Couple of small Monkey press items
There's a small news item on the Sky News website about Monkey, including a new photo of Damon and Jamie and a few small quotes from the pair. Check it out here
The BBC website also has a small writeup from the Monkey London O2 run premiere with post-show comments from both Damon and Jamie, plus news that Damon's Blur bandmates Alex James and Graham Coxon were both in attendance on the night. Check out the article here.
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8:36am UK, Thursday November 13, 2008
Matt Smith, Entertainment correspondent
Former Blur frontman Damon Albarn has told Sky News that a comeback by the Britpop band is on the cards.
Albarn, right, with Hewlett on the set of their new Chinese opera, Monkey
The singer says it is now looking more and more likely since he buried the hatchet with former guitarist Graham Coxon.
There has been friction between the two ever since Coxon left the band in 2003. But recent meetings between the two have cleared the air.
Albarn told Sky News: "I can tell you genuinely that I'm getting on really well with Graham at the moment, so it's distinctly possible."
Coxon, Albarn and Alex James
The singer was speaking at the London launch of his new Chinese opera, Monkey: Journey To The West.
It's a reworking of a 16th-century Chinese story, by Albarn and his Gorillaz partner Jamie Hewlett.
It's not the first reworking of the tale, though.
The story was made into a surreal Japanese kung-fu TV show called Monkey Magic.
Badly dubbed into English, it became a cult hit in 1980s Britain, spawning catchphrases that swept through school playgrounds like wildfire.
Pigsy from the Monkey show
This latest stage show is a bit more serious than that - but just as surreal.
There are lots of bizarre visuals including giant shrimps, an octopus who pushes a shopping trolley across the stage and a singing starfish that flies through the air.
While Albarn wrote the music, Hewlett was behind the look of the show.
Had he been at the drinks trolley when he came up with it all, I wondered?
"I'm always at the drinks trolley," he laughs, "it doesn't help with my work though."
But he says the ideas came from more sober sources.
"It's not hard if you read a bit of the story; it's full of characters like that and we had many trips to China where we've seen many wonderful, magnificent things," he adds.
Page last updated at 12:04 GMT, Thursday, 13 November 2008
E-mail this to a friend Printable version
Blur 'reunite' at Monkey premiere
By Sinead Garvan
Newsbeat reporter
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Damon Albarn on his inspiration for the opera
Former Blur members Graham Coxon and Alex James both turned up for the first night of Damon Albarn's opera Monkey: Journey To The West on Wednesday night.
Both Coxon and James told Newsbeat how impressed they were with the show.
Albarn admitted to Newsbeat last week that he had patched relations up with Coxon, who left the band in 2002, and had even been "hanging out" with him.
Monkey will be housed in a specially-made tent next to the O2 in London for the next month.
"I loved it, loved it," said Coxon. "I was riveted, lovely music, how the set looked and the dancing of course. He's very clever, I was always rather in awe of Damon's talents from a young age, really it's his staunchness about music and his energy."
James was in agreement, saying: "It was totally brilliant, utterly astonishingly amazing, it was one of the best pieces of theatre I've ever seen. It was better than Power Rangers." [it's] not as easy as putting on a pop concert
Damon Albarn
"It's good tunes, but you've [also] got people putting there - what was that woman doing putting her head up her bottom? - that was amazing.
"Just a huge splurge of music, vision, twirly strings and dragons, it's utterly transporting and everything theatre should be."
Whether Albarn's former bandmates are biased or not, it's hard not to be impressed by Monkey - it combines martial arts, singing and a few laughs with the type of acrobatics that leave you confused as to how anyone can contort their body like that.
There's plenty of animation from Jamie Hewlett throughout, which you'll instantly recognise from Gorillaz or his and Albarn's BBC Olympics coverage this year.
First night nerves
Damon Albarn and co-creator Jamie Hewlett joined the cast on stage at the end where they got a standing ovation.
Jamie joked afterwards that the audience reception was planned, saying: "It's because we had these little heaters in the seats that we turn on just at the end and everyone screams and stands up - guaranteed standing ovation."
Albarn was a little less jovial after the show. "[I'm] relieved," he said. "Generally just relieved because there's so much detail that you have to consider and seeing it as a finished thing is hard, so [I'm] just relieved."
