Damon Albarn on Morrissey's politics - NME

Damon Albarn on Morrissey’s support of For Britain: “If you don’t live in the country, then you shouldn’t be dabbling in its politics” - NME

Excerpt:

Now, Blur frontman Damon Albarn has had his say on the matter, speaking to Jordan Bassett during an NME interview with The Good, The Bad And The Queen.

“Steven is a complicated soul,” started Albarn, before bandmate and former Clash bassist Paul Simonon asked, “But does he live in England?”

“No, he lives in California,” replied Albarn. “He doesn’t care. He’s just doing it to wind people up.”

Simonon then argued that Morrissey’s time living abroad gave him a warped perception of how life really is in the UK.

“Sometimes if you are away and you don’t live in the country, then you’ve got a misconception of what the reality is from the ground up,” he said. “It’s the same as John Lydon – he’s sort of got to a certain level and he’s [entitled] to his views, but if you don’t live here, your vision of it is in a bubble.”

Albarn then added: “Yeah, I totally agree. You shouldn’t even have an opinion. If you don’t live in the country, then you shouldn’t be dabbling in its politics because to have the sensitivity to understand, you have to live amongst the emotional world of the people as well, not just the idea of something. That’s a long way from reality.

“So I think if you wanna be miserable and English, you’ve gotta be miserable and English. You know – really be it.”



Damon Albarn has a short memory:

Damon Albarn: new Gorillaz album inspired by Trump's election
https://www.theguardian.com/music/2...laz-new-album-humanz-response-trumps-election
 
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"Damon Albarn on President Trump- "Don’t fall for Donald Trump because he’s a chump.”

Earlier last year, Damon Albarn also branded Donald Trump ‘a chump’ during New York show. In a show promoting The Magic Whip, Blur played a rousing version of ’13’ opener ‘Tender’, with Albarn taking a shot at Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump during the song’s outro, singing “Don’t fall for Donald Trump/because he’s a chump.”

http://www.blurballs.com/2016/11/damon-albarn-on-president-trump-dont.html
 
Not very controversial or damning statements from either Simonon or Damon. They're critical, yes, but their love and respect for Moz shines through. Another clickbait article from the NME.
 
"Damon Albarn on President Trump- "Don’t fall for Donald Trump because he’s a chump.”

Earlier last year, Damon Albarn also branded Donald Trump ‘a chump’ during New York show. In a show promoting The Magic Whip, Blur played a rousing version of ’13’ opener ‘Tender’, with Albarn taking a shot at Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump during the song’s outro, singing “Don’t fall for Donald Trump/because he’s a chump.”

http://www.blurballs.com/2016/11/damon-albarn-on-president-trump-dont.html


Also he doesn't live in California
 
In my opinion, the difference here is that I never knew David Bowie held these opinions because people were talking about his art and not his political opinions.
What is happening is something that is probably thousands of years old but it appears to me to be a trend. It works like this. Someone is interviewed and the interviewer doesn't really have any perception to delve into that person's art so they ask "What do you think about ______?"
This is how Bernard Sumner wound up talking about Morrissey and it's how Morrissey wound up talking about Weinstein and Spacey. I think that the person being interviewed is probably made to feel relaxed and there are probably a number of things discussed, but then the journalist gets to what they know will get some attention.
I don't know if this is because twitter and Facebook have gotten us used to being in each other's business and made people think that their opinions are more important or relevant than they are. Or maybe it's because journalists know this formula will work? As a longtime listener of Morrissey I'm sure that you or I or many people here, or any journalist who actually knows his career or spends some time preparing for an interview, could think of dozens of things to ask and talk about for hours until he told us to gtfo. And I would never think to ask about Kevin Spacey. And I sure wouldn't get him started on immigration because he already said it, we know it, and so what? He doesn't even vote.
Now I have not clicked the link. Maybe Damon Albarn got up that morning and thought "I really have something to say about Morrissey!" (They really should leave John Lydon alone or he might appear out of a puff of smoke and tell everyone that The Clash were bullshit.)

Okay, clicked the link now. It appears to be about nothing but Morrissey. While I doubt Damon Albarn regrets what he said, as it's not really that damning of anyone, I would imagine that he was tricked. The fact that Paul Simonon was there as well would lead me to believe that he probably was publicizing some project and didn't jsut happen to grab Paul and go talk about Morrissey. I imagine that was part of a longer interview that was actually intended to move some product, but outrage over Morrissey seems to get clicks and sell papers.
Okay, now I do not exactly blame the journalists completely. It's not that they should never talk about Morrissey. He is totally responsible for that. It's ironic that Morrissey will ask "Where were the parents" about a 14 year old boy victimized by a serial sex offender, but then when someone asks him a question, with all of his years in the business, we're supposed to feel he is a victim? Where was the publicist?
No, it's Morrissey's fault that he is in this mess to the extent that he is in his right mind.
But the point is most of these people who have commented on it were meeting with a journalist to publicize a record or a tour. They were not trying to set up a campaign to crucify Morrissey. And unless they are all drunk I don't know why they answer these questions. But they probably want to have that access to the press. They probably still think that playing ball with the NME will get them some attention when they tour and maybe help get a better album review. And they don't want to seem like they have something to hide when asked about Morrissey. But I don't think that they go to an interview with the intention of discussing things which really have zero to do with them. It's lazy journalism and I think they just answer the question, usually in very mild terms, not realizing that this is the focus of the article.
 
