Speaking to the BBC; Damon Albarn has hinted that a Blur reunion could be on the cards after he recently met up with former guitarist Graham Coxon.

The singer said the pair had lunch and he is thinking about returning to his original band.

He said: “It’s very possible I’ll go back to Blur, it really is very possible.

“The truth be known Graham and I have been hanging out together a bit. We had lunch the other day.”

Coxon left the band in 2002 to pursue a solo career while the remaining members went on to record their last release Think Tank, a year later.

Bassist Alex James hinted at a reunion in August 2007.

But when the band met up two months later they revealed on their official site that they “met up for an enjoyable lunch” but there were no “other music plans for Blur”.

Albarn said it was good to see his old band member again.

He added: “He’s great, it’s fantastic to get my old friend back. So it’s good but I can’t really say any more than that.”

Over the last five years, the Blur frontman has become heavily involved with side projects The Good, The Bad And The Queen, Africa Express and his other band Gorillaz who he is currently working with on a new album.

“I’m halfway through the next Gorillaz album at the minute,” he said. “That’s going to be interesting and different again.

“This next time around there will be a lot going on in it.”

Albarn is also in the process of bringing his opera Monkey: Journey To The West back to London after it enjoyed success at the Royal Opera House over the summer.

The show, which is performed entirely in Mandarin, is to be staged in the confines of the 02 Arena from 12 November.

Damon Albarn said: “After we staged it at the Royal Opera House there was the question of what do we do with it next.

“There was definitely the interest and demand to come back to London.

“We needed to find somewhere else and we were approached by the 02. They asked whether we would like to work with them and bring it back to London.

“So we decided to build our own tent and make our own world. For kids it’s a magical other world and for adults they can relax and enjoy themselves.”

The opera is based on ancient Chinese stories which feature the character of Monkey, a monk called Tripitaka, half man-half animal Piggsy and Sandy the water demon.

It was turned into a cult TV show in the 1970s.

via BBC News

Damon Albarn has written a new song especially for Sunday’s (28 Oct 2007) “Plague Songs” event being held at London’s Barbican centre.

Acts performing at the event include Imogen Heap, Kenny Anderson (King Creosote), Rufus Wainwright and many more. The show is being curated by David Coulter who was the musical director on Monkey: Journey To The West.

It is still to be confirmed whether Damon will actually perform at the event. For more info and tickets, visit the Barbican website.

Via blur.co.uk

Damon Albarn won the Q Inspiration Award at the Q Awards held in London. The award was presented to Damon by Zane Lowe and Kano. View Damon’s acceptance speech here.

Other winners this year include Paul McCartney, Ian Brown and Kylie Minogue. Tony Wilson was awarded the Q Hero.

The full list of winners can be found at the Q Awards website.

Damon Albarn has made a rare public reference to his former band Blur, during his indie rock supergroup The Good, The Bad and the Queen’s headlining set at Latitude Festival tonight (July 14).

With the recently reported news that the original line up of Blur are due to reconvene in the studio for the first time since 1999, Damon Albarn took the opportunity to reference their classic single, “Song 2″ while introducing The Good, The Bad & The Queen song, “A Soldier’s Tale“.

“I met a squaddie who’d been in Iraq,” he told the Obelisk arena audience at Latitude.

“He told me that they used to play ‘Song 2‘ before… you know” –the suggestion being before they went into combat — “so I guess this is for him.”

The Good, The Bad & The Queen – featuring Clash member Paul Simonon, played their debut album in its entirety, closing the second night of this year’s sell-out Latitude festival.

via Uncut

Damon Albarn has criticised Kaiser Chiefs in the strongest possible terms – by comparing their new album to Blur’s famously underwhelming 1995 record The Great Escape. The singer said: “I’ve made two bad records. The first record [Leisure], which is awful, and The Great Escape, which was messy.

“The Kaiser Chiefs’ new record (Yours Truly, Angry Mob) sounds a bit like The Great Escape in that it sounds a bit empty. Sometimes records are like that if you try too hard to repeat your success.”

It’s quite a change of heart for Albarn. Two years ago he was so moved by a Kaiser Chiefs gig at Leeds Metropolitan University he burst into tears (“I think it was a compliment,” said Kaisers drummer Nick Hodgson at the time).

Kaiser Chiefs – who Liam Gallagher once unfairly dismissed as “a bad Blur” – have made no secret of the debt they owe Albarn and co. What’s more, Ricky Wilson and Damon Albarn have hung out together several times (they even went together to watch ex-Blur guitarist Graham Coxon’s solo gig at South By Southwest in Texas last year).

We wonder if the atmosphere might be a bit more frosty the next time they meet…

via Q4music