He admitted he enjoyed the bow at the end, and explained that he instigated the cast running forward a number of times with a big smile on his face.
"It's nice just to acknowledge everybody and be on there with them and enjoy that moment, you've got to enjoy it when it happens."
Monkey: Journey To The West opened in Manchester last year
Hewlett said he was nervous beforehand: "I can't even watch it, one of our martial arts experts has a broken hand and is being rushed to hospital now and that's what happens every night so that's how nervous I am."
"I saw lots of mistakes but I think the public didn't spot them," explained Albarn. "I think it went well, everyone was happy. It was almost perfect but there's lots of problems, every night is fraught with danger and I see all those things.
"The subtitles computer went down half way through, someone trying to figure out how to fix the computer in three seconds, not as easy as putting on a pop concert," he joked.
The opera is in Mandarin so there are two screens either side of the stage with subtitles - however, reading them means taking your eye off the performance.
Making money
The production is on at the O2 after their short stint at the Royal Albert Hall. However, they're both keen to stress it's not really at the O2, it's in a tent next to the O2.
They call it Monkey's World, and it's a huge marquee with the theatre, foyer and a restaurant - serving Chinese dishes at £28 a head - inside.
You can also have your foot massaged, which Albarn told us is something the Chinese do on a Friday night rather than head to the pub.
Inside it has black walls, traditional red lanterns and prints of Jamie Hewlett's artwork of Monkey and the other characters from the opera.
"If we make a profit great if not then whatever, it's good being poor," said Hewlett. "I've been broke so many times it doesn't really bother me anymore."
Monkey: Journey To The West is on at the O2 until 5 December
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Click here to submit a news story
The BBC website also has a small writeup from the Monkey London O2 run premiere with post-show comments from both Damon and Jamie, plus news that Damon's Blur bandmates Alex James and Graham Coxon were both in attendance on the night. Check out the article here.
Britpop Blur Return Back In Focus
Music Videos
Classic CDs Still Top Choice 2:00 Bette Midler Goes Green 2:00 Elbow Win Nationwide Mercury Prize 2:21 Following Folk Footsteps 2:20
Choose Your News
Personalise your news
Help
Use the drop down menu below to filter stories and videos the way you want - when you want it!
Pick your News Most Popular Stories Latest Stories Latest Videos Latest Picture Galleries Popular UK News Popular Politics Popular World News Popular Business News Popular Technology Strange News Popular Health Popular Showbiz News
Blur Return Back In Focus
See Who's In The Jungle
Moore: 'Bond Too Violent'
Are Gary & Robbie Chums?
Smoking Star 'Breaks Law'
Actress Awarded Damages
Rapper Wanted For Robbery
Opera Keeps CDs Spinning
Beyonce's Glasto Hopes
Kerry Katona TV Shock
8:36am UK, Thursday November 13, 2008
Matt Smith, Entertainment correspondent
Former Blur frontman Damon Albarn has told Sky News that a comeback by the Britpop band is on the cards.
Albarn, right, with Hewlett on the set of their new Chinese opera, Monkey
The singer says it is now looking more and more likely since he buried the hatchet with former guitarist Graham Coxon.
There has been friction between the two ever since Coxon left the band in 2003. But recent meetings between the two have cleared the air.
Albarn told Sky News: "I can tell you genuinely that I'm getting on really well with Graham at the moment, so it's distinctly possible."
Coxon, Albarn and Alex James
The singer was speaking at the London launch of his new Chinese opera, Monkey: Journey To The West.
It's a reworking of a 16th-century Chinese story, by Albarn and his Gorillaz partner Jamie Hewlett.
It's not the first reworking of the tale, though.
The story was made into a surreal Japanese kung-fu TV show called Monkey Magic.
Badly dubbed into English, it became a cult hit in 1980s Britain, spawning catchphrases that swept through school playgrounds like wildfire.
Pigsy from the Monkey show
This latest stage show is a bit more serious than that - but just as surreal.
There are lots of bizarre visuals including giant shrimps, an octopus who pushes a shopping trolley across the stage and a singing starfish that flies through the air.
While Albarn wrote the music, Hewlett was behind the look of the show.
