29 June 2024 , 16:51
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Damon Albarn made a surprise appearance at Glastonbury, urging fans to make their voices heard in the upcoming UK election.
The 56 year old musician, who famously headlined the iconic festival with Blur in 2009, took to the Pyramid Stage on Friday alongside Bombay Bicycle Club, two months on from his band's nightmare set at Coachella Festival in America.
During his guest performance, Albarn didn't shy away from political commentary, addressing the situation in Palestine and the significance of voting. "Three things: you have to show me how you feel about it - are you pro Palestine? Do you feel that's an unfair war? " he asked the audience.
He also highlighted the importance of participating in the democratic process despite potential voter ambivalence, and quipped about the age of world leaders, saying, "The importance of voting next week - I don't blame you for being ambivalent about that - but it's still really important. And thirdly - maybe it's time we stopped putting octogenarians in charge of the whole world? ".
Bombay Bicycle Club shared the backstory of their unexpected collaboration with Damon Albarn. Speaking to Sky News, the indie rockers expressed their astonishment at having him feature on their 2023 track 'Heaven' and performing live with them. They revealed, "We were never expecting to have him on the record or to be playing a show with him, but ... we just kind of asked, and he was really up for it. You don't ask, you don't get." They added that with Albarn, a simple invitation is all it takes.
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Before hitting the stage together, Bombay Bicycle Club hinted at a special guest appearance. In an interview with Radio X, guitarist Jamie MacColl played coy when asked if any collaborators would be joining them at Glastonbury, only revealing, "There is, but we can't say who I'm afraid! " However, he did confirm that this mystery artist was featured on their latest album, 'My Big Day', simply stating, "Yeah [they're on the album]."
Back in April, the Blur frontman had a bone to pick with the indifferent Coachella crowd, swearing off a return after they failed to join in during their performance. Footage on social media showed Albarn's growing irritation with the audience as Blur powered through a 13-track setlist at the iconic festival. Despite delivering energetic renditions of '90s anthems like "Girls and Boys," "Popscene," and "Song 2," the band's efforts to involve the crowd fell on silent ears.
Albarn repeatedly tried to rally the attendees into singing along with the hits, but the tepid response from the American audience only fuelled his exasperation. Eventually, the 56 year old rocker snapped, declaring: "You're never seeing us again, so you might as well f*****g sing it."
Loyal Blur enthusiasts expressed their dismay over the lukewarm reception to the legendary group's set, flooding the TikTok comments section of the viral clip. One fan lamented: "They have THE Blur playing song two... and that's the crowds reaction... in the uk there would be beers flying." Another chimed in: "The UK would go absolutely feral over this. The crowd is very disappointing."