‘Together For Palestine’ will take place at Wembley Arena on September 17 with Albarn and Bastille being joined by Greentea Peng, Hot Chip, James Blake, Jamie xx, King Krule, Paloma Faith and many more.

They will also be joined by Palestinian artists Adnan Joubran, Faraj Suleiman and Nai Barghouti, with more names due to be announced at a later date.

Legendary producer Brian Eno has organised the benefit gig, with “every penny donated” going to Palestinian partners through UK charity Choose Love.

Speaking during the announcement of the event in July, Eno said: “I’ve had the good fortune to work with some of the world’s most remarkable artists for over 50 years. But one of my biggest regrets is that during that time so many of us have remained silent about Palestine.

“Often that silence has come from fear, real fear – that speaking out could provoke a backlash, close doors or end a career. But that’s now changing – partly because some artists and activists have lit the path, but mostly because the truth of what’s going on has become impossible to ignore.”

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Former Blur frontman Damon Albarn recently spoke with Channel 4 News ahead of the show in support of the Palestinian people. This comes after Albarn was called out by Bob Vylan as an “out of touch 90s musician” after the ‘Parklife’ singer criticised the punk duo’s controversial Glastonbury set.

Albarn said in the interview: “I, like everyone with a heart, have felt despair and helplessness at the reports coming out of Gaza and the West Bank over these last days, months, years.

“A genocide unfolding in real time on our screens. I come from a family of pacifists. I have been taught, and I believe, that pacifism is an action. Peace is an action. To live peacefully requires vision and commitment. To act with humanity towards one another, that too is a decision. Music has taken me around the world, it is the sum of everything I know and trust and believe in – respect, collaboration, shared experience.”

 

 

 

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As mentioned earlier, Eno has confirmed that “every penny donated” will go to Palestinian partners through Choose Love, which is a UK charity focused on supporting local humanitarians in conflict zones. However, the gig is about far more than just financial support, according to Eno, as it is all about “sending a message of love and solidarity to the people of Palestine – that they haven’t been forgotten.”

Tickets for the gig at Wembley Arena on September 17 are available now from here for £59.75. As mentioned earlier, 100% of sales will be used to support Palestinian humanitarian organisations.

The rap-punk band stole all the attention on Glastonbury weekend. Whilst everyone was talking about Kneecap going into the festival, it was Bob Vylan who led the crowd into chants of “Death, death to the IDF”, leading to politicians and media calling the duo out.

The aftermath of the gig led to a criminal investigation, shows being cancelled, and their US visas being revoked. Frontman Bobby Vylan then urged fans to stop the chant at the bands first show since Glastonbury, saying they’ll “get him into even more trouble”.

Blur and Gorillaz frontman, Damon Albarn, then had his say on the situation. In a new interview with The Times, Albarn said: “It was one of the most spectacular misfires I’ve seen in my life. Especially when he started to goose-step in tennis gear. I mean I’ve had my moments – not quite as catastrophic as that but you do get carried away. The old testosterone gets you going. But it’s unfortunate. Everyone’s just so hysterical.”

Bobby Vylan didn’t take long to respond to Albarn, posting to Twitter/X last night (July 16): “A little help for any other out of touch ’90’s musician asked about Bob Vylan at Glastonbury.

“Your response should probably resemble something to the affect of: ‘Over 58k Palestinians killed since Oct 7th 2023. Over 700 killed while attempting to get aid. Over 1400 medical workers killed since Oct 7th.

“Genocide is being live streamed for all to see and the UK is not simply allowing it to continue but facilitating it, along with the United States. Why are we talking about a punk band? End.”

1/2. A little help for any other out of touch 90s musician asked about Bob Vylan at Glastonbury. Your response should probably resemble something to the affect of:
“Over 58k Palestinians killed since Oct 7th 2023.
Over 700 killed while attempting to get aid…

— Bob Vylan (@BobbyVylan) July 16, 2025

Despite the claims from Vylan of Albarn being “out of touch”, the Blur frontman has repeatedly expressed a similar level of support for Palestine, even in the same interview with The Times, where he said: “Part of the huge issue of Palestine is the way their identity is being eroded so brutally.

