Damon Albarn Latest Celebrity News & Gossip

Blur frontman Damon Albarn has said that Brexit has been a “travesty” in a new interview.Speaking to Channel 4, Albarn explained that Brexit has been a “disaster” for younger musicians.“In the old days, pre-Brexit, you could be a young band and go over to Europe and play bottom of the bill at festivals. You wouldn’t be paid hardly anything but the experience was life-changing, whether you went on to do bigger and better things in the future [or not]. That’s a solid foundation for the rest of your life,” Albarn said.“That kind of creativity has very much been curtailed for people on this island, because it’s expensive to go over there now.

Blur played an intimate warm up show in their hometown of Colchester last night (May 19) ahead of their two huge concerts at Wembley Stadium.The Britpop icons performed in front of a tiny crowd at the town’s Arts Centre for a two-hour set that saw the band pull from across their back catalogue and air two songs from their forthcoming new album ‘The Ballad Of Darren’.It comes after Colchester Council’s culture boss called for Blur to stage a reunion gig in the Essex city last year.Speaking about the gig, their first in eight years, ahead of their performance at a press conference in Colchester Castle, frontman Damon Albarn said: “How we play tonight is kind of how we will play at Wembley although hopefully it will be a bit better there. But the reason why we’re doing the shows at Wembley are exactly the same as why we’re doing this one here.”Kicking off with rollicking new track ‘St Charles Square’ from their forthcoming new album ‘The Ballad Of Darren’ – footage of which you can view below – the band then launched straight into classic hit single ‘There’s No Other Way’ before they performed 1992 rarity ‘Popscene’ for the first time since 2013.

Blur frontman Damon Albarn has said that he’d “put money on” an Oasis reunion.The singer was speaking as Blur themselves begin their comeback tour in their hometown of Colchester tonight (May 19).“I can guarantee they’re going to reform,” Albarn told The Sun of the chances of the Gallaghers burying the hatchet. “In fact, I’ve put money on it.”Discussing Blur’s ’90s nemeses, he added: “They’re brothers and it would be wonderful to see them reconcile.“The only funny thing is that our two nights at Wembley will be dwarfed by their SEVEN!”Three years ago, in a cover interview with NME about his solo career, Liam said that an Oasis reunion was “gonna happen very soon”.

is already streaming.The new record was announced ahead of a series of warm-up shows that the band are playing around the UK this month, kicking off at the Colchester Arts Centre later today.Those shows, which also include gigs at Eastbourne Winter Gardens, The Halls Wolverhampton and City Hall Newcastle, precede a summer of festival appearances plus the two dates at Wembley Stadium on 8 and 9 Jul.And now some quotes from the band…Damon Albarn: “This is an aftershock record, reflection and comment on where we find ourselves now”.Graham Coxon: “The older and madder we get, it becomes more essential that what we play is loaded with the right emotion and intention. Sometimes just a riff doesn’t do the job”.Alex James: “For any long term relationship to last with any meaning you have to be able to surprise each other somehow and somehow we all continue to do that”.Dave Rowntree: “It always feels very natural to make music together.

Blur have announced details of a surprise new album ‘The Ballad Of Darren’ and shared the first single ‘The Narcissist’. Check it out below.The returning Britpop legends first announced their comeback back in November with news of a huge Wembley Stadium show – before going on to reveal a second date at the venue before a run of European festival shows and an intimate UK warm-up tour,  which kicks off in their hometown of Colchester tomorrow (Friday May 19).Now, the band have revealed that the 10-track ‘The Ballad Of Darren’ will arrive on 21 July via Parlophone, and is available for pre-order here.

Little Dragon have announced details of their seventh studio album – ‘Slugs Of Love’ is due out this summer.The follow-up to 2020’s ‘New Me, Same Us’ will land on July 7 via Ninja Tune and is being previewed by first single ‘Kenneth’.Of the new album, the Swedish band said in a statement: “We’ve been exploring different ways to collaborate and communicate. Dissolving patterns and making new ones. Nurturing our ability to curiously press down keys, to bang — sometimes hard sometimes gently — on different things, strumming strings, recording sounds and investigating the limits for how much or little a sound can be tweaked…“Together we have developed, replayed, danced to, cried and laughed to this music as it has evolved forwards, backwards, sideways and all around, but now finally as a complete masterpiece… This feels like our finest work yet.

