Latest news with #Albarn
Daily Mirror
13-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Blur's Damon Albarn admits Oasis 'won battle' as he admits defeat amid rivarly
Damon Albarn has admitted Oasis won their long-standing Britpop rivalry, as the band's 2025 reunion tour draws incredible crowds and praise Blur frontman Damon Albarn has acknowledged Oasis as the ultimate winners of the long-standing Britpop rivalry, admitting their ongoing reunion tour has firmly placed them back at the top of the music scene. Speaking about Oasis' epic comeback, Albarn, 57, reflected on the decades-old competition that defined 1990s British music. 'Well, it was obvious, wasn't it?' he said. 'I think we can officially say that Oasis won the battle, the war, the campaign, everything.' Although Blur famously beat Oasis in the 1995 chart battle with their single Country House, Albarn now believes Gallagher brothers Liam and Noel have claimed the long-term victory. 'They are the winners. They take first place,' he added. 'In the face of such overwhelming evidence, I am happy to accept and concede defeat. It's their summer and God bless them. I hope everyone has a wonderful time but I'm going to be in a very, very different place.' Blur recently released To The End, a documentary chronicling their 2023 reunion and comeback album The Ballad of Darren. They also played two major shows at London's Wembley Stadium last summer. However, Albarn conceded that those performances are being eclipsed by Oasis's current success. 'My two-night stint at Wembley will be dwarfed by their seven,' he told The Sun. Oasis kicked off their highly anticipated Oasis Live '25 reunion tour last weekend with two sold-out nights at Cardiff's Principality Stadium. The band returned to their hometown of Manchester on July 11 for the first of five major outdoor shows at Heaton Park, which was their first concert in the city since 2009. Thousands of fans queued at the gates from the early morning hours, with some travelling from as far as Australia and South Korea to witness the historic performance. The show attracted over 80,000 attendees and featured some of the largest on-stage screens ever used in a UK concert. One emotional moment from the Manchester concert has since gone viral on social media. A video captured a group of concertgoers lifting a disabled fan named Daniel above the crowd so he could see the stage. He attended the show with his sister Jemma, but was unable to get accessible tickets. A woman who shared the video on TikTok wrote: 'This is Daniel – he went to night one of @Oasis with his brilliant sister Jemma… A lady got our attention and started asking around to see who could help – she was brilliant!' She added: 'This was Daniel's first concert, he had a fantastic time. Music brought everyone together once again.' Oasis's return marks their first tour in two decades and has been met with overwhelming enthusiasm, as fans around the world celebrate the band's long-awaited comeback as they belt out their classic songs including Wonderwall and Don't Look Back In Anger.
Business Mayor
26-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Business Mayor
Song 2 by Blur
Few tracks capture sheer, unfiltered exhilaration like Blur's 'Song 2'. At just over 2 minutes, it's a perfect storm of distortion, speed and chaos-a joyful explosion that barrels through the senses with reckless abandon. The beauty of track from Blur's 1997 eponymous fifth album lies in its sheer simplicity: jagged guitar riffs, pounding drums and frontman Damon Albarn's effortlessly cool, yet utterly unhinged vocals. There's no pretence here, just pure energy, as Albarn launches into the iconic 'Woo-hoo!' refrain, a cry that feels both euphoric and anarchic. The track doesn't meander. It hits like a runaway freight train, revelling in its messy, flannel-shirted aesthetic. Yet, beneath the noise, there's a sharpness, a knowing wink. Originally conceived as a parody of grunge, 'Song 2' ironically became one of Blur's biggest international hits, embraced for the very qualities it sought to exaggerate. It's fast, loud and exhilarating, but never hollow. It embodies raw power not just in volume, but in attitude. Almost 30 years on, 'Song 2' remains an untamed beast, a track that demands to be blasted at full volume. It's the sound of unfiltered joy, rebellion and people having the absolute time of their lives.
Economic Times
25-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Economic Times
Song 2 by Blur
Few tracks capture sheer, unfiltered exhilaration like Blur's 'Song 2'. At just over 2 minutes, it's a perfect storm of distortion, speed and chaos-a joyful explosion that barrels through the senses with reckless abandon. The beauty of track from Blur's 1997 eponymous fifth album lies in its sheer simplicity: jagged guitar riffs, pounding drums and frontman Damon Albarn's effortlessly cool, yet utterly unhinged vocals. There's no pretence here, just pure energy, as Albarn launches into the iconic 'Woo-hoo!' refrain, a cry that feels both euphoric and anarchic. The track doesn't meander. It hits like a runaway freight train, revelling in its messy, flannel-shirted aesthetic. Yet, beneath the noise, there's a sharpness, a knowing wink. Originally conceived as a parody of grunge, 'Song 2' ironically became one of Blur's biggest international hits, embraced for the very qualities it sought to exaggerate. It's fast, loud and exhilarating, but never hollow. It embodies raw power not just in volume, but in attitude. Almost 30 years on, 'Song 2' remains an untamed beast, a track that demands to be blasted at full volume. It's the sound of unfiltered joy, rebellion and people having the absolute time of their lives.
