Graham Coxon was walking round the Rescue Rooms for 2 hours before his show, even having a drink outside with his band. I was all set to go and chat to him but I am sorry to say I was totally starstruck. I was a massive Blur fan from the age of 14, they were kind of my Take That. Instead of putting up posters of Damon it was Coxon I idolised. I smiled at him though. He smiled back.
Graham has always been shy and quiet, never your typical front man material. I saw him in 2000 at the Rig and he seemed lost on the stage. Five albums down the road and he has started pumping out catchy numbers, scissor jumping around the stage and executing random summersaults.
The new Graham jokes with the crowd, it seems he doesn't like Derby much. He appears more at ease with his band, more united. Confidence has brought a more mature sound for Graham. His previous albums have had fantastic tunes but with a lost little boy's voice struggling over them. If you listen to his new album his voice is stronger, he reaches all the notes. He has found his sound.
When he plays live his tracks sound quite different, they get a richer quality and come to life, the microphone is down low and his guitars dominate. This man is a star; he has a freshly tuned guitar for every track. That's not to say he doesn't need one the way he pulls them about.
With a reputation for being one of the most talented guitarists around he has managed to keep his playing firmly in the foreground of his solo material. The way he moves his hands across the strings, tugs at them and snaps the neck up it is as if he is crafting something truly wonderful, not just playing it. It is really inspiring to watch.
The set was just over an hour long and mainly featured tracks from his new album, Happiness in Magazines. Not surprising as it has enjoyed so much more airtime than his previous ones. That's not to say he didn't throw in a few classics from his previous albums, I Wish was brilliant. I went to bed that night feeling thoroughly uplifted if not wishing I had had the guts to talk to him.
www.grahamcoxon.co.uk
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