The charts are like a street – like a cul-de-sac within a housing estate. You have nice neighbours and horrible ones. We want to be in Number 3 next to the newsagent.
Damon Albarn
We were approaching Madrid airport on an Iberia flight from Barcelona when our tour manager, who was sitting next to me, grabbed hold of my left leg. I said, ‘Fuck off Ian,’ but he wouldn’t let go so I hit him. I then looked at the other passengers and noticed they had the same look of complete panic on their faces as he did. I asked him what was wrong and he said, ‘We nearly died.’ Apparently, the plane had approached the runway almost on its side with the left wing no more than six feet off the ground. Just before impact, the pilot had managed to right the plane so avoiding disaster and probably our death. For the rest of the day, everyone got completely drunk and told all and sundry how much they loved them. I felt strangely distant as I had not shared the experience.
Damon Albarn
It’s important that Oasis are rude about everybody and that they get drunk. That’s what people like you want, and you encourage them. Fair enough. It’s nice, isn’t it? But it’s nothing to do with me. They came to see us in Manchester and they were very pleasant boys. Very nice. I’d like to see that as a quote. Oasis are very nice boys.
Damon Albarn
We really annoy our peers quite immensely. Which is amusing. The Manic Street Preachers feel compelled to indulge in onstage outbursts about us.
Damon Albarn
I feel an all-consuming feeling that we’re laying our world to waste and there’s little I can do about it except say there’s nothing I can do and eat Indian curry.
Damon Albarn
I am genuinely inspired by my mum. I love and respect my mum and I think she’s great. She always makes me laugh and I trust her totally. Both my parents are artists and I grew up in quite a liberal home; I was allowed to do what I wanted, but all based on a strong moral foundation. I think it’s really important that parents allow you to do what you like when you’re young because you’re more likely to get it all out of your system. I do love my mum.
Damon Albarn
Oh yeah, we’ve got all these Japanese girls that follow us around. They’re completely mad. They’re so polite and they’ve got these incredibly expensive video cameras. They love waving too, when you get on the bus they all wave. It’s like their idea of sex is waving and bowing.
Damon Albarn
I’ve got people camping outside my place in Kensington. In sleeping bags. It’s not that irritating, except we haven’t got any curtains in the front room, so we can’t walk around in the nude.
Damon Albarn
It was quite a relief not to win the Mercury prize, because people are going to start getting fed up with us for winning everything. It’s good not to achieve every time and it’s important to remain some kind of underdog because there’s nothing worse than a big-head.
Damon Albarn
I’ve always known I’m incredibly special. All my life. You know? It’s not a big deal.
Damon Albarn