Heroin, fatherhood and the Oasis verdict - Damon Albarn on Newsnight
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- Опубліковано 24 кві 2014
- The summer of 1994 was the summer Britpop ruled the waves -
Twenty years on Stephen Smith goes to meet one of the artists that inspired a generation, Blur front man Damon Albarn
Damon's voice is so beautiful. Deep, manly and suave.
Yes and wonderful accent
To paraphrase Ian Dury: "He comes from Essex, as if you couldn't tell. His given name is Damon, he comes from Colchester and he's doing very well"
RIP Ian Drury. Brilliantly put.
He’s got a bit of a stammer, didn’t notice that before
Ab-ab-absolutley
Damon Albarn needs to have a radio station.
Word.
I would listen to it everyday ♡♡♡
Anurag Sharma I'd never turn it off
Anurag Sharma and a train station.
Anurag Sharma eh eh eh eh em em er her herr do you really think so.......
“That’s not a very grown up question for newsnight” 🤣🤣🤣🤣
His face in that moment just says, "Fuck, again?"
"I'll pass that on".
I fuckin laughed when he said that
🤣🤣🤣
Fucking love Damon, always count on him to be blunt
I don't care who sold the most records - Damon is still the most handsome man of britpop.
Sunny Bear handsome yes but funniest has to be Shaun Ryder 👍🏼👍🏼
and creative
As if Happy Mondays or Stone Roses are anywhere near the body of diverse brilliant songs Blur have done!
Huh what about Alex James
@@aronroyle1523 happy Mondays were brilliant way they were completely different to blur you can't even compare them
The difference is Damon went on to try new ideas and sounds, and created one of the most successful pop bands in recent years - Gorillaz. The Gallagher brothers, great as they were in their day, are still banging out the same chords.
Blur did that too. Albans' own point of Oasis being "better (...at communicating who they are)" is a moot point. Oasis just stayed the same., so that instantly qualifies them as consistently "communicating who they are", but is that a virtue in music, especially with a - albeit well executed - derivative style?
Still sell out any stadiummmmm if it went on sell... but hold on, lets all cut out ear off in the favour of art
You’ve got the Beatles/Bowie model (constantly changing things up) and the AC/DC/The Fall model (incremental changes at best). There’s merit in both approaches
I think Noel tries to experiment musically but Liam still thinks it's 1995
Young Dylan why so defensive
Damon has a beautiful speaking voice.
Tina Hoyi he has a beautiful voice no matter what he does
Caius Camara He’s a private schoolboy, exactly.
him and morgan freeman need to narrate all documentaries
@@delmarhi add Neil Peart to the list too!
Always had
Damon Albarn is a true mature artist like Bowie was. Bowie was never nostalgic for the 70s and always excited for the next project, which is why he continued making interesting music all his life. And this drive to explore and immerse themselves in new world musically is also why they’re so beloved. They’re proud of the work they did in the past, but they’re not stuck in reliving past glories. Even if you don’t like Blur (I don’t care for Britpop at all), Albarn will still find a way to impress you with something he’s up to.
I just saw an interview with Bowie where he keeps interrupting the interviewer to remind him what year it is 😂. He gave great answers though. I can’t imagine the stories he took to his grave.
I agree.. He lives and breathes to create
Not having an addictive nature doesn’t somehow make you better or more responsible it just makes you lucky. Good that he realises that
But also he is wrong. Five days without a cigarette doesn’t prove anything. Try quitting for a few months. I love the man but he was addicted to heroin in the 90s and there have been studies that show you need 90 consecutive days to break a habit or build a new one. That includes addictions.
@@ablurida he's still doing it apparently
@@ablurida
Well, I’m just like that.
But not five days, I can quit smoking like for a month and even forget about cigarettes and then just smoke one while drinking a beer.
Don’t need to wait 90 days, because I’m not addicted really.
@@abluridaI'm the same, I cannot get addicted at all. Tried pretty much everything - dr ugs, al ohol, p*rn, sx, tea coffee caffeine lol nothing. I cannot get addicted. I cannot form hbits either. Like my timetable is random. I eat idd times. I cannot do routine
Comes across as honest, likable, talented and understated - all praiseworthy qualities.
