Breaking news- Blur has announced that they will be playing in Wembley Stadium, UK on 8th July 2023. The band will playing their only UK show of 2023 at the iconic venue.
Blur will be supported by Slowthai, Self Esteem and Jockstrap. This is the first Blur concert to happen since their reunion gig in 2015, when they released their critically acclaimed album 'The Magic Whip'. The band has not released any new singles since 2015. No other details about the gig has been released.
“We really love playing these songs and thought it’s about time we did it again,” said Damon Albarn, the frontman of the band who became UK's most famous Britpop legend in the 1990s.
Guitarist Graham Coxon said: “I’m really looking forward to playing with my Blur brothers again and revisiting all those great songs. Blur live shows are always amazing for me. A nice guitar and an amp turned right up and loads of smiling faces.”
Bassist Alex James said: “There’s always something really special when the four of us get in a room. It’s nice to think that on 8 July that room will be Wembley Stadium.”
Drummer Dave Rowntree also chipped in: “After the chaos of the last few years, it’s great to get back out to play some songs together on a summer’s day in London. Hope to see you there.”
Tickets will go on sale from 10am on Friday November 18th 2022 and will be available HERE.
Gorillaz's latest single Cracker Island has just been launched on 22nd June 2022, and it's proving to be a banger. The virtual band's latest drop features Thundercat, an American bass guitarist and songwriter from Los Angeles who is a member of the band Suicidal Tendencies.
The new single has been performed live during Gorillaz's latest world tour,, featuring guest vocals from Thundercat. It was not confirmed whether he would appear on the studio mix but it appears that he made the cut.
Damon Albarn, the lead singer and genius behind the band has been busy with his solo career, and this is the first Gorillaz release since 2020’s Song Machine series.
“It’s nice to be back, I’m well into our new tune, it brings back weird and scary memories of stuff that hasn’t happened yet”, Albarn said about the track in a press release, according to NME.
This single is going to be featured on Gorillaz's new album which will be launching in 2022. There is no news on the release date but stay tuned for more.
Meanwhile, listen to the track below!!
Lyrics
[Verse 1: 2-D & Thundercat]
On Cracker Island it was born To the collective of the dawn They were planting seeds at night To grow a made-up paradise Where truth was auto-tuned (Forever Cult) But it's sadness I consume (Forever Cult) Into my format everyday (Forever Cult) In the end I need to pay (What world is this) In the end I have to pay (I purged my soul) In the end I have to pay (I drank tonight) I've got nothing more to say (I drank tonight)
[Chorus 1: 2-D & Thundercat]
They taught themselves to be occult They didn't know its many strategies They taught themselves to be occult They didn't know its many strategies (Fantasies) What world is this? What world is this?
[Verse 2: 2-D & Thundercat] On Cracker Island it was raised (Hey, hey, hey, hey) By the collective from the grave (Hey, hey, hey, hey) It only came out at night (Hey, hey, hey, hey) It ate up their paradise (Paradise) Where truth was auto-tune (Forever Cult) And it's sadness I consume (Forever Cult) And I heard it everyday (Forever Cult) In the end I had to pay (What world is this) Out there on the silver lake (I was not there) Everything it will be great (Beneath the hills) I'm like a ship between the tide (I saw myself) I held on to my surprise (We feel the void)
[Chorus 2: 2-D]
They thought themselves to be a cult They didn't know it's many strategies They taught themselves to be a cult They didn't know it's many strategies Tragedies
[Verse 3: 2-D & Thundercat]
On Cracker Island it will die (Forever Cult) Join the collective from the sky (Forever Cult) And on the shining bolt of light (Forever Cult) Go out to paradise (What world is this) Where the truth is auto-tuned (I purged my soul) And it's sadness I consumed (I drank tonight) Into my format everyday (I drank tonight) In the end, I had to pay (Forever Cult) In the end, I had to pay (Forever Cult) In the end, it will be great (Forever Cult) Nothing more to say Nothing more to say, now Nothing more to say There's nothing more to say
Graham Coxon has always been the most stylish man from Blur. We all know it, and we cannot deny it. Nicknamed "tweedo" by fans, Graham Coxon is known for his signature British suits, chelsea boots, leather jackets and classy gentlemen-esque fashion. If you want to dress like the famed Blur guitarist, look no further. Here are some recommendations for your style picks.