“I’ve been doing this a very long time and I still haven’t got the bloody answers. You want to say what you believe in and what you feel. That’s important, but it comes with huge caveats. We live and learn, or not.”

The controversial Bob Vylan performance was streamed live on BBC iPlayer which led to much criticism aimed at the broadcasting company.

The Chair of the BBC, Samir Shah, responded to the problems facing the company by declaring that actions will be taken to stop such future performances from being broadcast, saying: “The BBC Board met on Thursday to hear what actions will now be taken. The Executive have agreed to put in place a set of strengthened editorial practices and policies for live music programming. These will be important measures to safeguard future live broadcasts from a failure such as this.”

Despite all the criticism Bob Vylan have faced, they have also found support from many of their peers. The likes of Massive Attack, Soft Play and Amyl And The Sniffers have shown solidarity with the punk-rap duo. Check out full mxdwn.co.uk coverage of the controversial performance here.

The British virtual band, helmed by Blur’s Damon Albarn and his team, will turn 25 this year. To celebrate, an exhibition at Copper Box London allows visitors to “peek behind the curtain into the world of Gorillaz“, offering a tour of the band’s HQ and history, all the way back to their debut single ‘Tomorrow Comes Today’. In a press release, the exhibition is described as “a journey through the band’s life of misadventures, musical innovation, and ground-breaking virtual ways.” ‘House of Kong’ will run from 8 August to 3 September. 

Additionally, Gorillaz have announced four live shows at the Copper Box Arena, with more details to be announced in due course. Those with ‘House of Kong’ tickets are given exclusive presale access to the upcoming shows, which are scheduled to take place across August and September.  

These shows are the first since 2023, after the band cancelled their North American tour following the release of their 8th studio album ‘Cracker Island’. 

Gorillaz have always stood out as an innovative, creative and conceptual music project from Albarn and artist Jamie Hewlett. With their animated lineup of singer 2D, bassist Murdoc Niccals, drummer Russel Hobbs and guitar prodigy Noodle, the bands in-universe lore starts out at the fictional Kong Studios. And just as the sound of each album develops, so does the story – from paranormal, post-apocalyptic developments in ‘Demon Days’ to aliens and time travel on ‘Song Machine’.

The group have released eight studio albums which feature an exceptional range of collaborators, from Elton John to Little Simz, MF Doom to Bad Bunny, De La Soul to Lou Reed. They’ve won numerous awards – Brits, Grammys, an Ivor Novello and even the coveted Jim Henson Creativity Honor. They’ve also been officially recognised by The Guiness Book Of World Records as the earth’s Most Successful Virtual Act.

The exhibition will run daily from 10:30am to 10pm, and tickets start from £25. You can get your tickets to ‘House of Kong’ here. 

The album features a wide range of artists, spanning various genres. Damon Albarn, Kate Bush, The Clash, Jamiroquai, Hans Zimmer, and The Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra are amongst more than 1,000 artists who have released a silent album in protest of the British government’s proposed changes to AI copyright laws. All profits will be given to the charity Help Musicians. The full list is available here.

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The track-listing for the record simply spells out the message: “The British government must not legalise music theft to benefit AI companies.” In 2023, the UK music contributed a record £7.6 billion to the economy. 

The album features recordings of empty studios and performance spaces which showcases what the future could become for musicians in the UK if the changes go ahead.

In a statement released alongside the album, the purpose of the project was made explicit: “In late 2024, the UK government proposed changing copyright law to allow artificial intelligence companies to build their products using other people’s copyrighted work—music, artworks, text, and more—without a licence. The musicians on this album came together to protest this.”

The project was organised and put together by Ed Newton-Rex. Newton-Rex was formerly the lead of the audio team at Stability AI, resigning in November 2023 over the company’s stance that training AI models on copyrighted work fell under ‘fair use’. The following January, he launched Fairly Trained, an initiative that recognises and certifies AI companies that obtain consent to data mine protected works.