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Having opinions on Trump when you don't live in the US is a little different. Donald is considered "the leader of the free world," believe it or not.
 
It’s a rather measured response from Albarn to the NME’s leading questioning. They clearly wanted him to say he’s totally outraged and then condemn Morrissey - and he doesn’t. “Steven is a complicated soul” is actually quite an affectionate thing to say. Still, they’ve tried to put as negative a spin on it as they can.
 
In some respects very valid points. But we must look at some facts and I cannot speak for Morrissey and this is my opinion.

It doesn't matter where someone lives. If they are English/British whenever they return they see changes to the area they were brought up in. I remember Manchester in late 8os and remember how it was. When I return back to my hometown in Wales I can immediately see the differences to my childhood. My hometown has lost its identity. It was a working class town and now it's a ghost town with Polish shops everywhere. Its heritage has been lost. It had the most pubs in Wales for a town at one point in my lifetime. It had a Steel works on its door step employing thousands. Thatcher and what followed destroyed its community.

So I dont live in Wales and live in Manchester. The reason I moved here was diversity as I wanted to be around ethnic culture. Even the culture I wanted to be around is now the minority.

Morrissey has the right to comment wherever he lives.



Damon Albarn on Morrissey’s support of For Britain: “If you don’t live in the country, then you shouldn’t be dabbling in its politics” - NME

Excerpt:

Now, Blur frontman Damon Albarn has had his say on the matter, speaking to Jordan Bassett during an NME interview with The Good, The Bad And The Queen.

“Steven is a complicated soul,” started Albarn, before bandmate and former Clash bassist Paul Simonon asked, “But does he live in England?”

“No, he lives in California,” replied Albarn. “He doesn’t care. He’s just doing it to wind people up.”

Simonon then argued that Morrissey’s time living abroad gave him a warped perception of how life really is in the UK.

“Sometimes if you are away and you don’t live in the country, then you’ve got a misconception of what the reality is from the ground up,” he said. “It’s the same as John Lydon – he’s sort of got to a certain level and he’s [entitled] to his views, but if you don’t live here, your vision of it is in a bubble.”

Albarn then added: “Yeah, I totally agree. You shouldn’t even have an opinion. If you don’t live in the country, then you shouldn’t be dabbling in its politics because to have the sensitivity to understand, you have to live amongst the emotional world of the people as well, not just the idea of something. That’s a long way from reality.

“So I think if you wanna be miserable and English, you’ve gotta be miserable and English. You know – really be it.”



Damon Albarn has a short memory:

Damon Albarn: new Gorillaz album inspired by Trump's election
https://www.theguardian.com/music/2...laz-new-album-humanz-response-trumps-election
 
"If you don’t live in the country, then you shouldn’t be dabbling in its politics."

This is an absurd statement. Morrissey is still a citizen of the UK, wherever he resides. Remember how in recent close elections in the U.S., you've read about results awaiting the arrival of "overseas" (not just military) ballots? Both the Republican and Democratic parties run "expat caucuses" during their primaries (and then again in the general election) to secure and influence the votes of Americans living overseas. I would assume British political parties do the same thing. To say "you shouldn't even have an opinion" about your own country simply because you are living abroad is... well, just a dumb thing to say.

For example: "Democrats Abroad is the official Democratic Party arm for the millions of Americans living outside the United States. We strive to provide Americans abroad a Democratic voice in our government and elect Democratic candidates by mobilizing the overseas vote." https://www.democratsabroad.org
 
I have no relation with Japan, but I would be sad and upset if it would provoke its own death by importing millions of people from other continents and countries and letting them transform the country.

No need to be born or to live somewhere to love the beautiful diversity of the world and to be sad by the replacement and disappearance of a culture, a nation, a civilisation from the face of earth, whatever culture / nation / civilisation it is.
 
Yes. Interesting you don’t hear Morrissey discussing the Latino influence in the USA as a cultural change and the end of “American Culture” (mind, something I don’t believe) - something the right bangs on about endlessly in the USA. Maybe it’s because this is one of his main fan base demographics in the USA??
 
Having opinions on Trump when you don't live in the US is a little different. Donald is considered "the leader of the free world," believe it or not.

Dude you got a nice way of flip flopping after that huge post. You and Damon think Morrissey can't speak on England while he has blabbed about politics a ton. Hypocrites. Morrissey can speak on England all he wants and most importantly Moz is speaking truth. Damon is a globalist fool
 

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