Blur To Close London 2012 Olympics With Hyde Park Gig

Damon Albarn & Co will be joined by The Specials and New Order...

10:56, Tuesday, 21 February 2012

Blur have confirmed they will play Hyde Park on the last day of the London 2012 Olympics.

The Brit Pop heroes are set to take to the stage at the BT London Live Closing Ceremony Celebration Concert on Sunday, August 12, with support from The Specials and New Order.

Promising that the gig will be bigger and better than ever before, bassist Alex James revealed to NME magazine: "I think the reunion shows we did in 2009 are the best we've ever done, so this is exciting."

Bandmate Damon Albarn added: "Hopefully it won't take quite as long to learn all the songs again this time.

"For me personally, it's a very sober regime. I have to clean my act up completely. I can't perform with the right intensity unless I do."

Blur are set to pick up the Outstanding Contribution To Music accolade at The Brit Awards tonight (21st February), where they will also play a record 11-minute set, consisting of five songs.

Albarn and Graham Coxon also unveiled a brand new Blur track, entitled Under The Westway, on Sunday (19th February) at a War Child pre-Brits fundraiser - giving Blur fans everywhere the hope of a new LP in the near future.

Earlier this month, producer William Orbit tweeted that he had been in the studio with the band, with reports suggesting they've been working on a batch of new songs.

Tickets for the BT London Live Closing Ceremony Celebration Concert go on sale on Friday at 9am. Check out www.btlondonlive.com for more information.

WATCH BLUR'S OFFICIAL TOP 40 VIDEOS HERE!

CHECK OUT SNAPS OF BLUR HERE!

Watch MTV News on the hour every hour on MTV - Sky Channel 126 and Virgin Channel 311