Damon Albarn: Blur reunion gigs healed 'deep wound'

11 April 2012
The Weekender

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Blur frontman Damon Albarn has said the band's reunion gigs last summer healed a deep wound - but "that's that" for now.


That's it for now: Blur are not planning another reunion

The four-piece headlined the Glastonbury festival as part of a string of concerts which also included packing out London's Hyde Park - and T in the Park - despite guitarist Graham Coxon being stricken with food poisoning.

"I feel great about those shows," Albarn told the Radio Times.

"They healed a very deep wound for all four of us.

"T in the Park was one of the most insane days, I have to say.

"Graham was in hospital until an hour-and-a-half before we were supposed to be on stage.

"It was a brilliant reception. But that's that for the moment."

The Britpop pioneers' first new release in seven years - a song called Fool's Day - created massive interest when it hit independent record shops in limited numbers in April.

In May, Albarn revealed plans in the NME for the band to record more new songs, but said it would not be possible to record a whole album in the near future.

Coxon rejoined his bandmates on stage last year after leaving Blur during the recording of their album Think Tank, which was released in 2003.

Albarn is set to top the bill at Glastonbury for the second year in a row - this time with his band Gorillaz - after U2 were forced to drop out of the headline slot.

The virtual group's latest album Plastic Beach features collaborations with artists including Snoop Dogg, Lou Reed and Gruff Rhys.

Albarn said: "I can't expect everyone to traipse round the world with us all the time."

But the magazine reported that the singer, who is also developing an Elizabethan-inspired opera, was hopeful Reed might be persuaded to join the group on Worthy Farm.

Snoop Dogg is already confirmed to play his own set at Glastonbury later this month.

Glastonbury founder Michael Eavis told how the music world rallied round after U2 pulled out due to Bono's spine surgery.

"U2's manager wanted me to be the first to know before the news broke," Eavis told the magazine.

"It was very decent of him.

"Then Bono rang 10 minutes later, telling me how heartbroken he was.

"And then, within a few minutes of word going out, the phone started ringing with all the headline bands in the world offering to replace U2.

"Funnily enough, Gorillaz got in there first.

"It sounds like a really interesting thing, and they have the most amazing guests they're going to bring on, who shall remain nameless.

"It gave me so much encouragement for the future, because it could have been a disaster.

"When we needed them, they (the music industry) came to the rescue."
The full interviews are in the latest issue of the Radio Times.

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