Before They Were Famous: Unseen Photos of Blur on the Brink of Stardom

This recent article from Dazed offers a unique glimpse into the nascent days of Britpop giants Blur, just as they teetered on the brink of international success. 

It previews Dave's new photography book "No One You Know", compiling previously unseen photographs taken by the band’s drummer, Dave Rowntree, during a pivotal 18-month period from 1991 to 1993. 

This was a time of intense transition, capturing the band after the release of their debut album, ‘Leisure’, but before the explosive fame that would follow with ‘Modern Life Is Rubbish’ and ‘Parklife’. 

The images provide an intimate, behind-the-scenes portrait, moving beyond the public persona to show four young men navigating the whirlwind of early acclaim, intensive touring, and the creative forging of their iconic sound.

Rowntree’s perspective as an insider results in candid shots of his bandmates—Damon Albarn, Graham Coxon, and Alex James—in unguarded moments: on tour buses, in cramped dressing rooms, and backstage. 

The wonderful article positions this collection as a vital historical document, humanizing the band and capturing the raw energy and uncertainty of a group on the cusp of defining a cultural era. It’s a visual diary that chronicles not just a band’s journey, but the very making of Britpop mythology from the inside out. It's well worth a read! 

Excerpts from Dave Rowntree's Interview

Hi Dave! Were you always interested in taking photos? 

Dave Rowntree: Yeah, it’s something I've done since I was a kid, from being about seven or eight. But I was never particularly interested in photography. I didn’t study photographs by other photographers, or read photography books or magazines, or collect cameras or anything like that. But I was always interested in making things, and taking photos was part of that. I never saw myself as a photographer, though. 

The book brings together so many photos – way more than I was expecting. Did you feel like it was important to document everything happening to Blur from the off? 

Dave Rowntree: I think I got so into taking photos from the start because it was that fascinating, kind of mad new life for me – for all of us, really. I started before we’d even been signed, the really, really early days of the band. I was still a computer programmer, Damon was doing various bits and bobs, Alex and Graham were still students. 

And all of a sudden we were catapulted into this very different world where we were traveling the globe, and had all these fans interested in what we were doing. We went all over the place: Japan, America, South America, all over Europe to all these places we’d never been before. The British music press reigned supreme in those days. 

You’d be on the cover of Melody Maker but you’d still be playing some grotty venue to 200 people at home, but outside of the UK, being on the cover suggested you were this enormous band, so people took note. We were a tiny band, and our music was quite unfashionable. It wasn’t clear at first that we were going to be the kind of sized band that we ended up being. But I snapped away anyway, because it was all new and exciting to us.

Did the other boys get annoyed with you always having the camera out?

Dave Rowntree: Sometimes, yeah! Damon was a bit annoyed by it now and then, but Graham really played up to it. Alex was okay with it most of the time. I was quite careful not to piss people off where possible, because I didn’t want anyone to say ‘Will you put that bloody camera away?’So no photos of anyone getting up to anything they shouldn’t be, and no intimate photos or anything. 

I’ve got a bunch of undeveloped films in a box somewhere that I’ve had for, like, close to 20 years. Do you still have any more to get developed? Can we expect a second book? 

Dave Rowntree: No, but there were a lot of rolls of film that I sent off to get developed and never got back – in the 80s and 90s, you’d get an envelope from the developer, stick your film in it, send it off, and then a couple of weeks later you’d get the photos back, but sometimes things would go missing and they wouldn’t arrive. I probably would have got them done at some more reputable places, if I’d known they were going to be important! But I guess in those days it always felt kind of throwaway, so what can you do?

Maybe someone has them!

Dave Rowntree: It's possible! But I can't say I'm optimistic, because I'm not. I don't sit by the post box every year, every morning, in hope, kneeling by the front door, waiting for the postman to come, just in case [laughs].

One of my favourite photos from the book is the one where you’re on a Virgin flight to Japan, in first class, smoking. It’s wild that you used to be able to smoke on flights! But you said this marked one of your earliest times travelling so far away. Where is your favourite place to visit?

Dave Rowntree: Oh yeah, it was all bright and shiny and new in those days – everywhere was a new adventure. I really, really love Japan to this day, but in those days, because it was so futuristic, it really felt like you’d gotten into a time machine and travelled 100 years into the future. Now, a lot of these sky-rise cities look more and more similar. But in the 90s, Tokyo had a look all its own. It still does, to some extent of course. 