A spokesman for the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) said in a statement: “The UK’s current regime for copyright and AI is holding back the creative industries, media and AI sector from realising their full potential – and that cannot continue. That’s why we have been consulting on a new approach that protects the interests of both AI developers and right holders and delivers a solution which allows both to thrive… No decisions have been taken, no moves will be made until we are absolutely confident we have a practical plan that delivers each of our objectives.”

The album comes just weeks before the end of the government’s consultation period on the issue. The government’s preferred approach is an ‘opt-out’ system, forcing artists to actively request for the removal of their work. Alternative proposals have been suggested, such as an opt-in, or a model which compensates the artists fairly for access to their work, as well as allowing them to profit from any projects which make use of their work.

The new plans fail to reimburse artists for AI recreating and copying their work, stifle creativity, and the proposed opt-out scheme places an unnecessary burden on artists, critics say. The petition was signed by Bush, Radiohead star Thom Yorke, ABBA’s Bjorn Ulvaeus and The Cure frontman Robert Smith.

Sir Elton John and Sir Paul McCartney were also voices that spoke out against the law. During a recent interview on Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg, the former Beatles member said: “You get young guys, girls, coming up, and they write a beautiful song, and they don’t own it, and they don’t have anything to do with it. And anyone who wants can just rip it off … We’re the people, you’re the government! You’re supposed to protect us. That’s your job. So you know, if you’re putting through a bill, make sure you protect the creative thinkers, the creative artists, or you’re not going to have them.”

Response to the album online has been overwhelmingly positive. Yusuf/Cat Stevens shared the project on his X account, seemingly bringing the issue to a new audience. One user commented under the musician’s post, saying, “AI should be banned from harvesting the products of human creativity in the arts, music, writing, or painting. Limit it to diagnostics for science, tech, engineering, medicine, and housework. Free people to think and be paid for their creativity.”

AI should be banned from harvesting the products of human creativity in the arts, music, writing or painting.
Limit it to Diagnostics for Science tech, engineering , medicine, house work.
Free people to think and be paid for their creativity.
Grow the Arts economy don’t kill it.

— Phil (@PhilipBagLowe) February 25, 2025

The debate is raging in other countries too. Two weeks ago, a judge in Delaware ruled in favour of a copyright holder against an AI company who claimed their practices were covered by ‘fair use’.

With only two weeks of the consultation period left, ‘Is This What We Want?’ represents the final push to influence those who can really make a difference. Whether the project will be able to change the minds of a seemingly entrenched government position is yet to be seen, though the UK creative sector isn’t going down without a fight.

This article was co-reported and co-written by Lewis Pinto and Marie Choquet

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James was referring to Blur’s 2023 reunion, which included two sold-out Wembley Stadium concerts and the release of their latest album, The Ballad of Darren. Despite initially planning a hiatus at the end of 2023, Blur extended their comeback to headline Coachella 2024 after reportedly making the decision in just five minutes. Their Wembley shows drew 150,000 fans, and was released as an album this summer, proving that Britpop’s legacy remains strong.

Moyles pressed James further, asking whether Blur’s success inspired Liam and Noel Gallagher to reunite. James responded diplomatically, noting the difficulty of maintaining relationships in bands, especially between siblings. “I’m always reading statistics about how many marriages end in divorce… They’re brothers as well. I’m genuinely delighted for them, and I genuinely won’t be going.”  

James’ comments come against the backdrop of Blur and Oasis’ definitive rivalry, which peaked in 1995 when Blur’s ‘Country House’ and Oasis’ ‘Roll With It’ famously went head-to-head for the number-one spot on the UK charts. Oasis mocked Blur’s victory at the time, but decades later, the relationship between the bands appears to have mellowed. Liam Gallagher even tweeted in October 2024, “I love Blur and at some point we need to do an old dears tour.”

I love blur and at sone point we have to do n old dears tours — Liam Gallagher (@liamgallagher) October 4, 2024

Blur drummer Dave Rowntree seems to echo this newfound camaraderie. Speaking after his defeat in the 2024 General Election, where he ran as Labour’s candidate for Mid Sussex, Rowntree said he’d be first in line for Oasis tickets. Guitarist Graham Coxon, in an interview with The Sun, praised the reunion, calling it “good for them and good for fans.”

