Gorillaz To Sell Exclusive NFTs to Fans - What's Next?

Cryptocurrencies are all in the trend right now. Bitcoin? Check. Altcoins? Going up with insane prices. Non-fungible tokens (NFTs)? Well, Gorillaz has officially entered the market. 

If you've not heard about NFTs you might be wondering what exactly are these exotic new digital goods? NFTs are essentially digital property which contains a special identifier located on a blockchain. Usually, these are run on the Ethereum network, but newer altcoins such as Cardano and Polkadots have the capacity to host NFTs on them. Imagine owning a piece of digital art that is unique because no matter how much other people replicate them, you own the original piece with it's unique identifier. 

Being a virtual band, it is of no surprise that Gorillaz has recently begun to delve into the NFT space. In light of the 20th anniversary of their debut album, Gorillaz have announced a host of new products for fans to get their hands on. 

Amongst these special anniversary merchandise and artwork is a range of art collectibles that will be made available as NFTs. The Gorillaz NFT collection is a collaboration with the company Superplastic, who the band has already worked with in the past. It is unclear where or when these NFTs will be released, but it can be assumed that they will be on sale in one of the major NFT marketplaces like Rarible or OpenSea. 

Gorillaz's decision enter into the NFT market has been criticised by some fans and websites as "hypocritical". Fans claim that the band's environmentally conscious album "Plastic Beach" advocates preserving the environment. Yet, NFTs are plagued by climate controversies and sources claim that each sale of NFTs consume extremely high amounts of electricity. 

On the other hand, cryptocurrency lovers and investors may be interested in purchasing these lucrative NFTs. Celebrities have embraced the NFT hype with fervour and artists have been making up to a few million in profits for a single sale of NFTs. Some view NFTs as a long-term investment, and who knows if Gorillaz's tokens will appreciate in value over the next ten years. One thing's for sure, NFTs are here to stay. 

One can't help wondering- what's next? Will there be a Gorillaz cryptocurrency? Who knows. 

Damon Albarn to perform in a Glastonbury Festival in May

Head's up Blur fans- Damon Albarn is set to perform on stage in Glastonbury Festival  on the 22nd May 2021 at 19:00 BST. This means that there's going to be an epic lineup featuring Coldplay, Haim, Idles, Jorja Smith, Kano, Michael Kiwanuka, Wolf Alice, and DJ Honey Dijon, as well as other talented musicians in the UK. 

The Glastonbury Festival is going to be streamed live to global audiences online, and promises to be an epic showcase of musical talent. The stream will be directed by Paul Dugdale, and will be filmed in the Worthy Farm site at landmarks including the Pyramid Field and the Stone Circle.

“After two Glastonbury cancellations, it brings us great pleasure to announce our first online livestream, which will present live music performances filmed across Worthy Farm at landmarks including the Pyramid and, for the first time ever, the Stone Circle,” festival organizer Emily Eavis said. 

Glastonbury Festival:

Saturday, 22 May 2021 at 19:00 BST

“It will feature a rolling cast of artists and performers who have all given us enormous support by agreeing to take part in this event, showing the farm as you have never seen it. There will also be some very special guest appearances and collaborations. We are hoping this will bring a bit of Glastonbury to your homes and that for one night only people all over the world will be able to join us on this journey through the farm together.”

Glastonbury Festival has been predicted to lose out on millions of pounds this year due to ongoing cancellations caused by the global pandemic. The festival recently received a £900,000 grant as part of Government's Culture Recovery Fund. It is hoped that the live stream event will attract viewers from all over the world. 

The concert will be available only to ticket holders. The tickets are selling for £20, €23, $27.50 and AUD$35. A special festival poster for the event is also on sale, with proceeds going to Stagehand, the live-production welfare and benevolent fund, which is helping crew who have fallen through gaps in the U.K. government financial support during the coronavirus pandemic. Usually, ticket sales for Glastonbury disappears in a few hours but since this is a livestream, it seems that the tickets are uncapped. 

To buy tickets, visit THIS link. 

Visit Glastonbury Festival's official website HERE. 

Feeling a bit nostalgic? Check out Blur perform "Tender" at Glastonbury in 2009 during the great reunion. 

Funniest Damon Albarn Moments from the Past

With Damon Albarn celebrating his 53rd birthday in March, now's a good time to watch some funny clips of the man himself throughout his musical career. Take a look below to see the funniest Damon Albarn moments from the past! 

Warning: this video is guaranteed to make you laugh and extremely nostalgic. 

Damon Albarn shops in London with partner Suzi Winstanley

The bandage appeared to be off on Tuesday as Damon Albarn stepped out with long time partner Suzi Winstanley after injuring his hand during an unfortunate accident with a kitchen blender. 

The Blur singer, 52, had previously been spotted with protective dressing on his finger following the bizarre incident at his London home in December. 

But he appeared to be fully healed on Tuesday during an appearance with artist Suzi in trendy Notting Hill.

His casual appearance was accentuated with a black beanie hat, while a raffish red patterned scarf rounded things off. Suzi appeared to match his offbeat look in a a camouflage army jacket and faded cargo trousers as they made their way onto the street.

According to The Sun, Albarn injured his hand while making Christmas dinner for his family. The star had previously been spending time at his farm in Devon after briefly moving their with his partner Suzi, daughter Missy, 18, and parents Keith and Hazel in March. 

In October, Damon, who is worth around £30million, told The Sun: 'I was getting up in the morning, going to get food, preparing food, going to the studio, coming back at lunch, cooking, going back to the studio, coming back and cooking again for the family. I was busy. 'Going into lockdown, I was reasonable in the kitchen. 

It's not that I'm a more accomplished cook now, I'm just more efficient and confident. 'I can cook most things and my baking is a lot better but still with room for improvement. It’s very hard to bake in an Aga because the heat’s not consistent.