I also loved the States. None of us had been before, but we’d seen it in films and on TV, like everyone else. So the ordinary, everyday things that Americans took for granted had this kind of mythical feel to us. When we arrived, it felt like Disneyland. What was put on for the tourists, and what was real? You were never really sure. And we saw loads of Europe – I’d never even been to Spain before, and we found that Sweden particularly was very supportive of us. All the travelling in those early days was a dream. 

You mention in the foreword your memory from the beginnings of Blur is pretty hazy. Do you have a favourite photo that helped jog your memory and remember a really amazing moment you’d forgotten?

Dave Rowntree: In some cases it was like ‘Oh yeah, I remember that’ but in others I went ‘Well, who are those people in the picture? Where even is that?’ So it was a mix. But my favourite photos are one of Damon and Graham sitting on the underground in London. 

They’re both dressed in the clothes we were wearing in the super early days of the band, I think even before the first album was out. We’re probably on the way to the studio or on the way home from it. They’ve both got the haircuts we were signed with, these sort of Mancunian bowl cuts that were really fashionable at the time. They both look great – it’s kind of how I still see them really.

The other one is of Damon and Graham again, and we’re all on a fairground ride in the States. We’re up at the top, teetering over the drop right before you lose your stomach when the carriage hurtles down the hill. There’s the excitement and the terror, and you can see it all in their faces. That was what it felt like being in the band in those days. 

We definitely felt like we were being launched upwards, but we didn’t quite know what was going to happen. We didn’t know if this moment was as good as it was ever going to get, or if we were going to be superstars, and, to be honest, the former seemed more likely. Indie bands weren’t getting into the charts back then – our first album peaked at number 41. That was one of the reasons I called the book ‘No One You Know’, which our driver put on the front of our bus. 

So what was it like when you suddenly exploded, in the mid 90s, suddenly scoring all these headlines and going to number one? Did you feel prepared for it? 

Dave Rowntree: Not really, even though we definitely wanted to be a big band right from the start. We wanted to be world famous. That was what it was all about – we didn’t want to be a little band playing tiny gigs. It’s amazing how justified success feels, a result of all your hard work, while failure always seems bitter and unfair, isn’t it? But a lot of it came down to being in the right place at the right time, when ‘fashionable’ music had run its course. Most of the bands that followed in Nirvana’s wake were pretty poor, and the scene kind of died both there and in the UK. 

People were looking around for something else, and us, and Oasis, and a few other bands were doing something that sounded a bit more English, a bit fresh, moving away from the Americanisation of British pop music. And as they did in those days, the music press created a scene out of it and gave it some snappy-sounding names, like ‘Britpop’, and we were off. 

Then our album Parklife did incredibly well and got us awards and loads of international attention. Plus there was the very public feud with Oasis, which put us into the “Country House” chart battle, and subsequently all over the front pages of the tabloids and the headlines of the news.

We were catapulted from the bottom rung to the top of an incredibly long ladder, as it turned out. But whether we were ready for it… I don’t think so. Basically overnight, Graham became a teen pop sensation, with all these screaming girls surrounding him, and he found that quite hard I think. Whereas Alex lapped it up. But all that didn’t last. Our music evolved and became a bit too cerebral, really.

What do you make of Britpop 2.0 and this resurgence it’s having right now?

Dave Rowntree: That’s the first time I’ve heard of it called Britpop 2.0 (laughs). It’s inevitable that people are going to look back and romanticise the past. When I was younger, we did something similar with the 60s, you know? But we filtered out all the shit music that was made in the 60s, and all the rubbish things happening. I made a mental note in the 90s not to fall into the trap of thinking music was great years from then, because there was an awful lot of trash, so much music made for kids. Which there’s nothing wrong with, there’s no reason why kids shouldn’t have music made for them. But are they the songs that are still going to be played 20, 30 years from now? Probably not.

Blur is plastered all over Instagram style accounts and Pinterest boards as fashion icons of the era to take inspiration from now. What do you make of this?

Dave Rowntree: My girlfriend would laugh out loud. I don’t know, really. I always think it’s a shame none of us kept the clothes we were wearing in the old days, because I guess they would have been quite iconic now. What we were wearing helped shape the pop culture of the time, which was largely down to Graham, who was the one who was most interested in clothes. Actually, to be fair, all my old clothes were stolen in Texas, though. We used to have to wash them in launderettes on tour. So I dropped mine in, went to get something to eat, and came back and they were gone.

Even beyond clothes, we don’t have much left – we’ve thrown away all of our stage sets, the early instruments, all this stuff. At one point we were paying through the nose to house a lot of stuff in a storage warehouse, and we met up and were like ‘It’s costing us a fortune, shall we just bin it? No one is interested in it, we’re never going to need it.’ So we chucked it. And then we found out Pink Floyd’s exhibition made more than their tour (laughs).

