Damon的最新采访
Goodbadqueen.com interview with Damon Albarn
Goodbadqueen.com caught up with Damon Albarn the day after the Camden Roundhouse shows. Tired after a heavy night out, but happy with the ways the shows had gone, we put some questions to him about the band and his other projects. With special thanks to Damon for his time, and Celine aka Babylondon for invaluable assistance.
GBQ: What was up last night with the songs stopping in the middle last night at the Roundhouse show?
Damon Albarn (DA): Yeah that was Paul and Tony. But when we started again, it was even better. They got one of my very severe looks. [shouting] F***ING GET IT RIGHT! [laughs]
GBQ: Well it seemed to work out okay because the second version of Three Changes in particular had everyone jumping...
DA: It was better, it was better. It was all pre-planned [laughs]. I have to say, it only just occurred to me that stopping songs and starting again is a good thing actually. It's hard playing a record that noone knows. But I was really happy, I just had a nice time last night. I said it was nice to be back, and I meant every word of it.
GBQ: How about taking it on the road? What are your live plans for the band?
DA: Yeah in the new year we're going on a British tour. It's been a long time, I can't remember the last time I did a British tour! We're going to play places like Motherwell, and Southsea...
GBQ: Places a bit out of the ordinary?
DA: Not out of the ordinary. Just forgotten by the music industry. Not really off the beaten track - Motherwell for example, that's a big city, just nobody ever goes to it.
GBQ: Is The Good The Bad And The Queen going to be a one-off thing, just the one album?
DA: I don't know. I always start things with no particular plans and just see how they go. Gorillaz started off as a one-off thing and now it's a global phenomenon [laughs]. So who knows. I'm just doing it because I like the guys in the band.
GBQ: Paul Simonon [bass] had said he didn't want to play any more music, he just wanted to be a painter. So how did you convince him to join the band?
DA: I just asked him. I rung him up. And we got on really well. That's why we work together, because we get on so well. I work with my mates, you know? It's the best way to work.
GBQ: I think it's great how, in interviews, the other members of the band have come out and said they feel it's their record as well, even though it started out as your record...
DA: It's definitely their record as well. You can't make solo records, there's no such thing as a solo record. It's a non-existent entity. There'll be people who review it and say 'oh it's just another thing for Damon to do'. That's bullshit. I've got a distinctive voice, but that's all that stays the same with what I do. I can't change my voice! It'd be a bit odd if I changed my voice. But everything else, God no, it all changes. The same thing happens when people say it's just Jamie and me who do Gorillaz. That's just ridiculous. There are thousands of people involved.
GBQ: Your bandmates in this new band have all worked with great musicians and in great bands before, like Paul Simonon, in the Clash with Joe Strummer... do you feel any pressure to live up to these legacies?
DA: Well I'm a massive fan of The Clash. But I'm just different to Joe Strummer. I'm not any better or worse than Joe, just different. There are things that he could do with his voice that I'll never be able to do. And there are certainly things I can do with my voice that he'd never be able to do. You can't compare us, can you? I thought he was a fantastic frontman.
GBQ: People have been suggesting on the fan forums that you might bolster the Good The Bad And The Queen set with a few numbers from your respective back catalogues. How about that, Rock The Casbah for an encore perhaps? [laughs]
DA: [laughing] Yeah we've got enough numbers to keep us going all night, between us! Well, the idea is to play the album. We might add some more, we'll have to see how it goes. For example, we added Mr.Whippy last night, but that doesn't mean we'll do it again. It was just a nice thing to do last night. Never become predictable!
GBQ: We've just had a chat to Jamie Hewlett about plans for the Gorillaz movie...
DA: Yeah, that's what we're doing. I was with Terry last night.(这里的Terry就是Terry Gilliam)
GBQ: Will you be doing some music for the film?
