The lamented departure of Graham Coxon, considered by some the true creative force behind Brit-pop kings Blur, seemingly had no effect on the rest of the band.

A messy split from Coxon has made 2003 a difficult year for Damon Albarn, Alex James and Dave Rowntree but they put their troubles behind them for the penultimate gig of their current tour.

Even unfounded rumours of an appearance by Phil Daniels, the voice on Blur's most famous hit, Park Life, didn't diminish the good feeling.

Mixing classic hits, including Girls And Boys, The Universal and Beetlebum, with more experimental tunes such as Music Is My Radar and a good selection of tracks from the new album Think Tank, Blur demonstrated the imaginative musical tangents that has kept them exciting and fresh after all these years.

Older and wiser but still possessing a mischievous glint in their eyes and despite a few rough months, the future continues to look bright for Blur.