Do you still take photos when you go on tour now?

Dave Rowntree: No. I stopped a few years into the band. I just got fed up doing it. Life stopped being as new and exciting and dazzling, and the reality of doing it day-in, day-out took over. I just couldn’t be arsed to do it any more. Just like throwing away all the Blur memorabilia. Worst decision ever, really.

What advice would you go back and give yourself or someone else starting out in a band now?

Dave Rowntree: Don’t leave your laundry unattended. Keep taking photos. And try to take care of yourself. Back then it was unfathomable to talk about mental health as a musician, and it was something that went on to feature in my life later on. I should have started earlier. I wouldn’t have listened, of course, but yeah. Look after yourself.

How Damon Albarn Hit Those Iconic Gorillaz High Notes

If you’ve ever listened to the early, genre-bending sounds of Gorillaz and wondered how Damon Albarn reached those incredible falsetto notes, the man himself has finally offered an explanation. And it’s a candid one.

In a recent interview with Rollout Stone, the Blur frontman pulled back the curtain on the creation of the band's self-titled 2001 debut, Gorillaz. The secret to his vocal gymnastics? He credits a chapter of his life he’s since moved on from.

“It was definitely… related to the drugs I was taking,” Albarn revealed. “I was a much more irresponsible human being.”

Reflecting on the album that gave us classics like “Clint Eastwood,” he expressed a sense of wonder at his past self: “I can’t quite believe I can still hit the falsetto. That first record has a crazy amount of falsetto... I was hitting some notes I really didn’t think coming back I’d be able to hit again.”

But there’s a new reason for his vocal optimism. Albarn shared that he quit smoking a year and a half ago, and he’s convinced that ditching cigarettes has given him a “little more of a chance” of reaching those heights again—nearly 25 years later.

This reflection comes as Gorillaz celebrates its legacy with a special series of shows in London. At the Copper Box venue, the virtual band is performing their first three albums in their entirety, building up to a final ‘mystery’ show. Rumors are swirling that this event will be the grand unveiling of their next album.

The buzz doesn't stop there. An accompanying exhibition, House of Kong, has fans speculating that the follow-up to 2023’s Cracker Island is imminent.

And Albarn is certainly not resting on his laurels. Last year, he hinted at a staggeringly busy 2025, confirming he was finishing not only a new Gorillaz album but also The Magic Flute II, La Malediction—an electronic opera sequel to Mozart’s classic.

“One opera and one new Gorillaz album seems like enough for 2025!” he joked to Les Inrockuptibles magazine. “Unless someone accuses me of taking my foot off the gas!”

His passion for the operatic project is palpable. He calls it “one of the best things I’ve ever done” and promises an entirely new experience for audiences. He also hopes to release an album of the opera's songs, describing the upcoming performance as a “first draft” for the curious-minded.

So, from the drug-fueled vocal experiments of the past to a smoke-free, creatively explosive present, Damon Albarn continues to evolve. It seems the voice behind Gorillaz still has plenty of stories left to sing, both high and low.

A Relationship Update: Damon Albarn And Suzi Winstanley

For over two decades, Damon Albarn and Suzi Winstanley were one of the quieter yet enduring creative couples in the British cultural scene. He, the ever-evolving frontman of Blur and Gorillaz; she, a visual artist known for her passion for the natural world and for largely staying out of the spotlight. 

But after more than 25 years together, the relationship appears to have come to an end, silently, privately, and without fanfare.

While the couple never married,  they shared a home, a daughter, and the backdrop to some of Albarn’s most introspective songwriting. 

Their daughter, Missy Albarn, born in 1999, has now become something of a muse and creative companion to Damon in this new chapter of his life. 

In recent months, the two have appeared publicly more often, most notably within the fashion world where Missy is quickly establishing herself as a fresh, stylish presence.

The emotional tremors from the breakup were not explicitly confirmed in interviews, but they have reverberated through Albarn’s recent artistic output. Blur’s 2023 album The Ballad of Darren was their most introspective work to date, filled with lyrics about distance, detachment, and painful reflection. Damon has made no secret of how difficult the past couple of years have been. 

In live performances, such as Blur’s historic 2023 Wembley Stadium show, he appeared visibly moved—dropping to his knees during “Under the Westway” in what many interpreted as a moment of raw vulnerability.

Fast forward to 2025, and the atmosphere around Damon feels transformed. Rather than withdrawing, Albarn has embraced an unexpected new stage: the fashion world. 

