Some purists claim that even the best indie-rock guitarists aren’t fit to carry the strings of a second-rate metal guitarist. Maybe so, but the same cannot be said of Graham Coxon. He is not only one of the best guitarists around, but part of the rich history which has shaped modern British music. Blur have been without doubt one of the finest British rock bands of past 20 years, perhaps only rivalled by Radiohead in terms of ingenuity and continuing relevance.
Despite Damon Albarn receiving greater recognition for his efforts as frontman and song-writer, much of Blur’s reputation has relied upon Coxon’s unique talent for crafting those unbeatable riffs and melodies.Ask anybody to hum a song by Blur, and I guarantee that they’ll either snarl the punchy guitar jabs which open ‘Parklife’ or launch into the all dominant swirling riff of ‘Song 2′. Graham even takes the reigns as frontman on the downright captivating ‘Coffee & TV’, a sure contender for Blur’s finest song although there are too many to choose from!
Graham’s solo work extends right back to 1998 but it was in 2002, as he cut his ties to the boys in Blur, that he stopped being just a great guitarist in a phenomenal band and showed he’s also a great song-writer to boot. At first releasing material on his own record label, Transcopic, Coxon flourished into fine folk singer. Plugging out his famous Tele and picking up the acoustic, Graham moved away from the uber catchy pop of Blur and instead opted to let influences from Bob Dylan and Nick Drake take hold of his creative thought. His penchant for beautifully finger picked melodies allowed his fine fretwork to shine through in wholly a different way from before, and it comes as no surprise that albums such as The Kiss Of Morning and 2009′s The Spinning Top were lauded by the music press on release. In a sign of Mr Coxon’s diverse abilities, it’s 2004 single ‘Freakin’ Out’ which many Truckers will be most eager to hear at this year’s festival; a riff-heavy slice of superb power-pop.
He headlined Glastonbury in 2009 with the newly reformed Blur, in a set which proved to be a celebratory belter of a reunion, and the same year released his first album for Transgressive, entitled “The Spinning Top” and featuring collaborators such as Danny Thompson and Robyn Hitchcock.
It’s an honour to have him headlining the Clash stage in Steventon this year.