DA: Yeah. Well, I'm doing the film as well. I'm not just doing music for it! I'm not letting them do it on their own!(Damon说做电影他也要参与的,可不只是电影音乐) That's Gorillaz. I don't know what Jamie's been telling you [laughs] - Gorillaz is him and me, 50/50. So he's not making a film unless I want to make a film. [calls over to Jamie] what have you been telling him? That I'm going to be putting music to your film? You've been running away with it have you? [laughs] Well that's it, we're not doing it anymore. Fuck the film [laughs] [GBQ's note: Damon is joking here!] Well the thing is, we've got a great team. Which you're part of. Well, you know what I mean. It's a good team. A lot of really smart people at Zombie. I'm very lucky to work with all these people.
GBQ: Let me rephrase that then - the film that you're doing, your film and Jamie's film [laughs]...
DA: That's better [laughs]
GBQ: ...let's say, while Jamie might be concentrating more on the design elements, you might be doing more work on the musical side. Have you any idea what the music might be like for it?
DA: I haven't really got around to thinking what the album might be like yet. When we get further into the project and the movie takes shape, I'll think about it then.
GBQ: It's great to hear that you and Jamie are carrying on with Gorillaz, the fans are going to be very pleased.
DA: Of course, essentially the next thing we're doing, Monkey, is Gorillaz as well, really. There are contractual reasons why we don't call it that, which we don't have to do if we do it this way. Really, we're going to work together forever I hope.
GBQ: So how's the preparation for Monkey going?
DA: Yeah, I'm writing music for Jamie's sets [laughs]. We went out to China again for more research recently. There was one occasion - we walked to the top of this mountain, and on the way down, Jamie's knee gave out and he had to be carried down by these Tibetan guys. I walked down but took a wrong turn - and ended up having to walk 42 kilometres to find them. They were about to call out a massive search party.. I actually did start to think that it would never end! As far as Monkey's going, we're starting to finish up on that now.(居然又来了一趟中国???)
GBQ: So you have a lot on with Monkey, Gorillaz, The Good The Bad And The Queen... any other future plans?
DA: I'm going to Algeria tomorrow morning to record an album. That'll come out on Honest Jon's. I'm going to be working with musicians I've met on previous trips, basically I've been preparing to do this record for about a year. I'm just going to go over there for five days and do it. It'll be released at the beginning of next year. . (那他明年看来要出2张唱片了)
Goodbadqueen.com caught up with Damon Albarn the day after the Camden Roundhouse shows. Tired after a heavy night out, but happy with the ways the shows had gone, we put some questions to him about the band and his other projects. With special thanks to Damon for his time, and Celine aka Babylondon for invaluable assistance.
GBQ: What was up last night with the songs stopping in the middle last night at the Roundhouse show?
Damon Albarn (DA): Yeah that was Paul and Tony. But when we started again, it was even better. They got one of my very severe looks. [shouting] F***ING GET IT RIGHT! [laughs]
GBQ: Well it seemed to work out okay because the second version of Three Changes in particular had everyone jumping...
DA: It was better, it was better. It was all pre-planned [laughs]. I have to say, it only just occurred to me that stopping songs and starting again is a good thing actually. It's hard playing a record that noone knows. But I was really happy, I just had a nice time last night. I said it was nice to be back, and I meant every word of it.
GBQ: How about taking it on the road? What are your live plans for the band?
DA: Yeah in the new year we're going on a British tour. It's been a long time, I can't remember the last time I did a British tour! We're going to play places like Motherwell, and Southsea...
GBQ: Places a bit out of the ordinary?
DA: Not out of the ordinary. Just forgotten by the music industry. Not really off the beaten track - Motherwell for example, that's a big city, just nobody ever goes to it.
GBQ: Is The Good The Bad And The Queen going to be a one-off thing, just the one album?
DA: I don't know. I always start things with no particular plans and just see how they go. Gorillaz started off as a one-off thing and now it's a global phenomenon [laughs]. So who knows. I'm just doing it because I like the guys in the band.
GBQ: Paul Simonon [bass] had said he didn't want to play any more music, he just wanted to be a painter. So how did you convince him to join the band?
DA: I just asked him. I rung him up. And we got on really well. That's why we work together, because we get on so well. I work with my mates, you know? It's the best way to work.
GBQ: I think it's great how, in interviews, the other members of the band have come out and said they feel it's their record as well, even though it started out as your record...
