06 Jun Music journalist Marc Burrows on Robbie, Britpop, and the art of nostalgia
Award-winning writer, comedian and music journalist Marc Burrows is delighted to be bringing The Britpop Hour – a multimedia stand-up celebration of one of Britain’s most iconic and chaotic musical eras to the Edinburgh Fringe. This year marks the 30th anniversary of the mega Blur vs Oasis chart battle, and The Britpop Hour unpicks the rivalries, hype, absurd personalities and unforgettable music that defined the 90s Britpop era and changed the face of UK culture.
This Fringe, while Britpop fans can catch a certain famous reunion a few miles across town – yes, Oasis are playing Edinburgh during August – The Britpop Hour offers a more comical, more cost-effective way to relive the glory days. Sure, Liam and Noel might be driving hotel prices through the roof, but Marc Burrows promises big tunes, big laughs, and zero responsibility for making your Airbnb unaffordable. Plus, you won’t need binoculars to see the stage.
During his career, Marc has interviewed some of Britpop’s biggest stars. With wit, warmth and a knack for finding the strange beneath the surface, he charts the rise and fall of a movement that started with hope and swagger, and ended in excess and identity crisis. At its peak, Britpop was more than music – it was freedom, fun, Hooch, Union Jacks on everything, and a generation of nerdy outsiders finding themselves suddenly famous. But what came after the Blur vs Oasis frenzy? What happened when Britpop stopped being fun? What influence did New Labour’s election victory have as the UK hurtled towards the millennium? And how did Damon Albarn sleep with so many people’s girlfriends?
Equal parts love letter and send-up, The Britpop Hour is sharp, silly and surprisingly moving. It explores the legacy of the era, from middle-class pretension vs working-class grit to the way British music tried to reinvent itself in the ’90s, to what happened when cocaine, commercialisation and culture wars kicked in. It also comes with exclusive extras: every audience member gets a free exclusive fanzine of Britpop interviews and writing, created by Burrows himself.
The show blends comedy, cultural commentary and nostalgic chaos to remember what made Britpop brilliant in the first place and to create something uniquely fun and resonant – a show for diehard fans, curious newbies, and anyone who remembers the distinct sound of 1995. Packed with jokes, classic tunes, and a heartfelt celebration of the best (and worst) of a musical moment that still shapes British identity today, this is a joyous, raucous look back at the 90s. Remembering the music, memories and the mayhem, this show is an hour of pure fun that captures the spirit of a cultural moment when anything seemed possible.