1. Classic Black Leather Belt
Graham Coxon frequently wears suits for photoshoots and formal occasions. Getting a black leather belt is therefore essential if you want to dress like Graham Coxon. A classic black belt, such as from the lovely selection of Men's Belts over atTrendhim, fits the bill perfectly. Trendhim's a lovely men's gift shop that sells a lot of stylish accessories for men, and they have a lot of accessories that the Blur boys would wear, including cufflinks, bow ties and silk ties. Their items are great quality (tried and tested by the owners of this blog!) and they ship worldwide. As for Graham, he often dons on his tweed suit with matching shoes and a belt, plus a fancy shirt to finish the look off. Black leather belts goes well with 90s and 2000s suits, which Graham Coxon often appears in during Blur photoshoots.
2. Striped Tee
Graham Coxon's look would not be complete without a signature striped t-shirt. Striped tees scream "hipster" but Graham Coxon perhaps invented the hipster chic look before it became cool. The guitarist is known for his awesome collection of t-shirts, including some bizarrely striped ones in green and yellow. In fact, Graham Coxon is often seen wearing striped t-shirts during Blur gigs, and fan favorites include the blue-striped tee, the yellow striped tee and of course, his red/black striped long sleeved shirt!
3. Blue blue jeans
4. Funky shirts
A guitarist wouldn't be complete without his collection of eye-catching, funky shirts, and Graham Coxon is no exception. The guitarist is known for his unusual shirts such as the one below, featuring green and red stripes. Stripes definitely seem to be Graham Coxon's thing, and we think that his wardrobe would be teeming with different vintage shirts. Try out something a bit more colorful if you want to mimic his early 2000s look.
5. Waistcoat
Finally, Graham Coxon is always seen with a black waistcoat which would be worn over his white tee. This unusual look screams "I am a guitarist" and looks smart but laidback at the same time- just like Graham Coxon's personality! Graham Coxon has always been somewhat of a vintage man, and he is known for his archaic collection of tweed suits and blazers. The waistcoat is a nod to his love of classical pieces such as the three-piece suit.
Dressing like Graham Coxon is simple, and the man is simply one of the most fashionable guitarists of all time. Hope these tips helped!
Damon Albarn is undoubtedly having a musical revival in 2021- and this time's he's back in his full glory with his 2021-2022 Piano Tour. The singer, who has spent lockdown writing songs and releasing a new solo album 'The Nearer the Fountain, More Pure The Stream Flows', has recently been seen on tour in England and just played at the Union Chapel, London, on 15th December 2021.
However, fans will be delighted to know that Damon's new tour isn't just about promoting his new solo album. He also revives classic Blur and Gorillaz tracks by playing them with a piano band- featuring one bassist, two violinists and one cello player, an ensemble which accompanied him throughout his shows. Blurballs will review his Union Chapel performance exclusively, but we want to share some of his latest piano covers below for your enjoyment.
1. No Distance Left To Run
2. Beetlebum
3. The Universal
4. For Tomorrow
Damon Albarn's latest Union Chapel show in London features piano versions of 'Girls and Boys', 'El Manana', 'End of a Century', 'For Tomorrow' and more. It looks like fans are in for a treat when they go and see Damon's latest tour. If you haven't booked tickets yet, we highly recommend you check out his tour now.
If you have any footages from his latest tour that you'd like us to post, please email our team!
Damon Albarn's long-awaited solo album may just be the hottest thing in 2021, and it's finally out for pre-order today. The album, titled The Nearer The Fountain, More Pure The Stream Flows, is finally available for fans to order before it's official launch on 21st November 2021.
The Nearer The Fountain, More Pure The Stream Flows was originally not intended to be produced as an album, but as an orchestral piece inspired by the landscapes of Iceland. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Damon Albarn returned to Iceland where he found new musical inspiration and recorded this 10-track album which explores the themes of loss, fragility and emergence. The album is essentially a story of Damon Albarn's journey with music, discovering Iceland and the loss of previous identities.
A new track, titled "Royal Morning Blue", was released today via Youtube and is available for streaming online. You can listen to it below.
TRACK LISTING
The Nearer The Fountain, More Pure The Stream Flows
Damon Albarn has released a brand new track. Titled ‘The Tower Of Montevideo’, it’s the latest to be lifted from his new solo album ‘The Nearer The Fountain, More Pure The Stream Flows’, which is set to arrive on 12th November 2021. You can check out the track now via a live video directed by Transgressive Records founder Toby L.