Australian producer Flume has dropped Arrived Anxious, Left Bored, a collection of archival tracks recorded over the past decade. The album follows a similar project, Things Don't Always Go The Way You Plan, released in February.

APPOINTMENTSBecause Music UK and its London Records division have both announced new Managing Directors. Rhian Emanuel moves up from Marketing Director of Because, while Laura Kelly shifts from General Manager of London. Meanwhile, Ed Pearson has been promoted from Marketing Director to SVP Marketing, Dance & Electronic at Because Music UK, and Junior Foster joins London Records as Digital Marketing & Strategy Manager.————————————————–RELEASESHarry Styles has released the video for ‘Satellite’ from his ‘Harry’s House’ album.Brian Eno and Fred Again will release a collaborative album, titled ‘Secret Life’, this Friday. It is, says Four Tet – who is releasing the album on his Text Records label – “the most beautiful album of 2023”.Little Dragon will release their latest album ‘Slugs Of Love’ on 7 Jul, which will feature a collaboration with Damon Albarn on its tracklist.

Little Simz has opened up about her experience working with Damon Albarn, saying she will “always have so much love and respect” for the Blur and Gorillaz legend.The rapper linked up with Albarn in 2017, delivering a guest spot on the 2017 Gorillaz single ‘Garage Palace’ (which later appeared on the “super deluxe” edition of the ‘Humanz’ album). In a new interview with Apple Music 1, she told Zane Lowe (via Music News): “I remember first getting into the studio with [Albarn] for the first time, and my anxiety just being through the roof like, ‘This is mad…’“I felt myself trying to mold myself into what their thing was, and I remember Damon peeping it and being like, ‘No, that’s not why I called you in here.

Blur have announced a run of intimate UK warm-up shows for this spring – find all the details below.The Britpop icons are due to play two huge concerts at Wembley Stadium in London this July as part of their 2023 live reunion.Additionally, Damon Albarn and co. will perform an outdoor gig at Malahide Castle in Dublin and make appearances at Primavera Sound, Roskilde, Lucca Summer Festival, Flow Festival and Japan’s Summer Sonic.Today (April 25), Blur have confirmed that they’ll warm up for the comeback shows with four small dates next month.The stint will kick off with a performance at the 300-capacity Colchester Arts Centre on Friday, May 19.

Beck teamed up with Gorillaz on Jimmy Kimmel Live last night (April 19).The singer-songwriter joined Damon Albarn for a rendition of their ‘Cracker Island’ collaboration ‘Possession Island’.The live take, which you can view below, saw Albarn singing the opening on piano before Beck joined him on vocals for the remainder of the song.They performed the track for the first time at a gig at Los Angeles’ Forum last September. Beck also previously appeared on ‘The Valley Of The Pagans’ on Gorillaz’s 2020 album ‘Song Machine: Season One – Strange Timez’ .‘Cracker Island’ arrived back in February as Gorillaz’ eighth studio album, with a deluxe edition following just a week later.

Gorillaz had no shortage of special guests for their first set at Coachella 2023, bringing out collaborators like Slowthai, Thundercat and De La Soul.Thundercat was the first to join Damon Albarn and co. on the titular Coachella Stage, performing the title track from Gorillaz’ just-released ‘Cracker Island’ album.

De La Soul – who appeared on Gorillaz’s ‘Feel Good Inc.’ – were originally meant to guest on a completely different song.The hip-hop group have worked closely with Gorillaz for nearly two decades – dating back to their iconic appearance on the band’s hit single, ‘Feel Good Inc.’, released as part of the 2005 ‘Demon Days’ album. However, in a new interview, co-founder Maseo revealed that Damon Albarn originally suggested that they feature on a different single: ‘Kids With Guns’.“When we went to do ‘Feel Good Inc.’, the initial song was ‘Kids with Guns,’” he said in a recent episode of Kyle Meredith With….

