October 28, 2011

Damon Albarn's new band name Rocketjuice and The Moon revealed -

(Sourced from NME)


Damon Albarn has named his new band with Flea and Tony Allen Rocketjuice And The Moon.

The Blur and Gorillaz man is due to make his live debut with the Red Hot Chili Peppers man and The Good, The Bad & The Queen cohort on Saturday (October 29) at the Barbican in London.

The performance is taking place as part of the Another Honest Jon's Chop Up! event, which will also see the likes of Malian singer Fatoumata Diawara, Hypnotic Brass Ensemble and Detroit techno man Theo Parrish appear.



Rocketjuice And The Moon have also confirmed their debut album, which is due to be released in the new year, will be self-titled.

Speaking to the Irish Times, Albarn explained that the band didn't come up with the name themselves, commenting:
Someone in Lagos did the sleeve design and that’s the name he gave it, which suits me because trying to find a name for another band is always tricky.

Along with the Rocketjuice And The Moon date, Albarn is also playing two gigs withThe Good, The Bad & The Queen at the capital's Coronet venue on November 10, their first live show since 2008. 






August 10, 2011

Damon Albarn to perform in Guinness Cork Jazz Festival 2011

Back in 2008 we were first presented the first-ever Honest Jon’s Chop Up!, a gathering of music from global artists who all had recorded for the influential West London label Honest Jon’s, which specializes from postwar black music in Britain to African highlife, from 70s English folk to modern Southern Soul. 

And now it’s back! With another helping of extraordinary artists including a new project featuring Damon Albarn, Afrobeat legend Tony Allen and bassist Flea. Plus Malian singer Fatoumata Diawara, Chicago brass sensation Hypnotic Brass and Detroit techno/house alchemist Theo Parrish.

Damon Albarn will be one of the headline acts set to perform at this year's Guinness Cork Jazz Festival on October 21st 2011.


Albarn will lead a collaborative show with 25 other artists under the collective name of 'An Honest Jon's Chop Up' – named after the Britpop icon's music label.

Red Hot Chili Peppers' Flea, and afro beat drummer Tony Allen will also play as part of the group, in what will be the third such performance of the collective. The show will kick off the Jazz weekend, which takes place over the October Bank Holiday Weekend.

For more details of the gig and a full programme of events during the Jazz Festival visit www.guinnessjazzfestival.com.

To book your ticket now, click HERE.

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August 1, 2011

Damon Albarn's new album - DRC Music - Aug 2011

A collective of producers lead by Damon Albarn will visit the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to produce a new album for Oxfam. 

Travelling with Damon to Congo are T-E-E-D (Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs), Dan The Automator, Jneiro Jarel, Richard Russell, Actress, Marc Antoine, Jo Gunton and Kwes. They hope to make an album in 7 days.




Wracked by years of conflict, the DRC is home to one of the world's worst humanitarian crises, and proceeds from the album will go to helping Oxfam's work, helping thousands of the DRC's poorest people. 


Albarn previously visited Mali with Oxfam in 2001 which produced the album Mali Music. He has since recorded in Nigeria with Tony Allen and has visited Congo, Mali and Nigeria with Africa Exprez.

Listen to a section of a new track HERE

Visit their website here



May 31, 2011

Damon Albarn - Doctor Dee Opera 2011 UPDATE

Doctor Dee Opera

Damon Albarn's new opera Doctor Dee has received some press from a double page spread in the 28th May GUARDIAN newspaper, on the guide to Manchester International Festival. 


Quoted from the article, Damon Albarn's new show is a 'modern English opera' directed by Rufus Norris, about Elizabethan thinker and magician John Dee. In Doctor Dee, Damon Albarn will appear as himself, rather than in character, performing with legendary afrobeat drummer (and bandmate in The Good, The Bad and The Queen) Tony Allen. The BBC Philharmonic will be in the pit. There will also be Elizabethan instruments and some ritualistic elements, will be primal, about the life, ambition and belief of John Dee.

Read the whole article by clicking below, thanks damon4president and 2J for the scans.


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