Dave Rowntree spins Blur DJ set in Madrid club - 2012

Party, music and a surprising DJ lineup - the latest Blur news is not too Blur-related, but drummer Dave Rowntree will be the DJ in Ocho Y Medio Club, Madrid, on November 13th 2012.

Dave Rowntree's DJ session for this month isn't his first. A forum member said that Dave also DJed for Graham Coxon's solo gigs in London once, back when he was playing drums for the guitarist.

Check out the Spanish club's official website to see what they're all about : http://www.ochoymedioclub.com/

For Blur fans in Spain or Madrid - here's a chance to see Dave Rowntree hit the turntables and party hard. We wonder what songs will be played - perhaps a Blur rock anthem or tune ? Will Dave go for the sounds that influenced early Blur ? After all, the set couldn't be labelled BLUR dj set for nothing.


Order the new Blur: Parklife (Live at Hyde Park CD / DVD) HERE
Order the new Blur boxset HERE

Blur first ever 2012 gig-  Maida Vale gig full coverage HERE

Blur for Spain and Porto HERE

Blur Europe Tour News  HERE

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Damon Albarn - There Could Be a new Gorillaz album

Damon Albarn has hinted at a future new Gorillaz album, and this time it's without Jamie Hewlett.  

In an interview with Shortlist Magazine, Damon Albarn said nothing will change if Gorillaz went ahead and made a new album without Hewlett's illustrations. The only aspect that would be missing is bass player Murdoc's cartoon drawing. 

He said: "It was very much Jamie [Hewlett] did the visuals and I did the music. The music won’t change, so there could be another Gorillaz record tomorrow. It wouldn’t necessarily have Murdoc - the cartoon aspect to it - but musically, no, nothing’s changed whatsoever."

One moment it's over, the other it's on again - Damon Albarn

The Blur frontman also denied rumours that Gorillaz were "over" for good. Damon said that Gorillaz would undoubtedly continue on if Jamie Hewlett and himself reconciled their differences that contributed to their fallout this year. But wait - Damon also mentions how Gorillaz are still going strong in another much earlier interview.

"Jamie wants to do other things and I understand," he said. "But you never know, in a few years he might have a burning desire to draw those pictures again, and as soon as he does that, as far as I’m concerned, there could be another Gorillaz album." 

It seems very likely fans of Albarn and Gorillaz will be getting a new album. It is merely a matter of when the musical pair will agree to work together again. Looks like Gorillaz was, and is not over.

What will be the New Gorillaz sound ?
	Pop - pure bouncy tunes
	Rock - guitars
	World music / African music mixed
	Misc - Albarn's special mixture
	Techno / Electronic
	Other / Don't know

Order the new Blur: Parklife (Live at Hyde Park CD / DVD) HERE
Order the new Blur boxset HERE

Blur first ever 2012 gig-  Maida Vale gig full coverage HERE

Blur for Spain and Porto HERE

Blur Europe Tour News  HERE

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Top 15: Funniest Dave Rowntree Quotes

1. I'm always naked underneath my clothes.
2. I like to be in bed by midnight. Mind you, I like to balloon around the world bathing in a huge vat of lime jelly, and that doesn't happen too often either.
3. [When he painted 'Dave' on his cheek at the 1995 Brit Awards, mimicking Prince's 'Slave'] We have a lot in common. EMI won't release my solo album either.
4. If there's a technical problem with the band I usually get the first phone call. If it's about going to a party then Alex will get the first call, if it's a TV show in Milan then Damon will get the first call and... I can't really think what Graham would get the first call about. I suppose it would be, 'Will you get out of bed, you're late'. That's when Graham would get the first call.
5. There's always a Jimmy from Quadrophenia lookalike at our gigs. Last night's was brilliant. Looked like him, talked like him, wore exactly the same clothes. Never seen the film... (1994)
6. (When asked has he ever kissed any band members) I’ve kissed them all, and most of the crew. Doesn’t mean we’re engaged or anything.
7. I spend about an hour a week answering questions and Alex spends an hour writing his diary. Damon spends an hour picking his nose. I don’t find an hour nearly enough for that
8. We tried to give each other nicknames a couple of years ago, but we couldn’t remember to use them. I was carrot, Damon was ape. The others are lost in the mist of time.
9. I can only live with girls. I have a wife and three girl cats. If I ever have kids I will have the boys adopted. Anyway, there’s less red, and more pink on my head these days.
10. (When asked which musician he’d like to collaborate with, dead or alive) I’d like to collaborate with a dead person if I had the chance. I would get more say in the outcome.
11. "If you want to impress a woman, just say 'barometer'!" - on Women
12. "I don't think anyone who has ever counted drinking amongst their hobbies has never kissed a man." 
13. "I'm sensible and quiet. Alex likes cheese. They're all stereotypes. I suppose if you'd have to reduce your entire existence to one paragraph those words wouldn't be in it." 
14. (Do you smoke? Probably, you do, but have you ever tried to quit smoking?) "I used to smoke. I quit five-ish years ago. Now I run twenty miles a week, and I have nipples as hard as steel." 
15. "That's not how we goof around. In general we don't leapfrog all over each other and carry brightly coloured umbrellas. That's not our normal gooding modus operandi. We're more cerebral when we goof. That is sort of us artificially goofing." Dave - on Parklife's music video, July 2012 (Blur 21 interview). 