DA: It's definitely their record as well. You can't make solo records, there's no such thing as a solo record. It's a non-existent entity. There'll be people who review it and say 'oh it's just another thing for Damon to do'. That's bullshit. I've got a distinctive voice, but that's all that stays the same with what I do. I can't change my voice! It'd be a bit odd if I changed my voice. But everything else, God no, it all changes. The same thing happens when people say it's just Jamie and me who do Gorillaz. That's just ridiculous. There are thousands of people involved.
GBQ: Your bandmates in this new band have all worked with great musicians and in great bands before, like Paul Simonon, in the Clash with Joe Strummer... do you feel any pressure to live up to these legacies?
DA: Well I'm a massive fan of The Clash. But I'm just different to Joe Strummer. I'm not any better or worse than Joe, just different. There are things that he could do with his voice that I'll never be able to do. And there are certainly things I can do with my voice that he'd never be able to do. You can't compare us, can you? I thought he was a fantastic frontman.
GBQ: People have been suggesting on the fan forums that you might bolster the Good The Bad And The Queen set with a few numbers from your respective back catalogues. How about that, Rock The Casbah for an encore perhaps? [laughs]
DA: [laughing] Yeah we've got enough numbers to keep us going all night, between us! Well, the idea is to play the album. We might add some more, we'll have to see how it goes. For example, we added Mr.Whippy last night, but that doesn't mean we'll do it again. It was just a nice thing to do last night. Never become predictable!
GBQ: We've just had a chat to Jamie Hewlett about plans for the Gorillaz movie...
DA: Yeah, that's what we're doing. I was with Terry last night.(这里的Terry就是Terry Gilliam)
GBQ: Will you be doing some music for the film?
DA: Yeah. Well, I'm doing the film as well. I'm not just doing music for it! I'm not letting them do it on their own!(Damon说做电影他也要参与的,可不只是电影音乐) That's Gorillaz. I don't know what Jamie's been telling you [laughs] - Gorillaz is him and me, 50/50. So he's not making a film unless I want to make a film. [calls over to Jamie] what have you been telling him? That I'm going to be putting music to your film? You've been running away with it have you? [laughs] Well that's it, we're not doing it anymore. Fuck the film [laughs] [GBQ's note: Damon is joking here!] Well the thing is, we've got a great team. Which you're part of. Well, you know what I mean. It's a good team. A lot of really smart people at Zombie. I'm very lucky to work with all these people.
GBQ: Let me rephrase that then - the film that you're doing, your film and Jamie's film [laughs]...
DA: That's better [laughs]
GBQ: ...let's say, while Jamie might be concentrating more on the design elements, you might be doing more work on the musical side. Have you any idea what the music might be like for it?
DA: I haven't really got around to thinking what the album might be like yet. When we get further into the project and the movie takes shape, I'll think about it then.
GBQ: It's great to hear that you and Jamie are carrying on with Gorillaz, the fans are going to be very pleased.
DA: Of course, essentially the next thing we're doing, Monkey, is Gorillaz as well, really. There are contractual reasons why we don't call it that, which we don't have to do if we do it this way. Really, we're going to work together forever I hope.
GBQ: So how's the preparation for Monkey going?
DA: Yeah, I'm writing music for Jamie's sets [laughs]. We went out to China again for more research recently. There was one occasion - we walked to the top of this mountain, and on the way down, Jamie's knee gave out and he had to be carried down by these Tibetan guys. I walked down but took a wrong turn - and ended up having to walk 42 kilometres to find them. They were about to call out a massive search party.. I actually did start to think that it would never end! As far as Monkey's going, we're starting to finish up on that now.(居然又来了一趟中国???)
GBQ: So you have a lot on with Monkey, Gorillaz, The Good The Bad And The Queen... any other future plans?
DA: I'm going to Algeria tomorrow morning to record an album. That'll come out on Honest Jon's. I'm going to be working with musicians I've met on previous trips, basically I've been preparing to do this record for about a year. I'm just going to go over there for five days and do it. It'll be released at the beginning of next year. . (那他明年看来要出2张唱片了)