In February, the pair made headlines after appearing together at Burberry’s Winter 2025 showcase. Clad in complementary earth-toned looks, the father-daughter duo looked effortlessly stylish and deeply connected.

Their appearance sparked interest across fashion and music media, not just for the aesthetics, but for the story it told. Damon, long known for his aversion to celebrity and his discomfort with being in the spotlight, seemed at ease beside Missy, supportive, even proud. For Missy, the timing couldn’t be better. Now in her mid-twenties, she’s stepping into the cultural sphere not just as “Damon Albarn’s daughter,” but as an emerging personality in her own right, often described as poised, eclectic, and deeply in touch with Gen Z's creative ethos.

There’s something quietly poetic about this shift. After years of turning inward, Damon seems to be reengaging with the world around him not through the stormy chaos of Gorillaz or the nostalgia of Blur, but through shared experiences with his daughter, rooted in style, presence, and evolution.

The breakup with Winstanley may have marked the end of one era, but it appears to have opened the door to another. Damon Albarn, once the reluctant pop star turned cartoon bandleader, is now showing us a different kind of performance: one of emotional resilience, family connection, and subtle reinvention.

As 2025 continues to unfold, fans will no doubt be watching- not just to hear what Damon creates next musically, but to see how this new father-daughter dynamic plays out in public life. 

Gorillaz- The Happy Dictator - A Detailed Look At The Lyrics

Gorillaz, the virtual band masterminded by Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett, has long used its platform to hold a distorted, funhouse mirror up to contemporary society. From the dystopian consumerism of Plastic Beach to the fractured digital anxiety of Humanz, their work serves as a critical commentary on the modern condition. “The Happy Dictator,” a track from the album The Mountain, continues this tradition with chilling precision. 

It is not merely a song but a sonic dissection of a particularly insidious form of modern authoritarianism: one that doesn’t seize power through brute force alone, but through the promised salvation from anxiety, chaos, and the self. It is the soundtrack to a demagogue who offers blissful ignorance in exchange for absolute freedom.

The title itself is a masterful oxymoron that establishes the song’s central thesis. A “dictator” is, by definition, a figure of oppression, control, and fear. To prefix it with “happy” immediately creates a sense of unease, pointing to a regime that maintains power not through overt terror but through the manufactured consent of a sedated and content populace. This is the “velvet glove” mentioned in the first verse—a soft, appealing exterior masking an iron fist of control.

The song’s narrative voice is a chilling monologue from this titular dictator, delivered through the haunting, detached tones of 2-D and the unnervingly cheerful, cult-leader evangelism of featured artist Russell Mael of Sparks. Their vocal interplay is crucial. His voice, often soaring and theatrical, embodies the charismatic, public-facing savior, the one who promises “life again” and to “save your soul, amen” in the intro. 2-D’s softer, more melanchonic delivery represents the weary citizen, perhaps already partially seduced, echoing the dictator’s promises with a hollowed-out compliance. This duality makes the propaganda feel both triumphant and tragically internalized.

The lyrics are a playbook for this new form of control, targeting very modern ailments. The dictator doesn’t appeal to strength or national pride; he preys on vulnerability. He calls to those who are “empty and abstracted,” whose “broken heart is full of rage.” 

In a hyper-connected, overwhelming world where individuals feel powerless against vast systemic forces—be they algorithmic, economic, or political—this offer is potent. The song accurately identifies a core desperation: the desire to be free from the exhausting burden of selfhood and the relentless torrent of “bad news.”

This is where the song’s chorus reveals its dark heart. The promise is not of justice, freedom, or truth, but of mental peace through ignorance: “No more bad news / So you can sleep well at night.” The “palace of your mind will be bright” not because it is filled with light of its own making, but because a single, state-sanctioned narrative has been installed, blinding it to any complicating or distressing facts. This is a direct commentary on the modern media landscape, where algorithms create echo chambers, and the temptation to disengage from complex global issues in favor of simple, curated content is overwhelming. The Happy Dictator is the ultimate algorithm, promising to filter reality itself.

The use of the word “pharmakon” in the first verse is a deeply intellectual and revealing choice. In philosophy, particularly in the works of Jacques Derrida, pharmakon is a Greek term meaning both “remedy” and “poison.” The dictator acknowledges that his solution is a toxic one—it paralyzes the “empire” (which could be the individual’s will or a nation’s critical faculties) even as it promises to cure it. 

