Blur Pull Out of Big Day Out 2014

Blur have pulled out of all their Big Day Out 2014 appearances via a post on Facebook over the weekend. In the post the band cited "the constantly shifting goalposts and challenging conditions of the organisers" as the reason and stated they couldn't "let it drag on any longer and want to make this announcement, to be clear to Blur fans that they won't be there". Many involved in the festival appear to have been caught off-guard by the band's announcement including New Zealand's Campbell Smith who took to Facebook saying it was a total surprise and he "had no idea". According to Australian site MusicFeeds.com the Big Day Out will be announcing a replacement for Blur at which time refund options will be provided.

The news follows the second lineup announcement for the festival which saw Primus and CSS added to the Auckland lineup and US band DIIV absent from it.  According to FasterLouder, the official line on this is that the band have cancelled all their upcoming tour commitments to focus on their new LP but it no doubt also has something to do with frontman Zachary Cole Smith recent arrest alongside girlfriend Sky Ferreira for possession of heroin and stolen property.