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
House Of Kong: Gorillaz to celebrate 25th anniversary with immersive exhibition and concert series
Gorillaz, the famous virtual band created by Blur frontman Damon Albarn and artist Jamie Hewlett, are marking their 25th anniversary with a new exhibition at London's Copper Box later this year. The immersive showcase, titled House Of Kong, takes place for a limited run from 8 August to 3 September, and will allow fans to peek behind the curtain of the virtual band's creation – all the way back to the release of their 2000 debut single 'Tomorrow Comes Today'. A press release states: "Visitors to House of Kong will take a jaunt behind the curtain of Gorillaz' extraordinary world. A journey through the band's life of misadventures, musical innovation and ground-breaking virtual ways since these four outsiders – bassist Murdoc Niccals, singer 2D, drummer Russel Hobbs and guitarist Noodle – first came together to blow up a pre-digital world with the release of 'Tomorrow Comes Today' in 2000. An exhibition like no other, House of Kong is an experience for the brave and bold.' Watch the trailer for House of Kong below (with a few cheeky callbacks to The Exorcist with the statue of Pazuzu as the main image) and buy tickets here. House of Kong exhibition ticket holders will have exclusive presale access to the Copper Box Arena dates, which coincide with the exhibition. Indeed, Gorillaz have announced four special live shows at the Copper Box Arena – on 29 and 30 August, as well as on 2 and 3 September. In March, Albarn confirmed to French publication Les Inrockuptibles that a new Gorillaz album is on the way. 'I'm finishing a new Gorillaz album,' Albarn shared. 'One opera and one new Gorillaz album seems like enough for 2025! Unless someone accuses me of taking my foot off the gas!' The opera he's referring to is The Magic Flute II: La Malédiction, an electro pop opera composed and performed by Albarn. Hewlett confirmed the news of a new Gorillaz album on Instagram: 'Yes, the new album is coming out this year.' The band's last release was 2023's 'Cracker Island', which was one of our favourite albums that year. In our review, we said: 'Inspired by Albarn's meeting with Princess Siribha Chudabhorn at a Blur concert in Bangkok in the '90s, it's dreamy pop at its finest. So, despite a quarter of a century in the game, it seems as though Gorillaz are very much here to stay. We couldn't be happier.' The legendary gates of Kong will open to the public for the very first time on 8 August to 3 September at London's Copper Box.
Euronews
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Euronews
Gorillaz to celebrate 25th anniversary with new immersive exhibition
Gorillaz, the famous virtual band created by Blur frontman Damon Albarn and artist Jamie Hewlett, are marking their 25th anniversary with a new exhibition at London's Copper Box later this year. The immersive showcase, titled House Of Kong, takes place for a limited run from 8 August to 3 September, and will allow fans to peek behind the curtain of the virtual band's creation – all the way back to the release of their 2000 debut single 'Tomorrow Comes Today'. A press release states: "Visitors to House of Kong will take a jaunt behind the curtain of Gorillaz' extraordinary world. A journey through the band's life of misadventures, musical innovation and ground-breaking virtual ways since these four outsiders – bassist Murdoc Niccals, singer 2D, drummer Russel Hobbs and guitarist Noodle – first came together to blow up a pre-digital world with the release of 'Tomorrow Comes Today' in 2000. An exhibition like no other, House of Kong is an experience for the brave and bold.' Watch the trailer for House of Kong below (with a few cheeky callbacks to The Exorcist with the statue of Pazuzu as the main image) and buy tickets here. House of Kong exhibition ticket holders will have exclusive presale access to the Copper Box Arena dates, which coincide with the exhibition. Indeed, Gorillaz have announced four special live shows at the Copper Box Arena – on 29 and 30 August, as well as on 2 and 3 September. In March, Albarn confirmed to French publication Les Inrockuptibles that a new Gorillaz album is on the way. 'I'm finishing a new Gorillaz album,' Albarn shared. 'One opera and one new Gorillaz album seems like enough for 2025! Unless someone accuses me of taking my foot off the gas!' The opera he's referring to is The Magic Flute II: La Malédiction, an electro pop opera composed and performed by Albarn. Hewlett confirmed the news of a new Gorillaz album on Instagram: 'Yes, the new album is coming out this year.' Une publication partagée par Official Everythin' Gorillaz🎸 (@everythingorillaz) The band's last release was 2023's 'Cracker Island', which was one of our favourite albums that year. In our review, we said: 'Inspired by Albarn's meeting with Princess Siribha Chudabhorn at a Blur concert in Bangkok in the '90s, it's dreamy pop at its finest. So, despite a quarter of a century in the game, it seems as though Gorillaz are very much here to stay. We couldn't be happier.' The legendary gates of Kong will open to the public for the very first time on 8 August to 3 September at London's Copper Box.
