Damon Albarn understands that the health crisis is a “medical emergency” but insists it is also an “existential one” too as he urged governments to allow people to play and listen to live music if they wish to.
He said: “It’s a medical emergency but an existential one as well. You’ve got to allow music to continue … We are trying to preserve everyone’s health at the moment so passionately, we mustn’t ignore live music in that prescription.
“If people are willing to perform, they should be allowed to, no one should be forced to do anything but if people are willing then somehow we can make it work so everyone can feel comfortable and participate.”
Damon recorded the Gorillaz new album in lockdown and whilst he says it shows the “inevitable” anxiety of the period, he was pleased their Zoom studio sessions “didn’t seem to inhibit music in the end”.
He added: “That anxiety is inevitably in it, that we all share. We had planned we’d fly to Atlanta and meet [Elton] there, and that became impossible, but somehow we still found that spirit via Zoom. It’s been an important lifeline for creative work. I’ve never worked like that, it’s always been an in-the-room process, but it didn’t seem to inhibit music in the end.”
Damon feels now more than ever it is important to “imagine the future”.
Speaking to Sky News, he shared: “I try to please but maybe sometimes I challenge more than I please, maybe that’s just me. It’s more important than ever to imagine the future.”
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