Speaking to NME ahead of the album’s release, Albarn expounded on how it was conceptualised as a way to lift him out of the “storms” of the outside world and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. “I just felt like the beginning of this year was so grim and I had to do something to lift me out of those, I wouldn’t call doldrums, but storms – those terrible north wind storms that you get down by the sea in Devon sometimes,” he explained.
Damon Albarn is set to perform in a new tour next February for a run that includes two nights at London’s Barbican Hall.
The singer recently a cryptic message: "At the end of the world, Stay by my side" while posting a photo of himself playing the piano over the sunset.
Damon Albarn has released “Polaris,” the lead single from his upcoming solo album The Nearer the Fountain, More Pure the Stream Flows, out November 12th via Transgressive Records. The song arrived on Tuesday with an accompanying live performance video featuring Albarn on piano as he leads his band and a string quartet through the orchestral rock track.
The “Polaris” clip is the first in a series of performance videos from Albarn titled Sublime Boulevards – Performance Films. Directed by Transgressive Records founder Toby L and shot in black and white, the video series will feature selections from The Nearer the Fountain, More Pure the Stream Flows, and will be premiered in stages leading up to the album’s release date.
Albarn originally intended for his new album to be an orchestral piece inspired by the landscapes of Iceland. However, during the Covid-19 lockdown of 2020, he began to develop the 11 tracks further into narrative pop songs.
The hybrid sound can be heard on the album’s title track, which Albarn previewed last month. The Nearer the Fountain, More Pure the Stream Flows takes its title from the poem “Love and Memory” by John Clare and marks Albarn’s first solo LP since 2014’s Everyday Robots.
Along with a digital release, Albarn is prepping a limited-edition color vinyl version of The Nearer the Fountain, More Pure the Stream Flows, as well as versions on CD and cassette. There will also be a deluxe version packaged in a casebound book with additional photography, original scanned lyrics, original artwork, a copy of the album pressed on white vinyl, and a bonus seven-inch featuring an exclusive song from the recording sessions.
Watch the video below to see the full performance.
Damon Albarn- Polaris (Lyrics)
Polaris
If you get blown off course
In filling in the parts of your life that have disappeared
Blur and Gorillaz frontman Damon Albarn has described his return to the stage as "kind of like getting back into a dating game".
Albarn performed as part of the Manchester International Festival 2 weeks ago for the first time since the start of the coronavirus pandemic. Speaking at Manchester Central, he said: "These places need to be alive and if it's OK for Wembley to have 60,000 people, then it's definitely alright for this to have 10,000 people."
Watch a video below for an interview before his Manchester performance.
With the amount of time spent at home listening to Blur music, my house is getting pretty dirty and messy. Working from home isn't easy, but today I want to share a robot vacuum cleaner that I used to speed up my cleaning process.
LeJoyis a new brand selling robot vacuum cleaners, something that I've always wanted to try. Seriously, vacuuming takes me a long time and these gadgets have been around for years. I've never quite managed to save up enough to buy one, but thisLD20 Robot Vacuum Cleaneris affordable (only around 290 GBP on Amazon) and shipping only took a day for Prime members.
This is my honest review of the robot vacuum cleaner, which came in a compact, beautiful box. Take a look below!
For starters, this vacuum cleaner is ultra quiet. It enables me to listen to Damon Albarn singing while it cleans- yes it's that quiet. My normal vacuum cleaner was cheap and inefficient, and was so loud that it hurts my ears. This little device saved me from so much time! In terms of the power, the vacuum cleaner is strong enough to suck up all the dust from my carpets, and the hairs lying around. The rotating brushes picks up small pieces of dirt and does really well with cleaning crumbs and little bits of food on the floor.
This cleaner doubles up as a mop too, so it's fantastic if you have hard floors. Living in the UK means that there are lots of dust and dirt around the air, especially being in a city- vacuuming is such a chore. Overall, I'd rate this cleaner a 9/10 and would recommend it as an addition to any house. Note that it can't clean the whole house by itself as it's quite a compact package, so you'd probably add it to a cleaning routine rather than use it to replace your existing vacuum.
Use FLOW15 for 15% off Lejoy!
Note: this is a sponsored post. Blurballs may have received compensation for the review but all opinions are completely honest and genuine.