This is the Faustian bargain at the song’s core: trade your autonomy, your critical thinking, and your connection to a messy reality for the blissful, simplified happiness he offers. The line “look into the coffin and let me grant your wish” is the most terrifying moment of all. It suggests that the wish for peace is ultimately a death wish—the death of the autonomous self. The coffin is the final, quiet, and “happy” end of individuality.

The second verse further explores the mechanics of this control, capturing the paradoxical pace of modern life: “Everything is slowing down yet everything is faster.” This speaks to a society numbed by consumption and distraction (“while everyone’s consuming”) while the world itself spirals faster into crisis. The dictator’s offer to “save you from yourself” is the ultimate sales pitch for authoritarianism. It suggests that the individual self, with its doubts, fears, and desires, is the problem, and the solution is to subsume it into the collective will of the leader. The “world of fiction” is key; the dictator is aware he is constructing a narrative, a simulacrum that is preferable to reality. He is the author, and the citizens are both his audience and his characters.

Musically, one can imagine Gorillaz framing this lyric with a sound that is deceptively upbeat. The constant, cheerful refrain of “Oh, what a happy land we live in,” sung in a manner reminiscent of a Broadway musical or a commercial jingle, acts as a brainwashing mantra. It’s the enforced positivity that must be repeated until it becomes truth, despite all evidence to the contrary. The repetitive, almost hypnotic “Ah, ah, ah, ah” hooks function similarly—they are sonic sedatives, lulling the listener into the trance the lyrics describe.

In conclusion, “The Happy Dictator” is a profound and unsettling work that transcends simple political critique. It is a psychological profile of the 21st-century desire for escapism and the dangerous figures who promise to provide it. Gorillaz are not just warning us about a dictator in a palace; they are warning us about the dictator within ourselves—the part that is so tired, so enraged, and so abstracted that it would willingly “look into the coffin” for a good night’s sleep. The song argues that the most potent and terrifying tyranny is not one that cages the body, but one that willingly, gratefully imprisons the mind in a bright, happy, and gilded palace. It is a timeless warning delivered with urgent, contemporary relevance.

Song Lyrics

[Intro: Russell Mael]

I am the one to give you life again
I am the one to save your soul, amen

[Verse 1: 2-D & Russell Mael]
As the shadows, they are forming, come and join me centre stage (Oh, what a happy land we live in)
If you're empty and abstracted and your broken heart is full of rage (Oh, what a happy land, oh, yeah)
In a world of fiction, I am a velvet glove (Oh, what a happy land we live in)
I am your soul, your resurrection, I am the love (Oh, what a happy land, oh, yeah)
Ah, ah, ah, ah
Ah, ah, ah, ah
Ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah
So look out to the west now, see where the devil lies (Oh, what a happy land we live in)
Its pharmakon is with you and your empire it is paralysed (Oh, what a happy land, oh, yeah)
I'll propagate eternity and seal it with my kiss (Oh, what a happy land we live in)
So look into the coffin and let me grant your wish (Oh, what a happy land, oh, yeah)

[Chorus: 2-D & Russell Mael]
No more bad news
So you can sleep well at night
And the palace of your mind will be bright
Ah, ah, ah, ah
Ah, ah, ah, ah
Ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah

[Verse 2: 2-D & Russell Mael]
Everything is slowing down yet everything is faster (Oh, what a happy land we live in)
While everyone's consuming I'll save you from yourself (Oh, what a happy land, oh, yeah)
Upon this world of fiction, my love I will bestow (Oh, what a happy land we live in)
And as we march into the future, happiness will grow (Oh, what a happy land, oh, yeah)

Gorillaz- The Happy Dictator (Song Lyrics)

Gorillaz

The Happy Dictator

Single from Album: The Mountain 

[Intro: Russell Mael]
I am the one to give you life again
I am the one to save your soul, amen

[Verse 1: 2-D & Russell Mael]
As the shadows, they are forming, come and join me centre stage (Oh, what a happy land we live in)
If you're empty and abstracted and your broken heart is full of rage (Oh, what a happy land, oh, yeah)
In a world of fiction, I am a velvet glove (Oh, what a happy land we live in)
I am your soul, your resurrection, I am the love (Oh, what a happy land, oh, yeah)
Ah, ah, ah, ah
Ah, ah, ah, ah
Ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah
So look out to the west now, see where the devil lies (Oh, what a happy land we live in)
Its pharmakon is with you and your empire it is paralysed (Oh, what a happy land, oh, yeah)
I'll propagate eternity and seal it with my kiss (Oh, what a happy land we live in)
So look into the coffin and let me grant your wish (Oh, what a happy land, oh, yeah)

