Blur Announces Additional UK Dates

While it seemed likely that the only chance to see Blur play live this summer would be at Sweden's Way Out Festival, the weekend of August 9-11, or London's Hyde Park on August 12, marking the closing ceremonies of the 2012 Olympics, the quartet announced additional "warming up" dates via their website on Sunday night.

Blur will play Margate Winter Gardens on August 1, Wolverhampton Civic Hall on August 5 and 6 and Plymouth's Pavilions on August 7. Tickets go on sale this Friday, May 18 at 9 a.m BST (4 a.m. EDT).

Says bassist Alex James on the band's site: "Every one of these shows will be very special and we can't wait to get cracking."

Albarn had strongly hinted that the band's appearances this year might mark Blur's closing chapter. He has since backpedaled on those comments, although he did tell the NME that he saw the August 12 show as a "punctuation point" adding, "That can be whatever you choose to make it."