Damon Albarn, Blur’s frontman, has remained silent on the topic since Oasis announced their tour. However, in summer 2023, he confidently predicted the reunion, saying the path for it was clear. 

Oasis’ reunion, announced in August 2024, has generated massive demand. Tickets for their 14-date tour sold out almost instantly, though controversy erupted over Ticketmaster’s dynamic pricing, with some fans paying as much as £350 per ticket. Labour MP Rupa Huq has brought the issue to Parliament, with the second hearing of a proposed bill addressing ticket pricing set for tomorrow.

Hot off the press!

Due for debate this Friday

A Bill to make provision about transparency of ticket prices for sporting and cultural events; and for connected purposes.https://t.co/AlBGXyl9n2 pic.twitter.com/BRVAULv5fn

— Rupa Huq MP (@RupaHuq) December 4, 2024

Blur and Oasis both capitalised on nostalgia as a driving force behind their comebacks. With streaming revenue dwindling in the music industry, reunions offer bands a lucrative alternative to releasing new music. Reports suggest that the Gallaghers could earn over £50 million each from the tour, which is expected to gross £400 million.

For fans, these reunions offer a chance to relive the 1990s—a golden age defined by the rise of Britpop. As Blur’s Wembley success proved, audiences are still eager to connect with the music that shaped a generation. And with Oasis’ last performance dating back 15 years, the reunion opens the door for a new generation of fans to experience their music live.

While James’ “genuinely won’t be going” remark hints that not all rivalries are fully buried, the Oasis reunion represents a moment of celebration for fans and a symbolic end to one of Britpop’s fiercest feuds.

The London band had previously promised via Radio X that they would bring out a special guest for their performance at Worthy Farm who had appeared on their album ‘My Big Day’. Then X account @secretglasto hinted at who the mystery guest was going to be saying that the guest “could make Bombay Bicycle Club’s set go by in a Blur.”

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Albarn thanked Jack Steadman of Bombay Bicycle Club’s Jack Steadman and then and then took to the stage and addressed the crowd on “three things” that “You have to show me how you feel about it,” which he said during the performance of ‘Tender’. He then attempted to encourage the Glastonbury crowd to vote in the coming UK general election which looks like it is going to be an overwhelming victory for Labour over the conservatives.

He addressed the crowd on how they felt about Palestine. “Are you pro-Palestine? Do you feel that’s an unfair war?”

He then continued, telling fans they need to vote. “The importance of voting next week. Now I don’t blame you for being ambivalent about that, but it’s still really important.”

Before saying “And thirdly, maybe it’s time we stop putting octogenarians in control of the whole world” probably in reference to the USA election which will see voters choosing between 81-year-old Joe Biden and 78-year-old Donald Trump. The two engaged in a debate on the 27th of June.

Speaking to Sky News Bombay Bicycle Club said that they “were never expecting to have him on the record or to be playing a show with him, but… we just kind of asked, and he was really up for it. You don’t ask, you don’t get.”

The first day of Glastonbury also saw a secret DJ set played by Tame Impala’s Kevin Parker in the early hours of Saturday Morning. This came after Kevin Parker appeared alongside Dua Lipa on her headline set of the Pyramid stage on Friday (June 28). The two had previously collaborated on Dua Lipa’s last album ‘Radical Optimism’ and they paired up for a performance on Tame Impala’s huge psychedelic hit ‘The Less I Know The Better’.

As well as this, elsewhere in Worthy farm on the first day of the festival Paul Heaton and Norman Cook (aka Fatboy Slim) paired up for a Housemartins reunion where they performed their 1986 hit ‘Happy Hour’ on the Pyramid stage. IDLES also brought out Danny Brown as a special guest during their closing set on the Other stage where the rapper joined the Bristol band for a performance of the band’s song ‘Pop Pop Pop’.

The video was captured in December 2015 at a 60th birthday party for Paul Simonon, the bassist from The Clash, who also features in the performance. Noel can be seen singing the vocal that was originally recorded by the Happy Mondays’ Shaun Ryder while playing guitar, with Albarn and Simonon accompanying him.

