THEY have not been seen on stage together since 2000, so Blur fans will be rejoicing today after the band announced exclusively to the Echo they are heading to Southend.

The group will play the Cliffs Pavilion on June 21 as a warm-up gig to their highly-anticipated shows at Glastonbury and in London’s Hyde Park this summer.

The foursome last played the Station Road, Westcliff, venue in 1997, following the release of their fifth studio album, Blur, and theatre chiefs are bracing themselves for hordes of queuing fans to descend as tickets go on sale this Friday.

Marketing manager Paul Driscoll said: “We are highly delighted that Blur have selected the Cliffs as one of only a handfuls of venues across the country for their warm-up tour.

“They played here years ago, and it was a sell out then, so we are pleased that the people of Southend will be able to enjoy such a show on their doorstep.”

The news comes just months after the band announced they were reforming to play July’s sell-out gig in Hyde Park. They have since been named as the headline act at this year’s Glastonbury festival in June.

Unlike many a recent rock reunion, the reformed Blur of 2009 will actually consist of the original members: Alex James and Colchester-raised Damon Albarn, Graham Coxon and Dave Rowntree.

The band formed in 1989, and Blur broke into the mainstream in the mid-1990s with hits including Parklife, Charmless Man and Song 2. They became one of the two defining bands of the Britpop era, famously pitting their single Country House against Oasis’ Roll With It, in a chart battle that ended with Blur victorious.

But years later it all ended in acrimony, with guitarist Coxon branding singer Albarn an “egomaniac”.

After seven studio albums and two number one singles, the group has been on indefinite hiatus since 2003 following the release of their critically-acclaimed seventh album, Think Tank.

Since the band’s split, Albarn has found success on projects including animated pop group Gorillaz and supergroup the Good, the Bad & the Queen.

Coxon also found modest solo success, while bassist James reinvented himself as a cheese-maker and drummer Dave Rowntree turned to politics, trying unsuccessfully to become a Labour councillor in Westminster.

Blur’s manager Chris Morrison said: “Blur are playing a limited number of unique shows this summer and returning to the Cliffs Pavilion is going to be a great gig for them.

“The band is really enjoying rehearsals and looking forward to playing to their fans again.”

Tickets are available in person only from 9am this Friday at the Cliffs Pavilion box office. They are priced at £32.50 each, and purchase is limited to four per booking.