape replied “We will have a new line up for TGE 2021.”

Since the festival began in 2006, previous years have seen the likes of Foals, Sam Fender, and Lewis Capaldi. The Great Escape is an incredible platform for upcoming artists and an opportunity to connect with fans, marketing itself as “the festival for new music”.

Festival organisers had previously shared their concern regarding the virus with an official statement that read “At this time, all shows and events are going ahead as planned. Please be assured that the safety and health of all staff and visitors is our main priority and we are implementing recommendations and instructions appropriately.”

It went on to say “We are closely monitoring official guidance from the World Health Organisation, Public Health England, UK Government, local public health authorities and are working with event promoters and organisers as information evolves.”

The cancellation follows many others, including Glastonbury, Snowbombing, and Radio 1’s Big Weekend. Artists have had to call off or postpone tours, such as Stormzy, Lana Del Rey, and The Who, to name a few. In place of live gigs, some artists have been using social media to live-stream at-home concerts in the hopes of uniting people in this uncertain time. Fans can also watch a celebration of Glastonbury on BBC.