Blur frontman Damon Albarn has been mocked after he blamed touring woes on Brexit. Speaking to Channel 4, Albarn was discussing the impact of Brexit on young up-and-coming musicians. Following his comments, one Twitter user was less than impressed.
Following Albarn’s criticism of the impact of Brexit, Twitter user Harry Webb wrote: “Try reading the story of the Quarrymen/Beatles in Hamburg.”
The Quarrymen was a British rock and roll group formed by John Lennon in 1956; the spinoff of the band became the Beatles.
Damon Albarn opens up on being mocked
Speaking to Channel 4 about Brexit, Albarn said:
“Brexit’s been a disaster for younger musicians because they, pre Brexit you could be a young band and you could kind of go over to Europe and play bottom of the bill in festivals and sort of camp.
“And you know, you wouldn’t be paid hardly anything, but your experience would be life-changing, whether you went on in the future to do bigger and better things, it doesn’t matter, that’s like a solid foundation for the rest of your life.
Albarn added:
“That kind of creativity has very much been curtailed for people on this island because it’s expensive now to go over there.
“It’s not straightforward. You have to pay for visas and all that stuff that wasn’t necessary. So it’s a terrible…it’s a travesty.
“Brexit was a travesty and people are waking up to that now, thank goodness. But it was a disaster. Spiritually, economically – just rubbish. Brexit is rubbish.”
Blur, who exploded onto the British music scene in the early 1990s with hits like “Girls & Boys” and “Parklife”, surprised fans on Thursday by announcing their ninth studio album, “The Ballad of Darren”, would be released on July 21. First track “The Narcissist” is already out.
Blur recently played in hometown, Colchester on Friday, the first of a series of shows in Britain and around Europe. The band will also play two major gigs at London’s Wembley Stadium in July.
