Damon Albarn Jamie Hewlett: "We have a kind of monkey madness" (Vanity Fair)

The August 2013 edition of Vanity Fair magazine features an exclusive interview and photo-shoot with Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett, both of whom talked about the relaunch of their opera 'Monkey Journey To The West' in Lincoln Centre, New York this July. 

(Vanity Fair - Aug. 2013 (Click to enlarge. Scan by grahampls)

The production, created by Damon Albarn and his Gorillaz partner Jamie Hewlett, originally premiered at the Manchester International Festival in 2007. The new set of productions will be Monkey: Journey To The West's New York debut.

The duo had much to say about the opera and music, as quoted from Vanity Fair: 

“Like all that has folk resonance, something from its past has carried forward and been delivered in a new way,” says Albarn, who composed the score, which sets traditional Chinese instruments against a contemporary electronic backdrop. “The first song inspired my daughter to start learning Mandarin.” Albarn, who is finishing a solo record, co-produced R&B singer Bobby Womack’s 2012 comeback album, The Bravest Man in the Universe, and headlined the Coachella music festival, in Indio, California, in April with Blur, his own award-winning band. 

"We have a kind of monkey madness"

Jamie Hewlett on his relationship with Damon Albarn

Hewlett, who co-created the comic book Tank Girl in 1988 and won Britain’s Designer of the Year award in 2006 for his work on Gorillaz, created both Monkey’s animation and the fantastical costumes. “Suddenly you realize,” he recalls, “that all these costumes you designed have to be worn by somebody who has to leap 10 feet in the air, stand on somebody’s shoulders while he is singing, and do kung fu.”

Jamie has been busy promoting the opera for various media outlets, including conducting live Q&As on Monkey Journey To The West's official Facebook page. He was also recently interviewed by Inside Hook and Flavorwire.

Monkey: Journey to the West is showing at Lincoln Center through Sunday, July 28. Click here for the full timetable. Click HERE to visit their Facebook page and see the latest updates, pictures and rehearsal snapshots from the opera. 

It's monkey business all the way for the duo - but one question that lingers is when will Damon monkey-around and make a new Gorillaz album? Will Damon change his mind yet again? 

Visit THIS page to see more fantastic images of Jamie Hewlett. 

Blur- Splitting up was best thing we ever did

Blur bass player Alex James says that that best thing the band ever did was split up and that Damon Albarn and Noel Gallagher are now best mates who smoke cigars together.

Blur bass player Alex James says that that best thing the band ever did was split up and that Damon Albarn and Noel Gallagher are now best mates who smoke cigars together.

Speaking ahead of Blur's gig at IMMA, Dublin on Thursday, August 1st with support from Bat for Lashes and The Strypes, James told Today FM's Ray D'Arcy about his new life as a cheesemaker and farmer.

"Blur came to an end in 2003 and at that point we'd been doing the same thing for 15 years and after that amount of time it does become cyclical," he said. "We needed to go off and do other things. 

"We've all worked with other people since then. I think splitting up was the best thing we ever did." 

During the interview, D'Arcy recalled having the old Blur vs Oasis argument with his friends "in Snaffles Nightclub in Kildare" and asked James who did he think eventually won The Battle of Britpop.

"It's funny because these days Damon and Noel are best mates," James said. "They go off and smoke cigars together. I think we realised we were all on the same side eventually."

 The 44-year-old father of five now lives on a farm in Berkshire and makes cheese. "People throw cheese at me when I'm on stage. Some musicians get underwear," he said.

"Ireland is a fantastic place for cheese. I was over there last year looking at Bries. "There are so many great Irish cheeses. Did you know Brie was invented in Ireland? The French monks took it back to Normandy. They stole it!"

Asked what was the most rock `n' roll thing he'd ever done, James said, "We sent a spaceship to Mars."

(Source)

Blur Tour 2013 - Full dates and rundown  HERE
Blur @ Coachella- video and image gallery HERE 

Blur confirmed for Mexico HERE

Blur Europe Tour News  HERE

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

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Blur live in Russia - Photo and Video Gallery 2013

On July 13th 2013, Blur took the Main Stage in Moscow, Russia for the legendary Afisha Picnic Festival. Afisha Picnic is a one day outdoor festival in the area of Kolomenskoye, a state-owned nature reserve and cultural site located near Moscow's city centre.

Attracting over 50,000 people per year, this is one of Blur's biggest gigs in their 2013 World Tour. Blur previously played in smaller venues across France, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Spain and Portugal.

Drummer Dave Rowntree had been DJ-ing in Moscow's Projektor bar the night before the show. The other members of Blur were also there.

