Damon Albarn was meant to start his tour on Sunday (May 17, which would premiere the new music The Nearer The Fountain, More Pure The Stream Flows, his new solo effort inspired by the Icelandic landscape. But instead of starting the 15-date European leg that would be accompanied by an orchestra, he decided to do a solo livestream in a barn instead.
Opening the set with “The Nearer the Fountain, More Pure the Stream Flows,” Albarn talks about the inspiration for the tune, which cames from the John Clare poem, “Love and Memory.”
“At the time, I wasn’t really focusing on the love and memory aspect of the poem,” he said before performing. “It was just this strong, hopeful phrase that kind of stayed with me for so long. But now, the title of the poem seems very poignant.”
Albarn continued to explain that the performance is accompanied by rehearsal tapes that will give fans a sense of what he hopes will be performed live in the future. And if you’re familiar with his Blur and Gorillaz work, this project sonically goes in the other direction and will probably make you feel things that you haven’t felt from him before. It’s definitely a listening experience.
The “Streaming from Isolation Fundraiser” Broiler Room performance is also raising money for The Global FoodBanking Network, which you can still donate to here.
Watch Damon Albarn’s performance below.
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