In a historic referendum, Britain voted to leave the European Union, leaving a wave of economic uncertainty that has left many musicians and entertainment industry members crestfallen and outraged.
British musicians like Blur's Damon Albarn and British indie pop band Bastille used the stages of Glastonbury Festival as a platform. "Democracy failed us because it was ill-informed," Albarn said Friday morning onstage.
Bastille changed the lyrics of their hit "Pompeii" during a live acoustic set, with frontman Dan Smith singing, "And the pound kept tumbling down on the weekend that we love." The British pound sank to its lowest level in 31 years following the decision.
The "Brexit" vote means that over the next two years, Britain will negotiate its secession plan with the EU, the 28-state economic and political union initiated after World War II and formally established in 1993. Many fear that one of the repercussions of the Brexit will be the secession of Scotland from the U.K. since Scots voted to remain in the EU. British prime minister David Cameron also announced his resignation hours after the vote to leave the EU was determined.
Many members of the music community took to social media to voice dismay over the vote, including Oasis' Noel and Liam Gallagher, Dev Hynes, Disclosure, Ellie Goulding, Johnny Marr, Lily Allen and J.K. Rowling.
Damon Albarn is known for his short, snappy interviews, mysterious ways and sometimes awkward and outlandish suggestions. This is, of course, bearing in mind that he is one of the greatest musicians in England at the moment. Here are some insightful and beautiful quotes from some of his latest interviews in 2015 and 2016. 1. "Everyone was using the flashes on their cameras, so there was this moment, like a mania, when everyone started flashing-flashing-flashing and you could see it down the coast. In itself, it was kind of a magnificent event" - on the last solar eclipse of the century in 1999.
Albarn always has his way with words. Nostalgic Albarn is even more sentimental.
2. “When I’m lonely, I press play."
Self-explanatory really, though don't get misled from the sexual innuendo. No, we don't think Albarn means something in another context. Really. Albarn admits it in one of the album's singles, the jet-lagged video for which he shot on his iPad.
3. "Actually, a lot of Gorillaz songs were very personal. I mean, that’s why it was interesting, because it wasn’t music being made for a cartoon. It was something different. It was a much more emotional affair. I wasn't necessarily thinking in the third-person then."
4. "Let’s say I believe in the presence of other things. But have I seen a fairy? I’m not going to tell you ...” - when asked whether he believed in fairies in Hong Kong.
5. “No, nothing about Alex annoys me. He’s one of my dearest friends, but I don’t know what Alex’s political views are. We do music, not politics. We’re not a four-piece political act. So whether we agree or disagree is neither here nor there. Besides, I don’t surround myself with people who agree with me. Where’s the fun in that?” - on Alex James's quirks.
6. "Religiously, 10:30AM-5:00PM. I get anxious if it gets to quarter to six” - on his schedule. We see the perfectionist creeping back out of him.
7. "We’re in a moment of extraordinary transition as a species, and what is the outcome of that? Are we going to become closer to ourselves or are we going to become more distant?” - on Everyday Robots and its inspiration. We think Damon is going on a bit of a rant here.
8. "Do you spend all your day talking to everybody as opposed to actually doing something? Is that something that just teenagers do, or will people grow out of it? It only really just occurred to me and it’s probably just a load of old bollocks, but I have been thinking that the reason we had so many big cults back when I was younger is because there was no social media, and that was a way of feeling you were in a community. But now to become part of a community is so much easier." - on questioning the existence of social media.
9. "I have great respect for anyone who makes a fantastic musicial... but I never said that I hate modern musicals." - on BBC Breakfast, defending his hatred for modern musicals.
For you music lovers, concert fanatics and music-festival goers, nothing is more painful than deciding what to wear and where to buy it. In case you've been living under a rock for the past few years, a cool site called Everything5pounds has the cheapest and coolest clothing in Britain. They sell ex-high street brands (ex meaning that the high street brands like New Look, Top Shop and Dorothy Perkins etc can't sell off their stock) for 5 pounds each.
Yes, everything on their site is exactly 5 pounds! We've chosen a few items for our summer festival outfits, and they're all pretty high quality stuff. All of their stock comes from high street brands, so we got some from Forever 21, Ideal Shoes (sold on Amazon) and more.
Not only do they have mens and women's clothing, but they also sell accessories, bags and shoes. It's just perfect for budget concert goers like the folks here, as the styles are versatile and pretty impressive.
Check their shop out, if you ever need some quick, high quality clothing for your next Gorillaz or Blur concert!
The title says it all- here's a tribute to the greatest band in the world: Blur. These pictures are from around 15 years ago, when the band was still on tour and up and about.