Britpop: The Music That Changed Britain will kick off this weekend to celebrate the genre’s 30th anniversary.The series will document the story of the integral British genre from start to finish. There will be “exclusive new interviews with the key players”, who will tell “fascinating behind-the-scenes stories”, and a “rare and unseen archive of all the era’s big names”.The first episode tells the story of Britpop’s rise to fame and the infamous rivalries between Blur, Oasis, Suede and Elastica.

Damon Albarn has reacted to Noel Gallagher‘s offer to “sprinkle” some “northern magic” on Gorillaz.While the pair were famously Britpop rivals throughout the ’90s, they have since become friends and Gallagher contributed backing vocals to Gorillaz’ 2017 track ‘We Got The Power’ featuring Jehnny Beth.Last month, the former the Oasis singer-songwriter then suggested that he could see them working together again during an interview with Radio X.“Yeah, me and him get on great. I love his band.

Damon Albarn has recalled his first encounter with The Specials’ Terry Hall in a new interview, calling the late star “the coolest human being on earth”.Hall died in December 2022 after being diagnosed with cancer months earlier. He was 63 years old.Speaking to Radio X, Albarn spoke about the first time he was in Hall’s presence.

Gorillaz secure their second Official Number 1 album with Cracker Island today.

Last Friday, Gorillaz shared their eighth studio album Cracker Island. An album written as the animated band's co-founders continued production on a now-shelved animated film, Cracker Island saw Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett enlist a range of legends and modern stars like Stevie Nicks, Bad Bunny, Thundercat, and Beck.

Gorillaz have released a deluxe edition of new album ‘Cracker Island’ featuring an additional five tracks – listen below.The band’s star-studded new album came out last week (February 24), and Sunday (February 27) saw the band expand the record with a number of bonus tracks.Included in the extra songs are all-new tracks ‘Captain Chicken’ (featuring Del The Funky Homosapien), ‘Controllah’ (featuring MC Bin Laden) and ‘Crockadillaz’ (featuring De La Soul and Dawn Penn), along with a ‘2D Piano Version’ of ‘Silent Running’ (featuring Adeleye Omotayo), and a Dom Dolla remix of Tame Impala and Bootie Brown collaboration ‘New Gold’.‘Cracker Island’ is the follow-up to 2020’s ‘Song Machine, Season One – Strange Timez‘. The virtual band, headed up by Damon Albarn, has a host of collaborators on their eighth studio album including Stevie Nicks, Bad Bunny, Beck, Thundercat, Adeleye Omotayond and more.Listen to the expanded version of ‘Cracker Island’ below.Reviewing ‘Cracker Island’, NME wrote: “Albarn and his team appear unburdened by living up to a concept, and instead turn in a consistently enjoyable record that shows why they remain relevant so far into their career.“A band that was once considered mucking about on the periphery of pop are now very much defining the present and inspiring the future.

Bad Bunny and Gorillaz collaboration, titled “Tormenta,” leaked online. While it was promptly taken down, the song was available on different accounts on Twitter, giving viewers a listen before it was officially dropped.The 2023 Latin Grammys will be hosted in Spain for the first timeKendall Jenner’s ex unfollows her after rumored romance with Bad BunnyGorillaz are releasing their new record this year, featuring songs with some of the world’s leading musicians, including Stevie Nicks, Beck, Thundercat, Tame Impala and more.

Damon Albarn has revealed that after Gorillaz’ divisive Glastonbury headline set in 2010, Kate Bush phoned to tell him it was “one of the best shows she’d ever seen”.Last night (February 23), Albarn and visual artist Jamie Hewlett sat down for a Q+A session with comedian Alan Carr for Banquet Records, attended by NME.Taking to the stage at former-cinema-turned-nightclub Pryzm in Kingston, Albarn explained that “Glastonbury was very memorable because it was so different to any other performance that had been before us”.“We wanted to just be, and not do the normal schtick of ‘hello Glastonbury, how are you all feeling?’ We wanted to just do our thing,” he continued.Gorillaz were last-minute replacements for U2 who had to postpone their appearance after Bono injured his back. Albarn returned to the iconic festival with Gorillaz one year after topping the bill with Blur.“I realised halfway through the Gorillaz set that the audience had no idea who some of the guests that we were bring onstage were, because I wasn’t introducing them,” he said of the set that included the likes of Bobby Womack, Bootie Brown, De La Soul, Lou Reed, Happy Mondays‘ Shaun Ryder, The Fall‘s Mark E.

