Coxon responded by describing his time in the band less than favourably, saying he was “dragged around the fucking world on megalomaniacal trip”. It’s also an album Albarn has described as “the last piece of the jigsaw of us getting our friendship back together” – a statement of unity from a band of old friends whose frazzled, turbulent relationship almost came to and end when guitarist Graham Coxon, fresh from a spell in the Priory for his drink problems, was asked to leave the band in 2002. It’s an album of serendipity and spontaneity. There will be a lot of people here tonight who were at the protests, so it will be interesting to see the reaction.” “Because it’s difficult to talk politically here. “I know that for people here it means quite a lot that I mentioned it,” he says. Walk around the city and you’ll spot traces of the record: right outside the Landmark hotel, where the band are staying, I spy the entrance to New World Towers, which Damon walked past right when he needed a four-syllable title for his song about modern-day loneliness.ĭamon came back to Hong Kong to write the lyrics the day after authorities had scrubbed clean the protestors’ graffiti following the island’s “umbrella revolution”. The end result was The Magic Whip, Blur’s first album in 12 years, and one which was almost entirely inspired by the city, from the neon ice-cream artwork to the lyrics concerning overpopulation (There are Too Many of Us) and the recent pro-democracy protests (Ice Cream Man). It’s the city they were stranded in for five days in 2013 when the Tokyo Rocks festival they were due to play was cancelled, leaving them with nothing to do but spend a week jamming together on the demos Albarn had knocking around on his iPad. Hong Kong might be fairy-free, but it’s a magical place for Blur. But have I seen a fairy? I’m not going to tell you. “Let’s say I believe in the presence of other things. are you saying you believe in fairies?Īlbarn grins, possibly imagining the headlines.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |