Latest news with #DamonAlbarn
Times
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Times
Belt up! Cummerbunds are back — plus more trends to know now
Find out what's heating up (and cooling down) in our weekly barometer of trends from fashion to pop culture. You'd be forgiven for thinking that cummerbunds were a relic of the past — but fashion's finest have declared the Eighties wedding classic cool again. At the recent Met Gala Madonna stepped out in a white suit with a matching cummerbund designed by Haider Akermann for Tom Ford. Elsewhere, Drew Barrymore, Paul Mescal and Industry's Marisa Abela have all recently tucked their white dress shirts into one, while Laura Dern paired her custom Gucci sash with a sheer lace top. For a modern dapper take on the look, note Ncuti Gatwa ditching the dickie bow in favour of a collarless satin blouse, or follow Glenn Powell and Nicholas Hoult's all-black, top button undone approach. *Digs out old suit for a rethink* Unless you've been living under a Damon Albarn-shaped rock, you will have definitely maybe heard about the reunion of the brothers Gallagher. Mad fer it? Pop culture certainly is, with a supersonic level of Liam and Noel-inspired stuff coming your way. First up is The Battle, a play touring the UK until mid-July, written by John 'Kill Your Friends' Niven about the Britpop chart battle in 1995, when Blur's Country House competed with Oasis's Roll with It for the No 1 spot. See also Laugh Forever — an Edinburgh Fringe show featuring an as yet unnamed group of stand-ups telling their favourite Britpop gags, from August 11. In the book world there's The Secret Diaries of Liam and Noel Gallagher (Century £10.99, out now), a parody novel from Bruno Vincent, the wag behind Five on Brexit Island. 'What makes Oasis worthy of parody is the continuous punching, swearing, threats, booze,' he says. 'But being parodied is really a compliment.' We can also expect a film, Live '25, from the Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight, following the gang on their summer jaunt. Just don't look back in anger … You can tell a trend has hit stratospheric levels when fashion brands start getting in on the act. Or should that be getting in on the bat, as padel — aka the world's fastest-growing sport, not to be confused with the similar but different pickleball (IYKYK) — emerges as hot fashion property. Brands ranging from Armani to Varley and Oysho are jumping on the bandwagon with collections inspired by the game this summer. Think preppy sweatshirts, visors and plenty of squeaky-clean white — pleated skirts worn with oversized sweats is very much the vibe here. See you on the court. Mexico continues to flex its cultural muscle. A new book, A Caged Dog Barks the Fiercest by the photographer Ryan O'Toole Collett, features striking portraits and candid conversations with some of the people (above left) that call Mexico City (aka CDMX) home; published by Dover Street Market, it has coffee-table clout. Speaking of home, Mexican interiors are heating up, with Google searches up a staggering 5,000 per cent year on year. Think saturated colour, texture and tradition — for example, Perla Valiterra's vibrant blue glazed bowls (below left, £160 for four, and the glazed Paloma tiles (below right, £1 each, Meanwhile, the cult Latin American restaurant Tigermilk (above right) is landing in London this month. Expect tableside guacamole-making and maracuya tiramisu — a passionfruit version of the classic. ¡Muy bueno! Happy birthday to a modern icon. No, we're not talking Taylor Swift but the Loewe Puzzle bag, which turns ten this year. To celebrate, the Spanish house is reimagining the classic in a pink suede version that features patchwork detailing as a nod to the Seventies. The perfect match for summer denim. Additional words: Phoebe McDowell, Karen Dacre and Hannah Connolly
Time Out
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time Out
Gorillaz have announced a summer 2025 residency at London's Copper Box Arena: dates, ticket prices, presale and everything you need to know
Last week Gorillaz announced plans for a huge exhibition at the Copper Box Arena in east London's Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. Titled 'House of Kong', the exhibition will celebrate 25 years of Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett's virtual band, running from August 8 to September 3. All of which was exciting enough news for many Gorillaz fans – but this week Albarn and Hewlett have announced an exciting update. The closing days of the 'House of Kong' exhibition will see the band play a series of four one-off gigs, with each show dedicated to playing one of Gorillaz' classic early records in full. Set to be played are 2001's Gorillaz, 2005's Demon Days and 2010's Plastic Beach, while the fourth gig is tantalisingly billed as a 'Mystery Show'. This'll mark the first time that Gorillaz has ever been played in full, while it'll be the first time that Demon Days and Plastic Beach have been fully played live since their release. Each gig will also recreate the album tours' original visuals. Keen to catch a one-off show from 2-D, Murdoc, Noodle and Russel Hobbs in London this summer? Here's everything you need to know about the band's Copper Box residency, from the dates and when general sale goes live to pricing. When are Gorillaz playing London in 2025? While the 'House of Kong' exhibition stretches for nearly an entire month, the gigs all take place between August 29 and September 3. Full list of Gorillaz tour dates at London's Copper Box Arena Here are the dates Gorillaz will be in east London, along with the album being played at each show. August 29 – Gorillaz performed in full August 30 – Demon Days performed in full September 2 – Plastic Beach performed in full September 3 – Mystery Show When do Gorillaz tickets go on sale? General sale goes live at 10am BST on May 30. You'll be able to buy on Ticketmaster here. Is there a presale? If you haven't got in on presale, unfortunately it's now too late. Presale was open to those who bought 'House of Kong' exhibition tickets before 11pm BST on May 27, and the tickets went live on May 28 at 10am. Ticket prices Tickets will be priced 'from £80', according to the events' website. What's the capacity of the Copper Box Arena? These will be comparatively intimate shows, by Gorillaz standards – the Copper Box has a maximum capacity of 7,500. That makes it bigger than the likes of O2 Brixton (around 5,000), but smaller than Alexandra Palace (just over 10,000). Tickets for the House of Kong exhibition cost £27.50 and you can find them here. The best gigs in London this month.
Yahoo
27-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Gorillaz announce four one-off shows in London this summer
Gorillaz have announced details of four one-off shows in London this summer which will see them playing their first three albums in full, before a fourth and final mystery show takes place. Damon Albarn's ragtag bunch of cartoon primates will hit the Copper Box at London's Olympic Park for four shows. The first sees them play their self-titled debut album on August 29, before 2005's Demon Days will be aired in its entirety on August 30. That's set to be followed by 2010's Plastic Beach on September 2, before the series concludes with a mystery show on September 3. Details of the shows come after the group announced plans to mark their 25th anniversary with 'House of Kong', a new exhibition at the same venue. For a limited time from August 8 to September 3, fans access the virtual band's headquarters, which offers the whole story of their formation and release of their debut single 'Tomorrow Comes Today' in 2000. Tickets for 'House of Kong' start from £25 and fans can buy them here for exclusive pre-sale access to the shows. 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.' Albarn has also been teasing a new album from the group this year. In an interview with French magazine Les Inrockuptibles, he said: 'I'm finishing a new Gorillaz album. One opera and one new Gorillaz album seems like enough for 2025! Unless someone accuses me of taking my foot off the gas!' The band's last album was 2023's Cracker Island. Read the Rolling Stone UK review of the album here and read our interview with the band here.
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.
