Damon Albarn criticises Bob Dylan’s live show policy
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(Credits: Raph Pour-Hashemi)
After Bob Dylan recently announced details of an upcoming UK tour, Blur frontman Damon Albarn has responded to the singer-songwriter banning mobile phones from his live shows.
Dylan’s policy is nothing new. He has had the rule in place since the tour began in 2022 with fans instructed to place their phone into a locked Yondr pouch upon arrival, which they can unlock in designated areas in the venue throughout the show, and after Dylan finishes performing.
Jack White is another artist who has previously banned phones from his shows in order to feed off the energy of the crowd without the distraction of technology. Additionally, high-profile comedians such as Chris Rock, John Mulaney, Kevin Hart and Amy Schumer have used Yondr pouches to prevent their material from leaking online.
While it does have some merit, as audiences can get lost in the moment without watching the gig behind their phone screen, it’s also fair to state that they should be allowed to film a souvenir if they’ve paid a high-fee for a ticket.
In a new interview with Today on BBC Radio 4, Albarn explained why he’s against the ruling and wouldn’t enforce it at his shows: “Oh god, if you start banning things where does it end? I think you’ve just got to turn up and do your thing. People won’t want to be on their phone if you’re engaging with them correctly.”
However, he does admire Dylan for still touring at 83 and revealed whether he intends to still be performing at that age, “Yeah of course. I work with musicians who are that age, Tony Allen for example, he was playing up until he was 80. I’d love to be.”
Albarn was speaking to promote the release of the new Blur documentary, To The End, which arrived in cinemas on July 19th. The film follows Blur in the build-up to their historic Wembley Stadium shows in 2023, which is the source of mixed emotions for Albarn, who said, “There’s also kind of a bit of sadness to that because, literally, that’s as good as it gets. I don’t think it will ever get as good as that again.
In the same interview, Albarn also spoke about what the future holds for the Blur, and if they’ve reached the end of the road, stating, “We’re definitely at the end of another chapter.”
Additionally, the frontman was asked if they’d return in another “eight years or so”, to which he replied, “That feels like a luxury period of time”. Albarn then reaffirmed that Blur have reached “the end of a chapter”.
The singer’s comments come after guitarist Graham Coxon claimed earlier this week that the Wembley Stadium shows were an “out-of-body experience”. He added: “It was really incredibly exciting and exhilarating, and we played great – thank God.”
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