The fabled singer-songwriter released his latest single ‘Just Another Rainbow‘ earlier this month, and is more active on the social media site than ever before: insulting and berating his brother, replying to fans, calling out trolls and creating a tornado of comedic pop culture commentary on a daily basis, most of which of course, is completely daft.

Now 30 years on since Oasis skyrocketed to fame, the brothers still find themselves in the midst of a heated feud, one that doesn’t always seem to be reciprocated. Liam claims he has still not seen, let alone had any form of contact with brother Noel since the day of the split.

Oasis established themselves as Britpop powerhouses in the 90s with early singles like ‘Supersonic’, ‘Live Forever’ and ‘Whatever’, going on to take the music industry by storm. The band announced their split in August 2009 after a backstage bust-up at their final concert at Rock En Seine Festival in Paris. As the duo prepared to go on stage, an argument ensued, causing Liam to wield Noel’s guitar around ‘like an axe’.

Liam’s tell-all 2019 Netflix documentary ‘As It Was’ revealed many of the untold ins and outs of the infamous rivalry between the brothers, his family life, and how his career has shifted over the past decade. After failing to get Beady Eye off the ground immediately after the split, Gallagher has since rode the wave of a successful solo career, with Noel indulging in his own musical project, Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds.

Fans are still waiting with bated breath in the hope of a reunion some day, but it may be a day that will never come. Rumours began to circulate again in March 2023 that the brothers might reunite after Liam responded to a fan on Twitter who asked if there’s a “small percentage that Oasis get back together,” Liam simply replied: “It’s happening.”

“He’s got my number, he’s got my manager number. Call us”

Noel Gallagher about Liam Gallagher and an Oasis reunion pic.twitter.com/rCRBvizkpg

— Liam Gallagher Fans Club (@liamgfansclub) March 21, 2023

When questioned about the statement by a French media outlet, Noel commented: “He should get his people to call my people to call my people. They know who they are. They know who we are. He’s got my manager’s number. Call us. But you know what? He won’t call. Stop talking on the f***ing internet and let’s see what you’ve got to say.”

Other fans have speculated that the duo may return to Knebworth in Hertfordshire this year for a legendary stint of live gigs, but with no healing of the rift in sight, it’s pure gossip at this point.

At a recent show at London’s Eventim Apollo, Hook invited a very special guest to join him in an exclusive performance. Damon Albarn, frontman of iconic Britpop band Blur and virtual band Gorillaz, joined Hook on stage to perform Gorillaz tune “Aries”. The song, which featured Hook, was released in 2020 as the third single from the album Song Machine, Season One: Strange Timez.

“Not long ago, I was honoured to be asked by a wonderful, very kind gentleman if I’d play with him,” Hook told the crowd on Saturday evening (October 14). “And this track is what we did, innit, Damon?”

According to setlist.fm, the performance marked the first time Hook and Albarn have played “Aries” in front of a live audience, and saw Albarn take on guitar and vocal duties for the special appearance. It’s safe to say fans were not disappointed by the iconic collaboration.

A few pictures of @peterhook last night at the @EventimApollo. Fantastic night, almost 3 hours of pure joy. Really enjoyed the support from @RebelskiMusic. Damon Albarn also made an appearance. pic.twitter.com/nbNTFda319

— britpop4ever (@DavidW010512) October 15, 2023

So tonight I saw @peterhook and The Light (with a surprise guest appearance from Damon Albarn!!!).
I was at the barrier and I could not stop smiling. Just non stop euphoria! The crowd were fantastic pic.twitter.com/9b7ir3Asd7

— Will (@WilliamD1123) October 14, 2023

Great to see @peterhook last night at the Apollo, best of both worlds Joy Division New Order

And to top it off Damon Albarn makes an appearance aswell, I’ve had worse Saturdays pic.twitter.com/JaJI7KFtoz

— Alex Murphy (@AlexMurphy_92) October 15, 2023

Hook’s show at the Eventim Apollo last weekend marked his final UK performance of 2023, however, starting on November 13th, his solo project Peter Hook & The Light will continue to tour Europe. The solo project of the legendary British bassist will also return to touring the UK in 2024. You can find tickets to the remaining dates of the tour here.

