So Damon Albarn's at it again. He doesn't seem to realize that he's best when surrounded by the people who know him best – including Graham Coxon. Instead of reuniting with the apparently still active (in the volcanic sense) Blur, however, he's decided that even the semi-anonymity of Gorillaz is not allowing him to fully realize his creative ambitions, and he's united some creamily good musicians who are willing to indulge in his delusions of grandeur.
And it's quite a team he's got together: Tony Allen, renowned drummer from Africa 70 and Fela Kuti; Simon Tong, underrated guitarist from The Verve (and, for this newswriter's money, the best thing about them); and Paul Simonon from The Effin’ Clash. Clearly Damon has been in the pub, playing that game where you build fictional supergroups, except he actually has the panache and draw to make it happen in reality. Not that I'm jealous or anything.
Anyway, despite the obvious potential in the group, the gig that the band performed at Camden Roundhouse as part of the BBC's Electric Proms line-up, featuring their entire album in order, showed that Damon is still the undisputed frontman of this little collective. At one point, he made the band restart a song twice, demonstrating a continued desire to prove the band's relevance and ability.
Whatever one might think of Albarn, this is certainly an interesting venture, and one that might well turn out roses. It's always good to see someone unwilling to rest on laurels, whether pixelated or merely blurred.
