Damon Albarn announces one-off London solo show
Damon Albarn has announced a one-off show in London later this month.
The Blur and Gorillaz man will showcase tracks from his new record ‘The Nearer The Fountain, More Pure The Stream Flows’ at the Globe Theatre on September 20. Tickets go on sale this Friday (September 10) and you can purchase them here.
He will be accompanied by his band and a string quartet for the show.
It comes ahead of his new record, which is out on November 12. So far Albarn has shared three tracks from the album – ‘Particles‘, ‘Polaris’ and the title track.
Albarn announced in June that he’d be signing to Transgressive Records to release the follow-up to his 2014 solo debut ‘Everday Robots.
He debuted a number of album tracks at Glastonbury’s Live At Worthy Farm livestream that month, then again at Latitude Festival in July.
Meanwhile, Gorillaz released a surprise new EP earlier this month – ‘Meanwhile‘, which features AJ Tracey and is a celebration of Notting Hill Carnival.
The three-track EP, also features Jelani Blackman and Alicaì Harley. Its title comes from Meanwhile Gardens, the site of the band’s first ever live performance, where they played ‘Clint Eastwood’ at the Middle Row Records soundsystem in 2000.
Reviewing ‘Meanwhile’, NME wrote: “Overall, ‘Meanwhile’ is a great pick-me-up for those still down-and-out that they can’t dance at the annual celebration this year.
“But as we all go to parties and other events to mark this Bank Holiday weekend, it’s the perfect soundtrack to get you in the spirit before you go and wreck a dancefloor.”
The new EP arrived as part of Gorillaz’ 20th anniversary celebrations, which began earlier this year with the anniversary of their 2001 debut album. Alongside the celebration of the record, the band have teased a forthcoming series of album reissues, beginning with the self-titled record, which will arrive later this year.
The EP’s title track was previewed at the band’s recent sold out shows at The O2 in London, one of which was attended solely by NHS workers.
Reviewing the gigs, NME wrote: “West London rapper Jelani Blackman features alongside London’s Mangrove Steel Band on ‘Meanwhile’, a new song previewed tonight that capture the spirit of carnival the vibrant optimism of the steel band underpinning his confident bars.”
