Harry Potter meets Damon Albarn !

I watched the last Harry Potter movie a few days ago, and walking out of the theatre, I can't help feeling a little melancholy about the "end" of an era. An era of Harry Potter fandom and kids growing up along the world of wizards, Hogwarts and the actors that play these wonderful characters.

Surprisingly, I was reminded by TracyJackAlbarn, a fellow Blur fan, that Damon Albarn actually met Harry Potter - or lets call him Daniel Radcliffe, during an interview in the Jonathan Ross Show on March 2007.

Quoted from the 2007 Friday Night with Jonathan Ross episode summary found here: Daniel Radcliffe, who has gone from boy wizard to horse fondler, returns to the show as does Damon Albarn with yet another new band, The Good, The Bad & The Queen. Has he finally formed a good one?

There's a footage, just a snippet of them on the show together, chatting together, I am not sure whether it was backstage on the show or on the actual Harry Potter set,  which appeared in another video interviewing Daniel Radcliffe about the movie.

Apparently, Daniel views Damon Albarn as one of his mentors and person he looks up to!

Watch below, Damon's part is at 0:48:



Anyone offer an opinion on where Damon and Daniel met in the video ? Is it on the Jonathan Ross show in March 2007, or was it on the Harry Potter movie set ?

And why is Daniel Radcliffe dressed up ? Did Damon actually go visit him on set ?

Do let us know on our FACEBOOK page (Click here!) Long live Potter! 

More Doctor Dee Opera updates - Damon Albarn on NME and interview

Just some more updates on Doctor Dee - Damon Albarn's new opera that's going to premier this July. Thanks to 2-J (Gorillaz Unofficial ) from the forums for the heads up.

From this week's NME MAGAZINE - an article with a few new pictures of Damon, sporting a massive beard and talking about his new opera. Click the scans below to enlarge.

Albarn has written 10 new songs that he's going to perform solo in the opera. Looking forward to that very much, especially as one of them, Apple Carts, has been performed in BBC a few days ago. Check that out HERE. 

And thanks to the Gorillaz Unofficial website, Damon did a little interview about the opera with fan submitted questions. Here is what is on the website:

Last week we gave you the opportunity to send in questions about Dr.Dee (through our blog, forums and twitter) which we'd pass on to Damon. The level of response was great and thanks to all of you who submitted questions - these were the ones that Damon picked out to answer, and his responses. A big thanks to Damon and well done to those who got their questions answered!

1. Is Tony Allen going to appear live in the opera?
Damon: Yes

2. How do you think the change in our concepts of 'science' and 'magic' impact on contemporary culture, particularly British? What's your agenda on that, that you'd like to get across [in the opera]? 
Damon: I like to imagine a reality where we had held on to ritual a little longer in England, bring back tea ladies!

3. What composers influenced you when you composed this opera?
Damon: I don’t know how much rubbed off on me, I hope a bit but I listend to a lot of Notre Dame School French Music.

4.Damon, did you get to handle any of Dee's artifacts at the British Museum? Specifically the Shew Stone?
Damon: There was talk of it but as of now I have not physically held it

5. Is it a comedy or a tragedy?
Damon: I think it might be more of a Requimedy

6. when you were creating the opera's music was it possible to travel back in time and start the composing from Dr. Dee's england? In other words how accurately can you channel your mind to a specific place or time when composing? or does it come naturally?
Damon: Music is time

7. In the trailer for Dr. Dee, the music that is played through-out features an African chime which flows with the imagery in it. Will this style of music be present in your new opera?
Damon: African Chime one of 7
-------------------------------------

For More information on Dee check out http://doctorjohndee.tumblr.com/.

Stay tuned and remember to subscribe to Blurballs via email or RSS for the latest, quickest updates on everything Blur, Gorillaz, Damon Albarn and Graham Coxon. 

Alex James talks Blur Reunion 2011

Alex James has spoken on BBC 6 about the possible Blur reunion and whether it's official or not. Looks like it's not, but hey that's not new news. Here's what he said, taken from BBC's twitter account:

Nothing new. Old news. Old news.

Inside Dave Rowntree's head - his blog

Dave's got a blog! Check it out by clicking HERE (and bookmarking it of course...)
He writes about interesting things, and yesterday's post included some information on his Blur days, with the incident where he bullies an interviewer explained.


But first, watch this:


I quote from his entry on the 31st March 2011:

There has been some speculation as to why I accepted a recent blog comment linking to a clip of me bullying the Canadian journalist Nardwuar in 2003.

The reason is, that I can’t take the credit for the things I’ve done that I’m proud of, without taking the blame for the things that I’m ashamed of.

And this is definitely one of the things I’m ashamed of.

There’s no excuse for my bullying, and the reason I did it is perhaps nearly as sordid.

As I’ve written in the past I became addicted to cocaine during the nineties. Now I’ve no idea if it has this effect on anyone else, but for me, the day after a cocaine binge I’d sometimes fly into a murderous rage, and take it out on whoever happened to be around. In this case, it happened to be the journalist.

To be clear, Nardwuar didn’t do anything to provoke me. I sent an apology to him the next day, but I didn’t hear anything back from him, so I assume he didn’t accept it.

These days I keep a clip of the interview on my phone. I don’t drink, smoke or take drugs, and if from time to time I wonder if I’m doing the right thing treading this (sometimes rather lonely) path I play it, and have the answer.

I really admire the guy. He's come a long way, from being a drummer to a politician, lawyer and evolving from the guy behind the scenes in Blur, to a guy worth respecting and admiring for his unique hobbies, talents and speech. 

He's also started writing for The Guardian, check it out by clicking HERE. Interesting, but following Alex Jame's footsteps perhaps? 

What do you think of Dave now and Dave then ? 

Unseen Gorillaz interview

Check this previously unreleased Gorillaz interview. The interview was conducted while they were in France during the tour late last year. Check out the interview on Youtube below.




I love Damon's hat and that Jamie Hewlett is just a laid back, silly cool ape.