Damon Albarn speaks on Palestine at Glastonbury and “the importance of voting” in UK general election next week
Joining Bombay Bicycle Club on stage at Glastonbury on Friday (28 June), Blur frontman Damon Albarn addressed the crowd about Palestine and “the importance of voting” in the United Kingdom’s general election next week.
The indie band brought out Albarn for their evening set at the Other stage to perform ‘Heaven’, a cut from their latest album ‘My Big Day’ on which Albarn features.
After thanking Bombay Bicycle Club frontman Jack Steadman, Albarn took a moment to address “three things” with the crowd, asking them to show him how they felt about Palestine. “Are you pro-Palestine?” he asked, to cheers. “Do you feel that’s an unfair war?”
He went on to address the UK general election on July 4: “The importance of voting next week… Now, I don’t blame you for being ambivalent about that, but it’s still really important.”
He concluded, “And thirdly, maybe it’s time we stop putting octogenarians in control of the whole world” – perhaps in reference to the first US Presidential debate between Joe Biden and Donald Trump, which had taken place the night before (June 27).
Albarn then launched into a rendition of Blur’s ‘Tender’. Watch video of the moment here:
Damon Albarn at Glastonbury: "You have to show how you feel about Palestine, are you pro Palestine? Do you feel like it's an unfair war? The importance of voting next week."
"Maybe it's time we stop putting octogenarians in control of the whole world"pic.twitter.com/gVB3jWEpj6
— Damon Albarn Unofficial (@DamonUnofficial) June 28, 2024
Albarn’s appearance onstage with Bombay Bicycle Club had come after the band confirmed to Radio X that they’d bring out a surprise guest who’d appeared on ‘My Big Day’. NME then heard a rumour in the media area that it would be someone from an act that has headlined Glasto multiple times – which meant a good chance that Albarn would appear.
Albarn was not the only Glastonbury performer to address the war in Palestine on Friday. Aurora dedicated her set to children in Palestine, saying, “It really bothers me, I feel like the leaders of the world try to fuck us over again and again… This is for all the children in Palestine. I cannot believe these shitty people who hurt our future.”
IDLES closed the Other stage by stating “Ceasefire now” on the stage screens, leading the crowd in a chant of the same.
Many other Glastonbury performers on Friday brought out guests, not least Dua Lipa, who welcomed Kevin Parker to her headlining set at the Pyramid Stage to perform Tame Impala’s ‘The Less I Know The Better’. Elsewhere, Danny Brown joined IDLES and Paul Heaton invited Norman Cook (aka Fatboy Slim) to play Their Housemartins hit ‘Happy Hour’.
Check back at NME here for the latest news, reviews, interviews, photos, rumours and more from Glastonbury 2024. Check out the NME liveblog here for all the latest Glastonbury action as it happens.
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Karen Gwee
NME