[Chorus: 2-D & Russell Mael]
No more bad news
So you can sleep well at night
And the palace of your mind will be bright
Ah, ah, ah, ah
Ah, ah, ah, ah
Ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah

[Verse 2: 2-D & Russell Mael]
Everything is slowing down yet everything is faster (Oh, what a happy land we live in)
While everyone's consuming I'll save you from yourself (Oh, what a happy land, oh, yeah)
Upon this world of fiction, my love I will bestow (Oh, what a happy land we live in)
And as we march into the future, happiness will grow (Oh, what a happy land, oh, yeah)

New Gorillaz Album 2025 - Out Now

Damon Albarn has unveiled the long-awaited next chapter in the Gorillaz discography. Titled The Mountain, the band’s first album since 2023’s Cracker Island is slated for release on March 20 via their freshly launched label, Kong. The album spans 15 tracks and kicks off with a striking new single, “Happy Dictator”, featuring none other than Sparks.

The record’s production credits include Gorillaz themselves, alongside James Ford, Samuel Egglenton, and Remi Kabaka Jr., with special input from Argentine producer Bizarrap. Recording sessions took place at Albarn’s own Studio 13 in London, his studio in Devon, and spanned across India (Mumbai, New Delhi, Rajasthan, Varanasi), Turkmenistan (Ashgabat), Syria (Damascus), and cities across the United States including Los Angeles, Miami, and New York.

The Mountain brings Gorillaz’s signature global sound into even sharper focus, with guest appearances that span five languages: Arabic, English, Hindi, Spanish, and Yoruba. Among the album’s diverse collaborators are Idles, Kara Jackson, Yasiin Bey, Johnny Marr, Black Thought, Anoushka Shankar, and Omar Souleyman. There are also pow
erful posthumous contributions from Bobby Womack, Dave “Trugoy the Dove” Jolicoeur, Dennis Hopper, Mark E. Smith, Proof, and Tony Allen, creating a rich sonic archive that blurs past and present.

Scroll down for the full tracklist and upcoming UK & Ireland tour dates, which kick off March 21 in Manchester and feature guests like Trueno and Sparks on select shows.

The Mountain Tracklist:

1. The Mountain (feat. Dennis Hopper, Ajay Prasanna, Anoushka Shankar, Amaan Ali Bangash & Ayaan Ali Bangash)

2. The Moon Cave (feat. Asha Puthli, Bobby Womack, Dave Jolicoeur, Jalen Ngonda & Black Thought)

3. The Happy Dictator (feat. Sparks)

4. The Hardest Thing (feat. Tony Allen)

5. Orange County (feat. Bizarrap, Kara Jackson & Anoushka Shankar)

6. The God of Lying (feat. Idles)

7. The Empty Dream Machine (feat. Black Thought, Johnny Marr & Anoushka Shankar)

8. The Manifesto (feat. Trueno & Proof)

9. The Plastic Guru (feat. Johnny Marr & Anoushka Shankar)

10. Delirium (feat. Mark E. Smith)

11. Damascus (feat. Omar Souleyman & Yasiin Bey)

12. The Shadowy Light (feat. Asha Bhosle, Gruff Rhys, Ajay Prasanna, Amaan Ali Bangash & Ayaan Ali Bangash)

13. Casablanca (feat. Paul Simonon & Johnny Marr)

14. The Sweet Prince (feat. Ajay Prasanna, Johnny Marr & Anoushka Shankar)

15. The Sad God (feat. Black Thought, Ajay Prasanna & Anoushka Shankar)

UK + Ireland Tour Dates:

• 03-21 – Manchester, England – Co-op Live

• 03-22 – Birmingham, England – BP Pulse Live

• 03-24 – Glasgow, Scotland – OVO Hydro *

• 03-25 – Leeds, England – First Direct Arena *

• 03-27 – Cardiff, Wales – Utilita Arena *

• 03-28 – Nottingham, England – Motorpoint Arena *

• 03-29 – Liverpool, England – M&S Bank Arena *

• 03-31 – Belfast, Northern Ireland – SSE Arena *

• 04-01 – Dublin, Ireland – 3Arena *

• 06-20 – London, England – Tottenham Hotspur Stadium ^*

* with Trueno
^ with Sparks

How Rock Stars Relax and Pamper Themselves

 

Life in the spotlight may look glamorous, but behind the curtain, rock stars often live a whirlwind of endless touring, late-night shows, and creative demands. With such a high-energy lifestyle, it’s no surprise that many musicians seek unique ways to relax and recharge. From indulgent spa routines to the calming comfort of a walk-in bath, rock stars have found their own rituals for self-care.