Blur at the Q Awards - Then and Now 2012

Here is the roundup of videos and pictures of Blur at the Q Awards 2012.

Blur won 'Best Live Act' at the 2012 Q Awards, beating The Stone Roses and many other bands. Muse took the 'Best Act in the World Today' award, beating competitors such as Lady Gaga and Coldplay. Pulp were also prizewinners. It was a triumph for British bands.

But what was Blur's history with this prestigious music award ? How many times have Blur won anything at the Q Awards before ? The answer is - many, many times. Blur's past awards include:

Q Awards 1994

• Best Album - WINNER (Parklife)
• Best Producer - WINNER (Stephen Street)

Q Awards 1995

• Best Album - WINNER (The Great Escape)

Q Awards 1999

• Best Act In The World Today - WINNER
• Best Producer - WINNER (William Orbit)

Q Awards 2000

• Best Act In The World Today - Nomination

Q Awards 2003

• Best Album - WINNER (Think Tank)
• Best Producer - Nomination (Blur / Ben Hillier)
• Best Act In The World Today - Nomination

Q Awards 2009

• Best Live Act - Nomination

Q Awards 2012

• Best Act In The World Today - Nomination
• Best Live Act - WINNER

For those curious to watch Blur in past Q Awards, scroll down for some archive footage of the band stealing the show. Scroll down even further to watch Blur at the Q Awards 2012, where Alex James speaks after the award ceremony about future Blur plans, playing shows and watch Blur being announced on stage.



New images of the band from the Q Awards 2012:

And some more extra footage of the day - Blur arriving at the Q Awards in London, on the red carpet and at the hotel.

Who should have won 'Best Live Act' ?
	Blur - they deserve it
	Radiohead
	The Stone Roses
	Bruce Springsteen
	The Cribs

Order the new Blur: Parklife (Live at Hyde Park CD / DVD) HERE
Order the new Blur boxset HERE

Blur first ever 2012 gig-  Maida Vale gig full coverage HERE

Blur for Spain and Porto HERE

Blur Europe Tour News  HERE

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Q Awards Best Live Act - And the winner is... Blur !

And the Best Live Act prize winner is... Blur!

Blur won Best Live Act in the 2012 Q Awards on October 22nd! The band beat other nominees including the legendary Stone Roses for the prize, and posed before the awards on the red carpet. Alex, being typical, carried a cigarette and the boys were dressed for the night in typical Brit-boys fashion.

This recognition may mean Damon Albarn's on-off wariness about Blur's future will shift balances - it seems that the people, and those in charge of the music business, want more Blur, more music and more tours.

Rumoured destinations for Blur's new 2013 tour are still to be revealed. So far, confirmed dates include Barcelona (Spain), Portugal and Belgium. Australia, Japan, Argentina and Britain are still unconfirmed.

We at BlurBalls interviewed an unnamed inside source who said that it is highly likely that Blur will release some more new songs, and even a complete album before their 2013 summer world tour. According to the source, EMI has already signed a deal with the band about a new album. No official confirmation from the band is present, however.

Order the new Blur: Parklife (Live at Hyde Park CD / DVD) HERE
Order the new Blur boxset HERE

Blur first ever 2012 gig-  Maida Vale gig full coverage HERE

Blur for Spain and Porto HERE

Blur Europe Tour News  HERE

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If you missed old news, visit the NEWS ARCHIVE to read about past news!