The highlight of the night was when Damon Albarn put on a fan-made paper mask of his own face during the song 'Country House", entertaining and pleasing the crowd . Damon also performed a segment of "Intermission" before singing the track "Under The Westway".

Damon Albarn wearing a cut-out mask that he borrowed from a fan 

Damon changed the lyrics for 'Under the Westway' from "watching comets" to "watching satellites"

The audience also played their part during the show. Whilst Blur performed the sixth track "Out Of Time", a few hundred fans waved signs that read"You're Our Love Song". There was also a firework display after the gig as the festival came to an end.

Photo Gallery : Blur live in Russia (Afisha Picnic 2013)

Credits: cobakapavlova, tanyapridchina, tanyapetrosyan, annie_phoenix, clonolivaw, annakhidesheli, pollyabnormal, shesgotspies, agrainel, shaplova

For more pictures, click HERE.

Video - Watch Blur live in Russia 2013










Setlist for Blur at Afisha Picnic, Moscow 2013 

 Theme From Retro
 Girls & Boys 
 Popscene 
 There's No Other Way 
 Beetlebum 
 Out Of Time 
 Trimm Trabb 
 Caramel 
 Coffee & TV 
 Tender 
 Country House 
 Parklife 
 End Of A Century 
 This Is A Low 

 Encore 
 Under The Westway 
 For Tomorrow (Visit To Primrose Hill Extended) 
 The Universal Song 2

Download the Audio

Missed the gig and want to catch up? The audio of the entire gig is available for download HERE (Credits to MrMagpie).

Don't forget to check out the Blur Tour Diary for more pictures and media from all the tour shows. Finally, if you want to check out what concert tickets are for sale in your local area, check out bigticketshop.co.uk to see what's going on around town.

Blur Tour 2013 - Full dates and rundown  HERE
Blur @ Coachella- video and image gallery HERE 

Blur confirmed for Mexico HERE

Blur Europe Tour News  HERE

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

SUBSCRIBE NOW!

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

Remember to subscribe to RSS and "LIKE" BlurBalls on Facebook.

New Damon Albarn collaboration track for Deltron 3030

Hip hop supergroup Deltron 3030's new album 'Event II' will include an exclusive track featuring Damon Albarn. The group's second album will be released on October 1st 2013, and will include a track "What Is This Loneliness" which features Damon and singer Casual.

Deltron 3030 is an alternative group comprising of three members- producer Dan the Automator, rapper Del the Funky Homosapien and Kid Koala. The trio frequently collaborates with various musicians in records, similar to how virtual band Gorillaz combines musicians together for their songs.

Apart from Damon Albarn, other iconic musicians that will be featured include Mike Patton, the Lonely Island, Rage Against the Machine's Zack De La Rocha, Emily Wells, and Jamie Cullum. There are also renowned film actors included in the album: David Cross, Amber Tamblyn, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and chef David Chang.

It's not a surprise; 'Event II' has been in production since 2004 so it seems that the group had plenty of time to scout out new collaborators. Featuring Damon Albarn is also an obvious choice, as the Blur frontman collaborated with Deltron 3030 for their first album in the track "Time Keeps  On Slipping". 

Albarn also worked closely with members of Deltron 3030 for Gorillaz. also worked Dan the Automator also produced Gorillaz's eponymous debut album. Del the Funky Homosapien collaborated with Gorillaz for two songs on their debut album - "Clint Eastwood" and "Rock the House"- both of which became chart-toppers and gained commercial success.

Deltron 3030: Event II -  Tracklist 

01 Stardate [ft. Joseph Gordon-Levitt]
02 The Return
03 Pay the Price
04 Nobody Can [ft. Aaron Bruno of AWOLNATION]
05 Lawnchair Quarterback Pt. 1 [ft. David Cross and Amber Tamblyn]
06 Melding of the Minds [ft. Zach De La Rocha]
07 The Agony [ft. Mary Elizabeth Winstead]
08 Back in the Day [ft. The Lonely Island]
09 Talent Supersedes [ft. Black Rob]
10 Look Across the Sky [ft. Mary Elizabeth Winstead]
11 The Future of Food [ft. David Chang]
12 My Only Love [ft. Emily Wells]
13 What Is This Loneliness [ft. Damon Albarn and Casual]
14 Lawnchair Quarterback Pt. 2 [ft. David Cross and Amber Tamblyn]
15 City Rising From the Ashes [background vocals by Mike Patton]
16 Do You Remember [ft. Jamie Cullum]

For more updates, don't forget to check out Deltron 3030's Facebook page.