For about a year and some change, just prior to the release of Gorillaz‘s second album Demon Days, I was a frequent lurker on unofficial Gorillaz fansites and forums. The band’s self-titled 2001 debut had got its hooks in me years prior, and after buying just about every comic by Gorillaz co-creator Jamie Hewlett, I needed more. My anticipation for a new album was matched by a desire for a full-length animated movie — the Gorillaz skits “G Bites,” contained on the DVD Phase One: Celebrity Take Down, expanded on the absurdist humor and the neo-occult, ’70s horror-indebted style of the band — confirmed for me that a movie simply had to happen.

Damon Albarn has confirmed that a feature-length Gorillaz film that was in the works at Netflix, has been cancelled.The frontman first announced the film in October 2020 before confirming the band were working with Netflix on it just over a year later.“I’m at Netflix because we’re making a full-length Gorillaz film with Netflix,” he said at the time. “Yeah, we’re having a writing session in Malibu this afternoon. It’s really exciting to do that.

Damon Albarn has shared a musical tribute to De La Soul‘s David “Trugoy The Dove” Jolicoeur.The founding member of the hip-hop trio died at the age of 54 yesterday (February 12).  Details about the cause of his death have not yet been released, however the rapper had been suffering from several health issues in recent years.Tributes were paid by the likes Cypress Hill‘s B-Real, Public Enemy‘s Chuck D, JPEGMAFIA and Kaytranada following his death.Now Albarn, who collaborated with the trio on Gorillaz‘s 2005 single ‘Feel Good Inc.’, has shared a short solo piano instrumental in tribute to Trugoy. “A loop for Dave.

All Hip-Hop first reported.Jolicoeur’s official cause of death has not been announced — but the rap pioneer had been open about his struggles with congestive heart failure over the past few years. The veteran performer was with the group since it launched in Amityville, Long Island, circa 1988.

We don’t like Damon Albarn talking smack about our beloved Taylor Swift, but we can still enjoy his music.

Bastille’s Dan Smith, Paloma Faith, Jimmy Somerville, Metronomy’s Joseph Mount and Damon Albarn are among the musicians featured on a new cover of the song ‘A Million Dreams’ from ‘The Greatest Showman’. The new track is being released in aid of The Brain Tumour Charity and Brainstrust, and was the idea of seven year old Ravi Adelekan – son of Metronomy bassist Olugbenga Adelekan – who was diagnosed with a brain tumour last year.Ravi’s illness was initially diagnosed as a build up of ear wax but, when an ear, nose and throat specialist requested an MRI scan, a tumour was discovered on his brain stem.

Blur have announced that they will reunite for a big one-off show at Wembley Stadium in July next year. It will be their only UK show in 2023 and their first headline performance since 2015.“We really love playing these songs and thought it’s about time we did it again”, says Damon Albarn. A man of few words.

RELEASESGorillaz have released new single ‘Baby Queen’, which you may already have heard if you’ve been playing the FIFA 2023 video game – the song appearing on the soundtrack. The inspiration for the song, says Damon Albarn, was “a dream about this princess [that I had] very recently.

Billie Eilish has announced two new ‘Happier Than Ever’ tour dates in her hometown.The singer-songwriter will stage two shows at LA’s Kia Forum on December 15 and 16.Tickets for both shows will go on sale next Wednesday (October 26) at 10am local time and a verified fan pre-sale will also be held the day before (October 25) at 10am local time. You can purchase tickets here and here.Writing on her Instagram page, Eilish said: “I’M COMING BACKKKKKKKK!! ‘Happier Than Ever, the hometown encore!!!!!!!’ LA i am so excited to see you one last time for the year!!! playing two extra final shows for you at the forum!!! register for verified fan now to get early ticket access on oct.