Poor Damon. 1:40 starts STAMMERING
Watch the Nardwuar interview
@@davide0o.o0o06 I was just starting to get into them and that video came up on my recommendations... ruined everything
@@davide0o.o0o06I did and it shows a different side to him. He was laughing at Dave’s behaviour during the interview.
@@davide0o.o0o06 yeah, a video from when they were drugged up 20 years ago really defines their entire personality for the rest of their lives. makes sense
Blur is blur and oasis is oasis. There, I said it, it's ridiculous to compare them to other bands...
+Nisa Jolly (Nisa Jolly) Two totally different sounds and genres
MrSixiesRock I agree
+Nisa Jolly (Mary Mustang) Thank you. Damon called it - kind of a childish question and one you wouldn't expect from respectable news outlets. The whole subject is shit.
Good 90's marketing tho:)
Nail and head there, Benji
HIS FACE at 4:48, after asked who was better: Blur or Oasis. LOL. Damon Albarn is amongst the best human beings of this planet.
You've obviously never met him.
Why? He is a douche?
To be absolutely honest Bruno, i personally have never met him. However, I know someone who has met him on 2 occasions in a work capacity (photo shoot) and they said that he was a humourless tosser on both occasions. The other person I know, who has met him is also a photographer, and said that he was very nice.... but she is Japanese! So I guess he is like most of us; sometimes okay, other times not.
He seems totally like that. A normal person, temperamental sometimes.
MisAnnThorpe yeah, that seems like his personality
Just watched this and thought, "oh shit, it's been 20 years!"... only at the end of it did I realize its been 6 years more....
ich auch;)
Me too and now its almost 7!! 🙈👍🏻
@@THX-22089 years now😭
Fuck I just looked. This came out 10 years ago
I love his answer on Oasis. “I think they were better at communicating what they were...” Leaves you to fill in the blanks. That’s class.
He gave a very grown up answer to a disappointing tired 'ol question. Yup he kept it classy!
Who...they were
"Can you remember what you were doing at the height of Brit-pop"
"PARKLIFE"
Yeah..not listening to this mainstream manufactured ass water.
Questioning the Oasis hype!
Heroin.
Sniffing coke and listening to definitely maybe.
Live for ever.
Damon is one of the most underrated frontman ever he is so very talented for being able to switch up styles just like that and experiment and how he is able to combine 2 or 4 genres in one song which i haven't seen done before!
Damon is not underrated in any way.
@@craz4jaymz me when i lie
And liam is overrated
There is youtube's favorite stupid and overused word, "underrated". A word for those without an original thought, but somehow want to join in the comments section.
This man is so brilliant. He's been making music for decades and still has new material every year.
I feel like Damon has matured so much from who he was in Blur in the 1990s, AND I think his voice his improved which is rare among male singers through that aging process. A true musical genius.
Noel shows that he is an amazing song writer and performer, Oasis are amazing. Damon is an amazing performer and songwriter, Blur are amazing. There you go, we love them all in equal amounts.
i don't..oasis are pretty shit
They speak very highly of you! 69Birdbrain
Only someone with the monicker of John Smith would rate Oasis...boring, everyman uninspired thatcherite drivel for the football terraces
and what do you do?
lets just say i'm in the music business..but whatever i say you're not going to believe me..so i'll just say..Oasis never wrote one truly transcendent song...thats my opinion....they are not real....damon is at least interesting and blur were somewhat imaginative..but to me you have no real view on music if you think oasis are'amazing'.
Damon was so beautiful. Is so beautiful. That nose. He has the face of an angel.
couldn’t have said it better myself
He has a point about Oasis being better at comunicating who they were than Blur.
Because Blur were so much more complicated than Oasis
Probably.
Equilibrium Oasis tapped into the uneducated market, appealing to chavs and yobbos. Blur were trying to say something but most people were to stupid to hear it.
eldospinks I don't give a fuck what they were trying to say, I only care about the music. Oasis had better music, that is it.
Equilibrium I agree. The Beatles do have the best music.
Damon was spot on about Oasis on marketing (or communicating their intended image). He understands Oasis better than Gallaghers understand Blur and is able to appreciate other bands' strengths. Respectful musician indeed.
Alphas set their own pace.
@Barry Is hyperbola your middle name?
Does he f❤❤k
The fact that he was humble enough to even say Oasis were better speaks volumes on his part. I’m a massive Oasis fan, but I seem to fall more and more in love with Damon each day. Sighhh, lovely dreamboat of a man
I never quite understood the comparison, granted I was just a little kid then (born in 1991), but I always found their sound to be so diferent from each other, both bands are great.
Daniearp You had to be there at the time i suppose...
I guess so!
Damon and Blur basically started the comparison when they released a single on the same day. That tied the two bands together in a battle opposed to each other. I loved them both as well though - very different bands with several amazing albums each. I also love Suede and Pulp.
No, their rivalry started before that; that's why they released singles on the same day on purpose, to settle who'd 'win' on the charts. (The rivalry started from Oasis's first album, and their rival single was Roll With It, the lead off their 2nd album.) The rivalry was precisely because they were so different. Blur was more poppy; Oasis more rock. Blur was and spoke to art school kids; Oasis was and spoke to working class. Blur were southerners; Oasis was from the north.
There was all this political and class-based stuff that made the rivalry take on a life of it's own and explains why people are still so passionate today (see some of the Blur fan comments here attacking Oasis as stupid - it's class snobbery).
I'm a Canadian whose barely spent time in the UK and I fucking get it. This is pretty obvious stuff. But maybe Brits don't want to admit the south-north or class divides are still so prevalent and tied to the music. It's also a huge part of why the Roses and Mondays are considered heroes.
The Stone Roses and Happy Mondays are another 2 Manchester bands totally undeserving of the hype and exposure they received. Interesting that you bring class up, because for me, that's the difference between the Blur and Oasis; Blur have/had it, Oasis never did. When did Oasis ever make an out and out classic that will only sound better with the passing of time? Wonderwall? I doubt it! I'm already at the stage where when that bloody song comes on the radio, it just goes straight over my head. There's just not enough about it to stand up to the scrutiny of repeated listening..... although I will concede that the cello on it is really nice; who played that? Liam?! On the other hand; The Universal, on the other hand sounds as much a classic to my ears as something like The Kinks' Waterloo sunset. Can you imagine the kudos it will have acquired in another 10 years?! I always believe in giving credit where it's due though and therefore I will admit that there is an arrogance and cocksure swagger about Supersonic that makes it by far the best thing I've ever heard by Oasis or anything Oasis related. However, when you listen to the likes of 13, Think tank, Demon days, Plastic beach or Dr Dee it's impossible not to acknowledge (begrudgingly; I don't like him!) that Albarn is an extremely gifted individual in the world of pop and far beyond.
Albarn, love him or hate him, is ever-evolving and will be remembered for much deeper contributions to music than Oasis, great as their early records were.
Mister Sifter Come back in 50 years and we’ll debate it then. ;). I love the Gallagher’s. And the early music. But there is no denying how derivative it is. Same would be true of britpop era Blur. Modern version of the Kinks and all that. But Albarn has made much more diverse and inventive music than the Gallagher’s. It’s objectively true. Just listen to the full body of work of each artist. I’m not saying it’s better or that it is enjoyed more. Just that Albarn’s output is deeper and broader. I didn’t say it would be remembered more but I understand your comment.
Blur has 1 fucking good song
Oasis is way better
Dog 2 I’m talking about Damon Albarn, not Blur. But if you want to continue a media-manufactured debate started in 1995, be my guest.
Ever-evolving mediocrity. It will never be as good as the first Oasis albums.
@@adammartin7007 this comment is a year old but i still wanna point out that any gorillaz album easily out performs any oasis album in terms of enjoyability
I love how rational, honest and polite this man is
good human detected
Bad reader of "good" humans detected!
And yes, I am responsible for the sole down vote .
MisAnnThorpe
Wowie aren't you special for being the only dislike
What's so special about being honest? You seem easily impressed...... or maybe you're a liar?!
Please tell me why you think Damon isn't a good person. I don't want to start fights here. Is it because of Oasis Vs Blur?
Damon Albarn: Artist, storyteller, and musical genius. There aren't too many like him left.
and father :)
He was, and still is, a very handsome man good god
damon voice is so warm, it melts my heart.
When getting clean off of Heroin Damon and all his projects helped get me through. Any day I feel bad or start getting overwhelmed by "clean" life I play some Gorillaz or Damons solo stuff and it gets me through. Who need Heroin when you have Damon singing into your ears?
Oh, Beetlebum is your song then
@@robsdianten1 nah, Tender.
Damon is going to be one of those great song writers that will be around for years to come. Sounds like a good guy with a story to tell.
He’s known as a notorious bellend in the industry actually. Which disappointed me.
@@BigFred109Exactly. It’s usually just sycophants defending and praising everything he says and does because they practically worship him but don’t think this guy doesn’t have a huge ego because he certainly does. And I think making music that many like doesn’t give the authority to be a bellend, you should still be a stand up person regardless. There’s just a pretentious aspect to Albarn that I can’t get behind.
@@BigFred109Out of serious interest: What did he do?
I think Damon Albarn is a genius, such an incredible talent (and Im a massive Oasis fan) but like a previous comment is stupid to compare the two bands as different and can't compare the two! Think it would be amazing to see Noel and Damon to collaborate together and think they are both amazing song writers
Congrats on predicting the future with their Gorillaz collab
MissMicaMica not really, Noel already did backing vocals on some live occasions
Collaborating as in songwriting + backing vocals
North and south divide, And the north has always had the best bands, fact!!!
Ben Neyland As a northerner (Liverpudlian more specifically) I have to disagree, sure we had the Beatles but the south has Radiohead, Blur, Gorillaz, Iron Maiden, Pink Floyd, Queen, David Bowie, The Police, The Who, Led Zeppelin and The Rolling Stones, hell even Manchester own chemical brothers are from London and the Beatles even recorded all their songs in London. Have to give credit where it's due.
I was a hard Oasis fan for a while. But just because of Albarn making this statement makes me like him, blur and Gorillaz more than Oasis. What a humble thing for him to say
Apart from the music, Damon Albarn easily walks away with all the awards for just being so genuine and humble. Blur me all day long baby!
Damon Albarn:
Britpop king
Bi icon
Incredibly talented musician
B O O M E R
Alpha Jinks he’s not bi tho?
He is Gen X tho?
He's not bi.right?
He's actually apparently stated he is "an intellectual bisexual"
hes not bi
He didn't say that Oasis music itself was better he said Oasis were better at channeling who they were through their music.
but it actually was
That was an excellent answer about the rivalry. I agree that at the time Oasis were the better group. They had more energy around them and really spoke more to the people. However, over the years Damon and Blur have had more growth and pushed more boundaries whereas Noel & Liam got stuck with similar music and didn’t progress.
Difference between him and the Gallaghers is that he's actually humble
Not really, but he looks humble compared to Liam as everyone does 😂 he does take himself less seriously these days though, very wise.
BLUR gives u a whole universe. Blur has so much artistry, flavor and complexity like no any other band possess not even oasis.
This man is a underrated genius will always respect and admire his work with blur back in the 90s and with the gorrilazs brings back so many memories thank you Damon 👍❤
The most talented and productive guy to come out of the "Britpop" scene. Since this interview he's done a solo album, a blur album, a The Good the Bad and The Queen album, and 3 Gorillaz albums
I have a lot of time for Albarn, extremely talented and a very clever man. I also loved his reaction to the big question. For what it's worth, I love both Blur's and OASIS music, massively.
Oasis may have been better at communicating who they were but Blur/Albarn had much more capacity to evolve. And while I very much enjoyed both in the 90s, I still listen to Blur but very rarely Oasis.
valzer84
Stop lying! As a 10-year old,
you were still playing with Lego’s...
Langelier Fabrice but wings were shit! So Oasis couldn’t have copied them. Dumb comment.
@@startracker5895 Is that you Liam?
Oasis 1 trick pony
Blur were shit 1 good song then stupid lyrics and stupid songs.
That was a brilliant dodge/backhanded compliment: "communicating who they were" = being unadulterated pricks and proud of it.
Joel Shields are you projecting your own passive aggressivity on to that statement by any chance?
3 idiots with an opinion to give . Worst thing about the modern world is what ye make of youtube and the old www? Do you know him personally or did you jus make this opinion when you were an even less educated idiot 20 years ago that now unfortunately has internet , youtube and a keyboard.
Oh very very deep analysis Joe . Yu are clearly a fan of Freud and Jung m. I might be going out in a limb here and say you might be a Blur fan perhaps ? Also clearly a critic and true thespian.
You look deep wit your analysis
Ha, tell it like it is!
To me the difference is that I want to hear new music from Albarn and couldn't care less about Oasis. I know that's just my opinion.
MrRoboskippy albarn is more creative than all of oasis combined. just look at the work he has done with gorrillaz.
Oasis have ripped off one Beatles song, played it at the pace of Status Quo, and stretched it over an entire career. Thanks for playing.
Yes, pure genius isn't it?
To be fair to Oasis, they also ripped off T-Rex, The Sex Pistols and The Stone Roses...
Hypnodelica oasis were the best band on the planet, you can say they stole material from certain bands because they were highly influenced by all those bands you mentioned, but only retards who don't listen to oasis will say that to discredit them. ✌️
Very talented kid Damon, love from Manchester...
blur were the better band because they were way more willing to take risks in their music
They were better musicians Noel almost stole every lick from Harrison and Townshed but still I’m team oasis blur are a sick band tho
Damon, gracious as always, saying Oasis were better. That tells the entire story about the difference between these people, both then and now. Time has more than answered that question.
He's amazing. Just kept evolving and trying new directions. So brave and adventurous.
Graham Coxon is by far the greatest guitarist of the two bands,in a league of his own.
True, then again, even at the height of their rivalry, Noel Gallagher said he had a lot of time for Graham and that he's one of the best guitarists of his generation. Also, you never actually heard Noel deny they are good or had great songs. He said he wished he had written Beetlebum when he heard it. I think the rivalry was more personal, I'm sure as songwriters they must have appreciated one another, which is probably why Damon and Noel are friends now.
Radioheads Jonny greenwood was better than both combined
Philip Kearney Radiohead are better than both combined! ;)
Bernard Butler. Period.
+erin79 no chance... guitar, piano, xylophone, drums, computer programming, writes scores missing out on an Oscar for There will be blood, because a competitor complained one of the pieces had been used elsewhere, thus not making it original. Go check out "climbing the walls" and you'll see he uses a radio...a radio, scanning for adverts, peels paint with his guitar and uses a Ondes Martenot... the fact they're so diverse speaks volumes.
damon is a role model
I love Damon's communication style, so subtle. Oh, and I also love his glasses, I need me a pair of those.
Blur, Oasis, Radiohead , Pulp, The Stone Roses The Happy Mondays, Suede & many others, all brilliant in their own way. The 90's was the best.
Holy Hell his voice really dropped lower, just makes you think how Kurt Cobain would've looked and sounded
Jamie Hellfire everyone’s voice does as you get older
There’s a YT video somewhere of Cobain making a threatening voicemail to a journalist in 1992. Absolutely doped up to his eyeballs, voice barely more than a drawl. That’s a heroin voice.
except cobain was a good singer
holy shit his talking voice is sooooooo dffirent
So, so, so talented.
beautiful man....
Thankful he made it as a singer/singer writer/musician. I adore his work.
I usually can't stand southern posh boys but I'm yet to ever see a bad interview or reason to dislike Damon, always appreciated his music, from growing up as a kid to now.
4:48 "that is not a grown up question for the news now, is it?" IM DYING
I always had a lot of respect for Damon.
I've warmed to him over the years. Now I see him for the exceptional artist that he is.
everyday robots is such a masterpiece.
