Starshaped is a 1993 documentary film on the British band Blur. Conceived as a fly on the wall documentary, it became a collection of live performances, videos and festival footage, and band interviews.
Highlights include the band's performance at the 1991 Reading Festival and a brief interview with the late John Peel, and the band's 1992 appearance at the Glastonbury Festival when singer Damon Albarn lunges into a PA speaker which falls, injuring his foot. The band are regularly captured in drunken states through the film, sometimes arguing and even (in Albarn's case) vomiting. The majority of the music in the film comes from the band's first two albums, Leisure and Modern Life Is Rubbish, although the non-album tracks "Popscene" and "Day Upon Day" are also included.
Several fans give their verdict on Blur, particularly on how the band have perfected their live act. The band's manager also appears in some scenes, although his face is blanked out. Two German fans seem obsessed with the band and Damon Albarn in particular, having followed the group from New York to England to Germany.
Since its original 1993 release, the film has gained a cult following and was re-released on DVD in 2004.
Links to Peel[]
Blur - Starshaped (Full Documentary with English Subtitles, Full HD DVD-Rip)
John Peel appears between 4:22 and 4:42 of the video
The documentary had a short interview with Peel at the 1991 Reading Festival, where he mentioned that Blur were 'not entirely my cup of tea. Not vulgar and discordant enough for me, but all right.'
Many years later in 1997, his attitude to Blur changed when they released their self titled album, Blur, which had a more American indie rock influence. This led to airplay of the band's new material on Peel's show.