The Balance Between Chaos and Calm

While music thrives on intensity and passion, even the most iconic figures need downtime. Touring across continents, juggling interviews, and performing in front of thousands can take a toll on both mind and body. To maintain balance, many rock stars schedule dedicated relaxation days where the focus shifts from amplifiers and soundchecks to peace and restoration.

Walk-In Baths: A Luxurious Escape

One surprisingly popular indulgence among performers is the use of walk in baths. Unlike standard tubs, walk-in baths are designed for both safety and comfort, making them ideal for easing muscle aches after a physically demanding activity. The therapeutic benefits—warm water jets, ergonomic seating, and the ability to soak without strain—offer a level of relaxation perfectly suited to artists recovering from the physical demands of touring. For a rock star, slipping into a walk-in bath isn't just about luxury; it's about giving the body the reset it desperately needs.

Damon Albarn’s Calming Approach

Damon Albarn, frontman of Blur and co-creator of Gorillaz, is known for his restless creativity. Yet even for someone constantly experimenting with sound, Albarn emphasises the importance of slowing down. Away from the stage, he has often spoken about his love for quiet spaces, where he can reflect and unwind. For an artist like Albarn, relaxation can be as much about mental clarity as physical rest. Whether it's retreating into nature, spending time with family, or indulging in calming rituals, his approach underscores how essential it is for even the busiest musicians to nurture themselves.

Spa Treatments and Massage Rituals

Many musicians complement their relaxation routines with professional spa treatments. Deep tissue massages are especially popular, helping to ease the strain of repetitive performances. Rock stars often spend hours gripping instruments, moving across stage floors, or headbanging under hot lights—activities that push their bodies to the limit. A therapeutic massage not only soothes the body but also encourages better sleep, which is crucial for artists constantly crossing time zones.

Meditation, Yoga, and Mindful Escapes

The mental demands of fame can be just as taxing as the physical. Increasingly, rock stars are turning to mindfulness practices, including meditation and yoga. These practices help them quiet the noise of public life, reconnect with themselves, and stay grounded. Yoga, in particular, provides both a mental and physical reset, stretching muscles tightened from touring while also calming the mind.

Pampering Beyond the Ordinary

For some, pampering goes beyond traditional relaxation. Rock stars are known to enjoy exotic wellness retreats, private saunas, or even holistic therapies like sound baths. These unique experiences allow them to step away from the demands of celebrity life and reconnect with their creative spirit. Whether it's floating in a sensory-deprivation tank or taking a long soak in a walk-in bath, the goal remains the same: to find tranquillity amid chaos.

Image attributed to Pixabay.com

What Could Be on the New 2025 Gorillaz Album? Clues, Collaborations, Surprises

With Damon Albarn confirming a brand-new Gorillaz album arriving in 2025, speculation is swirling about what fans can expect from the ever-evolving virtual band. Between cryptic interviews, Jamie Hewlett's Instagram confirmation, and a few tantalising quotes in the press, we’re starting to get a picture albeit a surreal, animated one of what’s to come.

From Albarn’s recent comments, we know three key things:

1. The album is due out in 2025/2026.

2. It will feature lyrics in four languages.

3. He’s been working intensively on it alongside his opera, The Magic Flute II, La Malédiction.

That’s more than enough to spark our imaginations. So, let’s dive into the possibilities.

Multilingual Madness: What Are the Four Languages?

The most intriguing teaser so far is that the album will be in four languages. Gorillaz have always operated without national or linguistic borders, and Albarn is no stranger to working with global artists from Mali to Puerto Rico. This could mark the most culturally diverse Gorillaz release yet.

Speculatively, we might see:

• French – fitting given Albarn’s ongoing opera work in Paris and his French media interviews.

• Spanish – Gorillaz collaborated with Bad Bunny on Tormenta, and Albarn has previously shown love for Latin American music.

• Arabic or Hebrew – Albarn recently expressed interest in working with artists from Israel and Palestine, which may be reflected here.

• English – naturally, the band’s core language won’t be left behind.

A multilingual Gorillaz album not only fits the global chaos of the times but may also symbolise Albarn’s intent to transcend political borders through art.

Who Might Feature?

A Gorillaz album wouldn’t be complete without an eclectic mix of guest stars. Past collaborators include Lou Reed, Bobby Womack, Vince Staples, Kali Uchis, Elton John, and Little Simz. On Cracker Island alone, Albarn brought in Thundercat, Stevie Nicks, and Bad Bunny, showing that he’s still pulling A-list guests into the animated universe.