Extremely talented musician, I was 18 in 95 and it wasn’t a case of Oasis fans hate Blur and Blur fans hate Oasis Most of us liked them both, there were some amazing bands , Ocean colour scene, Cast, the Seahorses, Supergrass, the Verve, Suede etc and if you were into that scene you liked em all, same as 5 years earlier the Mondays and the Roses , The Charlatans, The inspirals you were just into that scene , great era for British music 👍
in love with this guy ^.^
Honesto, Humilde, Hermoso. Lo amo ❤️❤️
Still gorgeous, Damon!
Magic bloke 💚🎧
When asked who is better, Blur or Oasis... he should have said ' Radiohead '.
daweller
That requires a sense of humour and smattering of self deprecation...
@@hyena131 Not really, because I think he is sick of the question... so saying Radiohead would stun the interviewer.
@@daweller
As would a cattle prod or an unexpected Chinese burn. The point being is albarn is slow on his feet and a dullard bore with no sense of humour or irony...
@@hyena131 I bet Liam Gallagher would agree with you. ( I honestly dont know much about the guy )
@@daweller
Maybe so. gallagher equally dull as albarn.
I'm not the greatest fan of his music (I like some Blur songs though) but his personality is so incredibly charming. I could listen to him for hours
Let's face it, there are many well known bands that wouldn't have seen the light of day without Blur and Oasis. As a 90s teen I don't think their influence can be overstated enough, they were truly great times to be a teenager
He is an original. Has always kept going,,making connections, new music with new people. For that i respect him more today then first Blusr came up. I always assumed he was an smartass prettyboy.
Damon is awesome. I love that dude.
Very talented!
love his eyes
Blur where a fucking great band! Happy time with Blur back then, but Oasis where like a kick in the balls, raw loud and proud serious anthems and swagger! Two of the greatest British bands and there's plenty of them! I thank both for sharing their music with us!
"I met him in a crowded room - How many special people change"
If the interviewer and Albarn talk any slower I think time would stand still
Longtime Servant Of The Gun totally agree it was ridiculous to the point it was embarrassing and what the fuck is his new material all about ????
That'll be the heroin mentioned haha!!!
Oh get an attention span for fuck’s sake....
I've noticed most people that have been practicing buddhism for a while start talking and moving about that way.
I saw him in Nottinghill station, my jaw dropped, my childhood crush.. 😍😎
i love him
which is better, your arm or your leg?
Ughm my arm??? Isn't it obvious
which is better, chocolate or shit?
My wanking arm
😂
well put man.
Saw blur in Melbourne and loved it.
I've never seen a man's face age so rapidly as my hero Damon... just 8 years and it's telling.
Wow also his talking voice is so heartwarming. I could listen to him all day.
Blur were great, Oasis were great, Britpop was great. Glad I was around for it all.
I am so happy I found this❤
Wow. He can tickle the ivories when he has a mind to! One of Gen X's greatest!
"I think they were better at communicating who they were." Oh, that's clever. That could be taken in all sorts of ways.
Gal Dagon your clever
Damon has quite a lot of charisma.
He is a precious been. It breaks my heart.
Any man who takes the high road and the low place is clearly better to those who he is compared to. As an oasis fan, I salute you Damon. You are the better man, and thus your band is too.
"That's not a very grownup question" the most grownup statement ever.
I love both Blur & Oasis and always have. Still, I found Noel and Liam's ribbing of them funny. Never changed my feelings about Blur!
Both artists have also proved they can survive, change and mature. Bloody legends the lot of them!
Seen blur at Mile End and was possibly one of best days ever
i could listen to him speak forever
I love Oasis and also love Damon Albarn's music.. I saw Gorillaz live last summer and the atmosphere blew me away...
in my opinion Parklife is one of the best pop rock álbuns ever made. that Record is so tight. there,s not a single bad song in there...
Joao Correia Modern Life is Rubbish was a better album.
Joao Correia IMO
Bank holiday is ropey-ish haha. But I agree
Tyler Watkins it’s charming though
Love Damon and Blur,he is a genius!!!❤
Good to see he seems to have got his life back on track - he looks well
Great answer from Albarn on Oasis. But Blur were clearly better.
me: bitch i love my phone i aint going nowhere without it
damon: we are everyday robots on our phones
me: a phone?? already threw that shit out. im living that natural life 😩