As for Damon Albarn, the singer has been on the road with his band Blur during the summer, promoting the release of the quartet’s latest studio album The Ballad Of Darren, which dropped on July 21st. The tour included two monumental shows at London’s Wembley Stadium, as well as an intimate show in Hammersmith where the band debuted songs from the new LP alongside fan favourites such as “The Universal”.

Coxon, in an interview with Mojo, explained that the sound and direction on the album was a very deliberate stepping back from the pop sound that made the band a leading force in Britpop and that Albarn agreed to the guitarist’s wishes to tap into preferences that he had harboured for some time.

Recalling the period and writing the album, Coxon said, “I decided to write a letter to Damon because I wasn’t confident enough to broach conversations about my needs. It was something like: ‘I’d like to start scaring people again, because at the start, we were into unease, songs like ‘Oily Water’ and ‘Resigned’. Let’s make a bloody row, and have fun.’ I didn’t get much of a reaction, but Damon did give me the steering wheel a little more. I think he was sympathetic, and keen, for everyone to express themselves, and for me to have moments to mess around with noise. I wanted to see what the guitar could do without much intervention from me.”

Speaking about how he felt Blur were painted into a Britpop corner, Coxon added, “we felt forced into this strange Britpop thing, which we had nothing to do with, but I suppose we tried to kill any stink of Britpop from our clothes and move away from our beloved Kinks – though there was still Bowie, because of Damon and [producer] Stephen Street. I think we found our own heavy psychedelia, rather than staying with Toad-of-Toad-Hall psychedelia.”

Despite initial fears by both the band and their label EMI, that the album would alienate their strong fanbase, Blur climbed the UK charts to reach top spot. The album was one of the band’s most successful in their catalogue and remains one of the band’s personal favourites.

Albarn confirmed the news of his opera project on the Broken Record Podcast, sharing his plans to put Johann Wolfgang von Goethe’s 1807 “The Magic Flute Part II” to music for the first time. He said, “I’m doing an opera at the moment, using Goethe’s fragment he wrote about The Magic Flute Part II, which is fascinating. You’ve heard of Mozart’s ‘Magic Flute’? Well, Goethe, who is a contemporary of Mozart, wrote ‘Part II’ of that — the sequel — but it never got put to music. It’s this legendary lost thing.”

Albarn admitted to feeling less confident when delving into the world of opera, saying, “I don’t really know what I’m doing. I never know what I’m doing in that world, I’m a complete idiot. I don’t know if it’s any good. With songs, I’m more confident about that.”

On the podcast, Albarn also confirmed that he is working more within his comfort zone by creating a new Gorillaz album.

Bon voyage, Stuart, Matlock, Rusty, and Nödel.
सुरक्षित प्रवास ✈️ pic.twitter.com/n5j6D2V160

— gorillaz (@gorillaz) June 21, 2023

Speaking on the direction that the new Gorillaz album will take, Albarn said, “It’s not going to be as dramatic as a quantum shift, it will be a paradigm shift, it will be very different. It will be an entirely different approach to everything — to the band, to everything.”

He continued, “We’re at a point where we’re going to change. Why? Because it was always just Jamie and I. Although it is a very big thing now, it is still, in essence, just two people. If we decided between us that we want to do something unrecognisable then we will. You need that for it to stay alive, really.”

Albarn has not yet confirmed release dates for either his opera or his new Gorillaz project, but has confirmed plans for Blur. Blur recently announced a special gig in which they will play their newest album, The Ballad of Darren, in full.

The show will take place at London’s Eventim Apollo on 25th July 2023 and will see the band perform the album in full for the first and only time. Physical tickets are only available to those who pre-ordered The Ballad of Darren, and are on sale from 18th July 2023. Fans can order tickets to watch a livestream of the show however, with these available to purchase here.

Listen to Albarn’s Broken Record Podcast episode here.