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Will Blur steal the show with two Q Awards in 2012 ?

Blur has been nominated by voters online for two awards at the Q Awards this year. They are the "Best Live Act" award and the "Best Act In The World Today" award. Blur will be up against bands who made a mark in musical history or has contributed much to the London Olympics 2012, such as The Stone Roses and Coldplay, for the prizes. 

The full broadcast will be live on October 22nd 2012, where we will learn whether or not Blur has made their mark once again in the Q Award winner's list. 

Feel free to share the poster above and spread the word - and lets see whether Blur can manage to steal the show by winning all two categories.

Watch the show online and catch up on the show.

Order the new Blur: Parklife (Live at Hyde Park CD / DVD) HERE
Order the new Blur boxset HERE

Blur first ever 2012 gig-  Maida Vale gig full coverage HERE

Blur for Spain and Porto HERE

Blur Europe Tour News  HERE

SUBSCRIBE NOW!

If you missed old news, visit the NEWS ARCHIVE to read about past news!

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Blur 'Parklive' Hyde Park CD - New Release & Pre-order

Great news - Blur's live CD from their Hyde Park 2012 performance in the London Olympics is set for release very, very soon. The live CD, cleverly titled 'Parklive' is being made into a 5 CD / DVD disc set which will be available from December 3rd 2013.

“Blur felt as apt an emblem as any of British culture. Contradictory, creative, and capable… of truly transcendent moments.” THE TIMES

“…park life at its brilliant best.” EVENING STANDARD

As stated on Blur's official website: Blur's Hyde Park show, part of the closing ceremony celebrations for the London 2012 Olympics, will be available on DVD, double CD and digitally on December 3rd. Titled Parklive, the deluxe edition will comprise the whole show, with extras, presented in best-quality audio over 2 CDs with a DVD of the 12-camera shoot directed by Mathew Amos.

Also included is an exclusive CD, 'Blur – Live At The 100 Club' recorded at the legendary London venue in August as part of Converse Represent, with a further CD of special live tracks recorded this summer, including Under The Westway and The Puritan performed live on Twitter from a London rooftop, and recordings from the Wolverhampton warm-up show and BBC Radio Maida Vale sessions.

The discs are housed in a 60-page hardback book containing exclusive photographs from both Hyde Park and the 100 Club and is available from the Blur Store.

Watch the trailer for Blur's ultimate CD 'Parklive: Live at Hyde Park 2013' below. To pre-order a copy  of this deluxe CD/ DVD now, visit blur.co.uk's official page.

What's more - check out the newest merchandise on the Blur official store - it's blue, white, shaped like a rectangle and has eyes, a nose and a mouth. And this little character also features on arguably the most famous Blur video of all time!






Order the new Blur: Parklife (Live at Hyde Park CD / DVD) HERE
Order the new Blur boxset HERE

Blur first ever 2012 gig-  Maida Vale gig full coverage HERE

Blur for Spain and Porto HERE

Blur Europe Tour News  HERE

SUBSCRIBE NOW!

If you missed old news, visit the NEWS ARCHIVE to read about past news!

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Alex James flies Spitfire

What has Alex James been up to recently ? Well, for starts, he's been flying on a Spitfire plane, making videos, and writing for the Telegraph. 



According to Telegraph, Alex "was given the chance to join the Boultbee Academy, a Goodwood-based flying school that compresses as much as possible of what actual trainee spitfire pilots learned, into a two-day course."

"Probably all men dream of being a pilot at some time or another and all pilots want to fly a Spitfire," said Alex. "And it is one of those rare things that is even better than it sounds on paper. 

"Or you could possibly imagine it would be."

Read Alex's personal account of his flight in the Life section of The Sunday Telegraph Magazine in stores this week.

Order the new Blur: Parklife (Live at Hyde Park CD / DVD) HERE

Order the new Blur boxset HERE

Blur first ever 2012 gig-  Maida Vale gig full coverage HERE

Blur for Spain and Porto HERE

Blur Europe Tour News  HERE

SUBSCRIBE NOW!

If you missed old news, visit the NEWS ARCHIVE to read about past news!

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A Blurry Present

On a slightly Blurry tangent - here's what we here at BlurBalls got for a recent birthday present. 

 (thanks D!)