Exclusive Interview With Director Toby L (Blur: To The End)

To celebrate the release of the new documentary on Blur’s latest album The Ballad of Darren and the road to their hugely successful Wembley shows in 2023; we had the pleasure of speaking with the films director about the band’s enduring popularity and what he hopes audiences take away from the new film.

Blur: To The End is released in UK and Irish cinemas from July 19

What are your first memories of Blur’s music?

I was born in 1984 and grew up during the 90s. Music was a very visual thing to me – my Dad briefly worked for Sky when it was first being introduced to the UK, and one of the few perks of that job at the time was our family gaining free access to Sky television in the early days. So I grew up at a formative age with The Simpsons, and most crucially MTV.

MTV blew my mind, a plethora of pop music and its attached visual language, so in many ways I watched music as a kid. Very few of my friends had it as Sky was obviously expensive and you also needed a satellite dish – they listened to the radio or whatever their parents had on the car stereo. Had my Dad not worked that job we wouldn’t have been able to afford it either. This access meant that I formed a pretty intense relationship with music and the iconography of music at a pretty young age.

And as it relates to Blur – in between one hit wonders and MTV career staples, I distinctly remember watching the ‘Girls & Boys’ video suddenly appearing all over MTV. It was being played at least once every hour. It did things to me that other pop music didn’t; Damon’s wink at the top of the video was probably my equivalent of the Bowie ‘Starman’ ‘Top of the Pops’ finger-point epiphany moment. Like many overwhelming new sensations, I couldn’t initially tell if I loved it or hated it. It was incessant, relentlessly hooky, challenging, satirical, sexy, a bit dangerous. Of course I fell hook, line and sinker at the age of 9. The follow-up, ‘To The End’, really sealed the deal – a beautiful, heart-breaking ballad with a stunning black and white video. No one was making music like that at the time, or portraying it that way either.

Within those two songs and visual components, I knew I had fallen for a very special and characterful band. I then impulsively bought ‘Parklife’ on cassette at my local music shop, Scorpion Records, in High Wycombe. That was really the start of my musical education.

Why do you think their popularity has endured, arguably more than many of their contemporaries?

The songwriting, the perspective, the prophecy. Their core themes are as timely now as they were years ago. Also, the dynamism. Their catalogue is expansive and progressive musically whilst Damon’s lyrics are observational and astute. There’s humour, there’s heartbreak, there’s internal reflection, there’s politics. Blur is probably the most accurate band name of all time, in a glorious way. Then, there’s the live shows – they have always thrown themselves into every show as if the world was ending at that exact moment in time: vital, emotional and communal. Also, the depth – every album, and every one of their innumerable B-sides, speaks to an unusual, brave willingness to veer somewhere more mysterious. Lastly, the personality – all four of them are immediately identifiable and relatable characters and musicians. You only have to look at the cover artwork to their 2000 ‘Best Of’ – within the simplicity of Opie’s portraits, so much is expressed. To me, they are the ultimate band.

Did your process for this film differ to your previous films like Rip Up The Road?

The process wasn’t hugely different between the two as it happens, they’re probably spiritual cousins in a way. I guess the benefit this time was a lengthier period to tell the story over, as well as more time in the edit and post-production for honing things. When I’m making documentaries I am always keen to keep the core of the access and actuality as honest as possible. I generally prefer handheld camera movement and minimal crew in the room. The last thing a subject needs is to be overwhelmed and intimidated by the scale of production or anything external encroaching on the reality of the situation. Otherwise you might as well just do a studio shoot and set things up.

That said, to counter the naturalism or at times raggedness, and to ensure it remains visually appealing, I’m also eager to keep things stylish, ensuring shots remain artful in composition and, where possible, beautiful. The gifted DOPs we work with – people like Sebastian Cort – aren’t just skilled camera operators, they’re cinematographers and their remit is to both capture the moment *and* find the ideal shot, in real time. There’s a fair amount of jeopardy involved as you have to react quickly to whatever’s going on. That’s why when there are gorgeous frames capturing something genuinely as it happens, it feels like a sublime win – you get the best of both worlds, without ever being conceited or artificial.

How far back did you start working on the film?

The initial treatment was written in late 2022 when we first heard that the Wembley show was happening. Immediately it felt important to ensure that the story was its own new approach, since there have already been a few great documentaries on the band. I thought it would be interesting to make the emphasis of the film about relationships and reflections, mostly living in the present, but also considering the past with today’s perspective. As such it endeavours to focus on how friendships evolve and adapt, and also specifically the challenges and considerations that come with being in a band for many years. It’s hopefully inspirational and uplifting, whilst endeavouring to be philosophical.

Once the band had agreed to us making the film, we started shooting when they were making the album and then continued shooting on and off for around six months. The edit continued until spring this year and then post-production only concluded a few weeks ago. End to end it’s been close to a year and a half working across the documentary, and the following Wembley concert film.

How did you find balancing the new album, warm-up shows and Wembley shows?

When you shoot for that duration of time and have such incredible characters and insights to work with, inevitably, there’s going to be a lot of great material to work with. Then, when you get to the edit, you have to ensure that you stay disciplined to deliver what you initially intended and set out to make, which can be tough. Thankfully our editors Danny Abel and Alex Townley did a remarkable job getting through all the footage. We had a frequent dialogue as we built the project, ensuring that we maintained the depth and wider themes as the focus throughout, as you can sometimes get seduced by other things that come up. Maybe in the future some more of that footage will see the light of day. But right now I’m relieved that ‘To The End’ is very much the tone and style of film we set out make from the outset – naturalistic and at times funny and sad.

Balancing the album story, warm-ups and Wembley didn’t feel too challenging – they were in effect the journey – the events that occur in first, second and third acts. But the real time and thought went into how we introduced and returned to the key themes, ensuring that the emotional arc of the film was potent at all times. Otherwise you’re just doing a simplistic retelling of events without much context or depth.

How important was it for you to showcase a different side to the band?

It was essential, really, otherwise you’re retreading old ground. Their story is well known, so any context shared about their history had to feel relatively new or illuminating, or at the least derived from the perspective of the here and now. They’re extremely intelligent and I knew that with the right tone and enquiry there would plenty of new insights to unearth throughout the process.

What do you hope audiences take out of the film?

It’s been produced with a lot of heart so I hope that comes across. I really want people to embrace the emotive tendencies of the film. I also think it’s quite hilarious, so I hope people have a good laugh. It’s also been created with the big screen in mind, so if people can get the full theatrical experience in a cinema, I’d be delighted. Everything from the shot selection and audio mix has been carefully considered for that enhanced experience.

Can you tell us what you’re working on next?

Well, the next film is the full Blur Wembley Stadium concert movie. I’m really excited about people watching it – that’s an epic, 20-camera assault and an unedited two hours-plus of the show from last summer. It’s pretty epic, and we worked extremely hard to capture the intensity and euphoria of those shows. That film lands September 6th in UK and Irish cinemas and will go out internationally afterwards. Alongside that I’m going to take a bit of a break from filmmaking to garner some fresh energy and perspective, and enjoy focussing on our record label, Transgressive – we’ve got lots of important releases this year, and the company is turning 20 in September, which is bonkers. So, lots of celebrations to come on that front. It’s an exciting time and I’m grateful for it all.