Gorillaz’ huge London show at The O2 last summer for NHS workers.Now, on October 20, it will go under the hammer as part of the Bonhams Pop X Culture auction at New Bond Street in London, where it’s expected to raise between £5-7,000 for Brian Eno’s climate change charity EarthPercent.Claire Tole-Moir of Bonhams said in a statement: “Both Robert Smith and Gorillaz are true innovators and pioneers of new music, and we are thrilled to be able to work with them by offering this unique customised guitar in aid of Brian Eno’s charity EarthPercent. To be able to own a one-of-a-kind guitar that is both a piece of art and a piece of music memorabilia is already a rare opportunity, but to be able to support EarthPercent’s ongoing campaign of tackling climate change at the same time, is very special and exciting for collectors and fans alike.”EarthPercent added: “We are thrilled to offer this gorgeous, signed guitar so kindly donated by Gorillaz and Robert Smith to EarthPercent.

Blur‘s Graham Coxon says he’d be up for trying to get Oasis back together.Speaking in a new interview in The Evening Standard, the guitarist was asked about a potential reunion with his own band and a tour next year.He said: “No, I don’t know what’s going on with Blur, we haven’t really talked about anything. I don’t really know what it is.

Damon Albarn has revealed that Gorillaz‘ forthcoming collaboration with Stevie Nicks was originally meant to sung by Julian Casablancas.The animated band enlisted the Fleetwood Mac star for the song ‘Oil’, which will appear on their forthcoming eighth album ‘Cracker Island’.Nicks recently spoke in an interview about her experience of becoming “an honorary Gorilla” on the Greg Kurstin-produced track.“I can’t wait till it comes out because I’m so proud of it,” she said.During a new conversation on Apple Music 1, Albarn explained that ‘Oil’ came together “very quickly” as he had previously recorded a demo version in London. However, he’d initially set his sights on The Strokes‘ frontman as a guest vocalist.“At first I was thinking of Casablancas for the voice, but that didn’t work out,” Albarn said.

Flume has announced his show at Brooklyn Mirage in New York this Friday night (September 30) will be streamed globally.The livestream will be available to watch here via Amazon Music/Twitch on Friday at 8:30PM PT and 11:30PM ET. Globally, the stream will be available to watch Saturday (October 1) at 4:30AM BST and 1:30PM AEST.

Damon Albarn has spoken about the possibility of working with Billie Eilish in the future.The Blur and Gorillaz frontman joined the pop star onstage during her headline set at Coachella 2022 in April to perform joint renditions of ‘Feel Good Inc’ and ‘Happier Than Ever’.“This man changed my life in a lot of ways and changed my complete view of what music could be, and what art could be, and what creation could be,” Eilish told the audience.“My first favourite band ever was The Good, The Bad and the Queen when I was six and Blur changed the world and Gorillaz changed the world, and this man is literally a genius, and that’s that.”Prior to that team-up, Albarn hailed Eilish and her brother/collaborator Finneas as “really interesting songwriter[s]” in an interview with the LA Times. He praised the singer’s “minor and odd” sound, adding: “I think she’s exceptional.”Speaking to Apple Music 1 today (September 27), Albarn was asked whether a studio-based project with Eilish could happen at some point.“Yeah, it will.

Stevie Nicks has spoken about the experience of working with Gorillaz on their forthcoming new album ‘Cracker Island’.The Damon Albarn-led cartoon band are due to release the record on February 24, 2023 via Parlophone (pre-order here). It’ll feature their recent Tame Impala collaboration ‘New Gold’, as well as guest spots from the likes of Bad Bunny, Beck and Thundercat.Nicks will appear on a song called ‘Oil’, and recalled becoming “an honorary Gorilla” during a new interview on Apple Music 1.“Well, I have to tell you, it was really great,” she told Zane Lowe. “Because [‘Cracker Island’ co-producer] Greg Kurstin sent [the song] to me.