Had he been at the drinks trolley when he came up with it all, I wondered?
"I'm always at the drinks trolley," he laughs, "it doesn't help with my work though."
But he says the ideas came from more sober sources.
"It's not hard if you read a bit of the story; it's full of characters like that and we had many trips to China where we've seen many wonderful, magnificent things," he adds.
Page last updated at 12:04 GMT, Thursday, 13 November 2008
E-mail this to a friend Printable version
Blur 'reunite' at Monkey premiere
By Sinead Garvan
Newsbeat reporter
Cannot play media.You do not have the correct version of the flash player. Download the correct version
Damon Albarn on his inspiration for the opera
Former Blur members Graham Coxon and Alex James both turned up for the first night of Damon Albarn's opera Monkey: Journey To The West on Wednesday night.
Both Coxon and James told Newsbeat how impressed they were with the show.
Albarn admitted to Newsbeat last week that he had patched relations up with Coxon, who left the band in 2002, and had even been "hanging out" with him.
Monkey will be housed in a specially-made tent next to the O2 in London for the next month.
"I loved it, loved it," said Coxon. "I was riveted, lovely music, how the set looked and the dancing of course. He's very clever, I was always rather in awe of Damon's talents from a young age, really it's his staunchness about music and his energy."
James was in agreement, saying: "It was totally brilliant, utterly astonishingly amazing, it was one of the best pieces of theatre I've ever seen. It was better than Power Rangers." [it's] not as easy as putting on a pop concert
Damon Albarn
"It's good tunes, but you've [also] got people putting there - what was that woman doing putting her head up her bottom? - that was amazing.
"Just a huge splurge of music, vision, twirly strings and dragons, it's utterly transporting and everything theatre should be."
Whether Albarn's former bandmates are biased or not, it's hard not to be impressed by Monkey - it combines martial arts, singing and a few laughs with the type of acrobatics that leave you confused as to how anyone can contort their body like that.
There's plenty of animation from Jamie Hewlett throughout, which you'll instantly recognise from Gorillaz or his and Albarn's BBC Olympics coverage this year.
First night nerves
Damon Albarn and co-creator Jamie Hewlett joined the cast on stage at the end where they got a standing ovation.
Jamie joked afterwards that the audience reception was planned, saying: "It's because we had these little heaters in the seats that we turn on just at the end and everyone screams and stands up - guaranteed standing ovation."
Albarn was a little less jovial after the show. "[I'm] relieved," he said. "Generally just relieved because there's so much detail that you have to consider and seeing it as a finished thing is hard, so [I'm] just relieved."
He admitted he enjoyed the bow at the end, and explained that he instigated the cast running forward a number of times with a big smile on his face.
"It's nice just to acknowledge everybody and be on there with them and enjoy that moment, you've got to enjoy it when it happens."
Monkey: Journey To The West opened in Manchester last year
Hewlett said he was nervous beforehand: "I can't even watch it, one of our martial arts experts has a broken hand and is being rushed to hospital now and that's what happens every night so that's how nervous I am."
"I saw lots of mistakes but I think the public didn't spot them," explained Albarn. "I think it went well, everyone was happy. It was almost perfect but there's lots of problems, every night is fraught with danger and I see all those things.
"The subtitles computer went down half way through, someone trying to figure out how to fix the computer in three seconds, not as easy as putting on a pop concert," he joked.
The opera is in Mandarin so there are two screens either side of the stage with subtitles - however, reading them means taking your eye off the performance.
Making money
The production is on at the O2 after their short stint at the Royal Albert Hall. However, they're both keen to stress it's not really at the O2, it's in a tent next to the O2.
They call it Monkey's World, and it's a huge marquee with the theatre, foyer and a restaurant - serving Chinese dishes at £28 a head - inside.
You can also have your foot massaged, which Albarn told us is something the Chinese do on a Friday night rather than head to the pub.
Inside it has black walls, traditional red lanterns and prints of Jamie Hewlett's artwork of Monkey and the other characters from the opera.
"If we make a profit great if not then whatever, it's good being poor," said Hewlett. "I've been broke so many times it doesn't really bother me anymore."
Monkey: Journey To The West is on at the O2 until 5 December
Click here to return to news index
Click here to submit a news story