Blur’s Damon Albarn tells lacklustre Coachella crowd ‘you’ll never see us again’
It started with a gentle “I need your participation, please”, as Blur frontman Damon Albarn sought an audience singalong during a Coachella performance.
But as the British rock band were consistently met with near-silence, an increasingly frustrated Albarn eventually remarked: “You’ll never see us again”.
The English band have released nine albums since its formation in 1988, seven of which reached No 1 in the charts, including their latest record, The Ballad of Darren, which was produced following an eight-year break.
But some of their hits did not seem to resonate with audiences at the world-famous Coachella festival, held at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California, over the weekend.
During their Saturday slot, the group, part of a star-studded line-up, performed a host of their hits including Song 2, Beetlebum and Tender.
As the band struck up the chords to their 1994 hit Girls & Boys, lead singer Albarn, 56, tried to encourage the crowd to sing along to the chorus, saying: “I need your participation, please.”
In videos shared on social media, he can be seen attempting to engage the concert-goers a number of times, telling them “you can do it better than that”, but his efforts continued to receive a lacklustre response from the US crowd.
Damon Albarn of British band Blur performs during the Coachella Music Festival in Indio, California in 2013. Pic: Reuters
The musician appeared to get increasingly frustrated until he told the audience: “You’ll never see us again so you may as
well f****** sing it.”
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Dressed in a white suit and a black T-shirt paired with a pair of black sunglasses, Albarn led the band, which also includes guitarist Graham Coxon, bass guitarist Alex James and drummer Dave Rowntree.
Blur have released nine albums in total, including 1994’s Parklife, 1995’s The Great Escape, 1997’s Blur, 1999’s 13, 2003’s Think Tank and 2015’s The Magic Whip – which all went to number one in the charts.
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The group helped pioneer the Britpop genre, fiercely competing with rival band Oasis in the charts over the years.
They went on hiatus after their 2015 Magic Whip tour, but came back last year with their first record for eight years, titled The Ballad Of Darren, which soared to number one.
Singer-songwriter Raye and dance outfit Jungle were also among the British acts who took to the Coachella stage over the weekend.
London-born Raye teased her next music project during her set, the follow-up to her award-winning debut album My 21st Century Blues.
Last month, she overtook Blur, Harry Styles and Adele by picking up the most Brit awards in one year during the 2024 ceremony.
Entertainment
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The Duchess of Sussex has delayed the release of her new Netflix series due to the devastation caused by the wildfires in LA, the streaming platform has announced.
Meghan’s eight-part series, With Love, will premiere on 4 March instead of 15 January.
“I’m thankful to my partners at Netflix for supporting me in delaying the launch, as we focus on the needs of those impacted by the wildfires in my home state of California,” Meghan said in a statement to Tudum, the official companion site to Netflix.
Harry and Meghan comforted volunteers and handed out food to evacuees during a visit to Pasadena on Friday, where they met with the city’s mayor Victor Gordo and emergency workers tackling the Eaton Fire.
Prince Harry and Meghan were seen comforting residents on Friday
Footage showed the duchess, wearing a blue “LA” baseball cap, and the prince hugging and consoling people who had fled to the Pasadena Convention Center.
They were also seen speaking Doug Goodwin, whose home was destroyed in the wildfires, and also to Jose Andres, founder of World Central Kitchen (WCK) which has been helping feed the public and emergency crews.
Prince Harry and Meghan spoke to Doug Goodwin (centre right), whose home was destroyed and Pasadena mayor Victor Gordo (right) in Altadena, California. Pic: AP
A description of the Netflix series on Tudum’s website said: “Produced by Meghan, ‘With Love, Meghan’ blends practical how-to’s and candid conversation with friends, new and old.
“Meghan shares personal tips and tricks, embracing playfulness over perfection, and highlights how easy it can be to create beauty, even in the unexpected.
“She and her guests roll up their sleeves in the kitchen, the garden, and beyond, and invite you to do the same.”
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The royals live in Montecito, near Santa Barbara, around 90 miles from Los Angeles.
They are understood to have donated supplies, including clothing and children’s items, to people affected by the disaster.
They released a statement on Thursday urging people to help those affected by the wildfires and to open their homes to those evacuated.
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