Damon Albarn announces intimate piano UK tour
He plays five dates in December 2021
Last updated 5th Nov 2021
Blur and Gorillaz icon Damon Albarn has announced a very special piano UK tour for December 2021.
The relatively intimate solo tour will see Damon take to the stage accompanied by only his piano.
The five-date trek opens at York Minster on Thursday 2nd December and calls in at Norwich UEA, Newcastle The Boiler Shop and Glasgow St Luke’s before culminating at Coventry Empire on Tuesday 7th December.
Tickets to the tour are on sale now right here.
Damon Albarn will be performing tracks from his new solo album ‘The Nearer the Fountain, More Pure the Stream Flows’ together with select fan favourites.
Gorillaz, meanwhile, have just announced that they’re bringing their acclaimed 2020 virtual show at Kong Studios HQ in London to the big screen for one day only on Wednesday 8th December.
Released via Trafalgar Releasing and LIVENow, 'Gorillaz present Song Machine Live From Kong’ features collaborations with The Cure’s Robert Smith, Peter Hook, Matt Berry, Slaves and many more.
Tickets go on sale from songmachineliveincinemas.com on Thursday 11th November.
See Damon Albarn at the following shows:
DECEMBER 2021
York Minster – Thu 2nd
Norwich UEA – Sat 4th
Newcastle The Boiler Shop – Sun 5th
Glasgow St Luke’s – Mon 6th
Coventry Empire – Tue 7th
15 album covers that look similar to other album covers, including Gorillaz and Blur:
Gorillaz - ‘Demon Days’ (2005)
The work of Gorillaz illustrator Jamie Hewlett, the virtual band's second album is adorned with side profiles of Stuart "2-D" Pot, Murdoc Niccals, Noodle, and Russel Hobbs.
The Beatles - ‘Let It Be’ (1970)
The black background and four white squares featuring the band members on 'Demon Days' is, of course, a direct parody of The Beatles' final studio album 'Let It Be.'
The Clash - ‘London Calling’ (1979)
The seminal cover to The Clash's masterpiece 'London Calling' features a black-and-white image of bassist Paul Simonon smashing his Fender Precision Bass at the Palladium in New York City. It was created by designer Ray Lowry.
Elvis Presley - ‘Elvis Presley’ (1956)
With its pink and green lettering and black-and-white photo, 'London Calling' pays direct homage to Elvis Presley's self-titled debut album from 23 years earlier.
Coldplay - ‘A Head Full of Dreams’ (2015)
The kaleidoscopic artwork for Coldplay's seventh album was created by Argentine artist Pilar Zeta in collaboration with the band.
Bring Me The Horizon - ‘Sempiternal’ (2013)
BMTH frontman Oli Sykes took to Twitter upon seeing the 'A Head Full of Dreams' accusing Coldplay of mimicking 'Sempiternal' from two years earlier. Sykes later toned down his stance, saying both bands used the universal "flower of life" symbol, which he doesn't own any rights to.
Britney Spears - ‘… Baby One More Time’ (1999)
The international edition of Britney Spears' debut album '… Baby One More Time' depicts the pop singer looking into the camera with her hands pensively placed to her face.
Björk - ‘Debut’ (1993)
'… Baby One More Time' may not be a direct copy of Björk's first album, but the pose is strikingly similar.
Iron Maiden - ‘Powerslave’ (1984)
The heavy metal legends' long-term artist Derek Riggs designed the Ancient Egyptian themed cover to their fifth album 'Powerslave.'
Earth, Wind & Fire - ‘All n’ All’ (1977)
Visually, Iron Maiden's 'Powerslave' is extremely similar to Earth, Wind & Fire's album 'All n' All' from seven years earlier. Maiden artist Derek Riggs has dismissed the idea he copied the funk icons, saying: "Somebody somewhere said it was inspired by an Earth Wind & Fire cover, but that's just crap. Because of the song Bruce wrote it had to be Egyptian, so I went back to the tomb of Rameses 2 and copied the idea from that (just like Earth, Wind & Fire did) but mine is better. It's also got a hieroglyph Micky mouse in the bottom left corner. Ha! Earth Wind and Fire don't have a Mickey Mouse. Obviously inferior."
Mötley Crüe – ‘Too Fast for Love’ (1981)
The artwork to Mötley Crüe's debut album features a close-up of a rock star's crotch area.
The Rolling Stones - ‘Sticky Fingers’ (1971)
Mötley Crüe's 'Too Fast for Love' is, of course, a direct tribute to The Rolling Stones' infamous 'Sticky Fingers artwork from a decade earlier. Created by legendary artist Andy Warhol, the visible outline of the model's manhood caused quite a stir upon the album's release 49 years ago.
Flying Lotus - ‘Los Angeles’ (2008)
American electronic musician Flying Lotus' second album 'Los Angeles' came with abstract art created by Timothy Saccenti.