Given his recent remarks and activity, a few strong contenders for the new album include:

• African artists: Albarn continues to champion his Africa Express project, which brings together artists across the African continent. We might see a fresh feature from artists like Fatoumata Diawara, Moonchild Sanelly, or Burna Boy.

• Middle Eastern voices: Following his commentary on wanting to work with musicians from Palestine and Israel, it’s possible that rising voices from this region could be spotlighted — a powerful move in today’s climate.

• European or French artists: As Albarn is based in Paris for his opera, collaborations with French musicians (perhaps Christine and the Queens, Orelsan, or Aya Nakamura) wouldn’t be a stretch.

• Longtime friends: Don’t rule out a return from De La Soul, Little Dragon, or Damon’s Blur bandmate Graham Coxon, either.

Albarn has always approached collaboration with a sense of creative freedom. In past interviews, he’s described Gorillaz as a platform where ideas can emerge spontaneously, saying, “I like making records that feel like a conversation between cultures.”

Sound and Themes: What Will It Feel Like?

While Cracker Island leaned into funky synths, surreal escapism, and satire of cult culture, the next album may take a different turn. Albarn has described the current world as “crazy” and “hysterical” — themes which may well find their way into the music.

Given Albarn’s protest against AI in music — he recently joined over a thousand musicians on a silent album opposing the UK government’s stance — we might see themes of technological anxiety, identity, and resistance woven into the record. Expect eerie electronic textures, dystopian undertones, and philosophical lyrics veiled in pop hooks — classic Gorillaz fare.

And considering Albarn is juggling this alongside an opera, the album may also include orchestral interludes, theatrical arrangements, or even a narrative structure. He’s no stranger to concept-driven projects (Plastic Beach, Humanz), and with the mention of a six-week deadline to finish it, the pressure could fuel something urgent, raw, and experimental.

Live Shows and the Visual World

The new album will also coincide with a series of Gorillaz live performances in London this August and September, where the band will play their past albums in full. These shows, alongside their House of Kong exhibition, suggest that Gorillaz are preparing fans for a bigger narrative arc — perhaps one that this new album will complete or expand.

Jamie Hewlett’s visual contributions will likely follow suit, creating a vivid, possibly cross-cultural animated world that matches the album’s global sound.

If Damon Albarn's recent activity is any indication, the upcoming Gorillaz album will be genre-defying, globe-trotting, and multi-lingual — a sonic antidote to modern chaos and division. With cryptic hints and the usual Gorillaz secrecy, the record could turn out to be a dazzling collage of collaboration, commentary, and catharsis.

One thing’s for sure: it won’t be boring.

Damon Albarn: “Oasis Won the Battle, the War, the Campaign- Everything”

After decades of playful rivalry, Damon Albarn has finally tipped his hat to Oasis, declaring them the ultimate victors of the Britpop era.

The 57-year-old Blur frontman, whose band famously went head-to-head with Oasis during the 1990s, has now “conceded defeat” following the overwhelming demand for tickets to the Gallagher brothers' long-awaited reunion tour.

Reflecting on the infamous Battle of Britpop — when Blur’s Country House beat Oasis’ Roll With It to Number One in 1995, Albarn told The Sun:

“Well, it was obvious, wasn’t it? I think we can officially say that Oasis won the battle, the war, the campaign, everything. 

They are the winners. They take first place. In the face of such overwhelming evidence, I am happy to accept and concede defeat. 

It’s their summer and God bless them. I hope everyone has a wonderful time but I’m going to be in a very, very different place.”

Albarn also shared his thoughts on the emotional toll of reunions — something he experienced himself when Blur played Wembley Stadium in 2023 and expressed admiration for the sheer scale of Oasis' current tour.

“I couldn’t do as many gigs as they’re doing. That’s a lot of the same emotion.
They’re very brave and I hope it’s worth it. You know, money isn’t everything.”

Still, he remains nostalgic for the 90s but not stuck in the past.

“I’m not being funny but it does feel like a more innocent, joyous age than now.
Nostalgia’s OK but I try and stay away from it as much as possible. Sometimes you can’t help but be lost in it.”

While Britpop memories swirl, Albarn has kept his creative engine running. From Gorillaz to his ongoing work with Africa Express, he’s embraced collaboration and stepped away from the spotlight.

“I killed Damon the pop star many years ago. It was a gentle death. I’m just not that interested in being the centre of attention. 

Don’t get me wrong, I embrace it when it’s necessary but it’s only a bit of me.
And Africa Express is always an amazing opportunity just to become one of many.”