Throwing everything we learned from the ’90s on its head, Blur bass player Alex James has said that one of the great musical rivalries of the decade, Blur vs Oasis, is no more, with Damon Albarn and Noel Gallagher now in fact good chums.
Speaking to Irish radio host Ray D’Arcy, James said that the two have become friends since playing together at London’s Royal Albert Hall for a Teenage Cancer Trust gig. “Ironically Noel and Damon are like best mates now. They go off and smoke cigars together. I think we realised we’re all on the same side eventually.” Wow. What’s next: Dave Grohl and Courtney Love mellowing in their middle age and having cups of tea together?
James also shed some light on Blur’s break-up, saying it was the best thing that could have happened to the Britpop outfit:
“It was 2003 when Blur really kind of stopped. And it had been 15 years of us doing the same thing, just the four of us. That’s a long time. I think we just all needed to go off and do other things. We’ve all worked with other people. So when we come back to play together I think we do it just because we want to – there’s no pressure… It’s actually the best thing we ever did, splitting up.”
He then spoke of the band’s reformation to play at London’s Hyde Park to mark the closing of the Olympic Games:
“Back in 2009 when we got back together, they were the best shows we’d ever done. And I think we all thought that was a good place to leave it, maybe. Then we got the call to do this big show last summer to mark the end of the Olympics and I think we all felt we can’t really say no to that. It’s such an honour to be asked. And it was so brilliant, we thought what’s not to like?”
Here’s hoping that Blur are having such a good time performing together that they decide to bring the show Down Under. Damon Albarn himself confirmed last month that a new record from the Parklife legends is on its way, as well as his debut solo record, so hopefully we’ll be seeing the guys sooner rather than later.
(via NME)