Massive Attack - ‘Mezzanine’ (1998)
'Los Angeles' is clearly a direct nod to the cover of Massive Attack's brooding opus 'Mezzanine', which is adorned with a male stag beetle.
Blur - ‘Parklife’ (1994)
The iconic sleeve to Blur's breakthrough album 'Parklife' features a photograph of that great British pastime, greyhound racing. The artwork is so famous it was issued as a stamp by Royal Mail in 2010.
Dub Sex - ‘Then & Now’ (1987)
Echoing 'Parklife', Manchester indie band Dub Sex also featured greyhound racing on the cover to their 1987 single 'Then & Now.'
Deep Purple – ‘Deep Purple’ (1969)
The dark and macabre cover artwork to 1969's self-titled 'Deep Purple' is adorned with the right-hand painting from Hieronymus Bosch's 15th Century triptych The Garden of Earthly Delights, which depicts hell.
Pearls Before Swine - ‘One Nation Underground’ (1967)
Deep Purple weren't the first band to use The Garden of Earthly Delights on their album sleeve – Floridian psychedelic folk act Pearls Before Swine had a detail from it on their 1967 debut album 'One Nation Underground'.
Manowar - ‘Fighting the World’ (1987)
Manowar enlisted fantasy artist Ken Kelly to create the 'Fighting the World' sleeve.
Kiss - ‘Destroyer’ (1976)
The 'Destroyer' cover art was also designed by Ken Kelly and features Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons, Ace Frehley and Peter Criss standing atop some rubble with a destroyed buildings in the background.
Tom Waits - ‘The Heart of Saturday Night’ (1974)
Gravelly voiced singer Tom Waits' second album features an illustration of a tired Waits being observed by a blonde prostitute as he exits a neon-lit cocktail lounge late at night.
Frank Sinatra - ‘In the Wee Small Hours’ (1955)
Tom Waits' 'The Heart of Saturday Night' is based on 'In the Wee Small Hours' by Frank Sinatra, which depicts the singer on an eerie and deserted street awash in blue-tinged streetlights. Tom Waits listed 'In the Wee Small Hours' as his favourite album of all time in a 2005 interview with The Guardian.
Led Zeppelin – ‘Physical Graffiti’ (1975)
Led Zeppelin's iconic 'Physical Graffiti' depicts two side-by-side tenement buildings located at 96 and 98 St. Mark's Place in New York's East Village. JFK assassin Lee Harvey Oswald, astronaut Neil Armstrong, Elizabeth Taylor as Cleopatra, King Kong, the Virgin Mary, Judy Garland and Led Zeppelin themselves are among the faces peering out of the windows.
Jose Feliciano - ‘Compartments’ (1973)
The concept for Led Zeppelin's 'Physical Grafitti' cover was allegedly inspired by the sleeve on Puerto Rican guitarist Jose Feliciano's 1973 album 'Compartments', which features different paces peering out of windows.
David Byrne – ‘Grown Backwards’ (2004)
The Talking Heads frontman's sixth solo album features a photograph of Byrne gazing into the yonder.
Phil Collins – ‘… But Seriously’ (1989)
Genesis drummer/vocalist Phil Collins also gazed pensively into the yonder on his fourth solo album.
Eminem – ‘Kamikaze’ (2018)
Surprise released in the summer of 2018, 'Kamikaze' is adorned with an image of fighter pilot LT. Mathers III crashing an F-86 Sabre fighter jet into something.
Beatie Boys – ‘Licence To Ill’ (1986)
The Eminem 'Kamikaze' cover is a direct homage to The Beastie Boys' 1986 album 'Licence To Ill.' Eminem has cited Beastie Boys as a big inspiration in numerous interviews, however Ad-Rock and Mike D said they weren't consulted about the Eminem cover before it was released.
Sleater Kinney – ‘Dig Me Out’ (1997)
The 'Dig Me Out' cover features Janet Weiss, Carrie Brownstein and Corin Tucker from Sleater Kinney and a guitar.
The Kinks – ‘The Kink Kontroversy’ (1965)
The 'Dig Me Out' album cover is an homage to The Kinks' third studio album The Kink Kontroversy from 32 years earlier.
Metallica - 'Metallica' ('The Black Album') (1991)
Metallica's self-titled fifth studio album, commonly known as 'The Black Album', features the band's logo and a coiled snake. Initially, these were embossed so they could barely be seen against the black background - later, both emblems appeared in dark grey so to be slightly more prominent.
Status Quo - 'Hello!' (1973)
Status Quo's sixth studio album 'Hello!' was released in 1973, featuring a black-on-black design that is widely thought to have influenced Metallica's 1991 album. Metallica also joked that it was based on Spinal Tap's 'Smell the Glove', which is famously 'none more black' (an entirely black cover).