Mark

Jesus wouldn't have released the White Album I feel.

I'm not comparing Radiohead's sound to Coldplay in the slightest. But both are festival-headlining rock bands. Size and direction are the only things I'm comparing, and even then, it's only noting similarities.

This opens doors though, because it brought back Tupac. He's so revered and to resurrect him from the dead is a groundbreaking moment for music. I may be talking about extremes, but there are quite a lot of them aren't there? It scares me, is all I was saying. As for the word "gimmick"... I wasn't implying anything was gimmicky, just if you watch Kings of Leon, they're four men with instruments, and often, there aren't even visuals. That is truly gimmickless, and I think it's more impressive than Tupac's resurrection. The Xylobands, you're right, are fantastic, but they're only secondary to a performance. A hologram is a performance.

In terms of size/direction Parachutes = Pablo Honey - debut A Rush of Blood = The Bends - building on debut but turning 90 degrees at the same time, contains about three of the five most famous songs X&Y = OK Computer - taking the band's sound to epic proportions Viva = Kid A - reinvention MX = Amnesiac - continuing the work of the previous record Which would mean... LP6 = Hail to the Thief - return to the old, but still in the vein of post-reinvention. LP7 = In Rainbows - the beautiful medium of what the band has come to represent. LP8 = King of Limbs - downsize.

It could get seriously out of hand. What if an act like The Beatles are reunited in a few years time, after the last two die? How much many will be made from that? What if artists decide that they won't tour war-torn/dangerous countries, but they'll get their holograms to? What if artists decide to play three gigs on one night, with a hologram? What if artists with stage-fright, like Adele, Brandon Flowers, decide they don't want to play, but they'll have a computer re-enact? What if manufactured bands actually become holograms? No one would need play instruments again... What if the closing set at Coachella 2030 or Glastonbury 2035 is a massive disappointment because there are no holograms? What if acts can't afford to keep up with established names to buy them? There will be no new artists coming through, and hey, we can live off the last 50 years of music forever now. What if an act like Kate Bush - who famously only toured once - dies, but is resurrected? That's wrong. Sure, there are a lot of benefits from the new technology, and it's exciting, but all I can think of is how scary it actually is. I like music just the way it is, but I must be in the minority when I say I'm more impressed by watching a band like Kings of Leon perform gimmick-less than I was with Tupac's second coming.

How much do you think that tooth would be worth on eBay?

I just meant anywhere that wasn't Britain really :P I was 8 at the turn of the millennium, and I recognized about 10 Blur songs from the media. More than Oasis. I feel like I've always known them <3

That's true. Music fans know him, but if "Who's the lead singer of Blur?" was on Who Wants to be a Millionaire, it want be worth around £32,000/£64,000. So how did you (and anyone else from overseas reading this) get into Blur without the wonder of media saturation?

Currently recording a new album, not giving too much away, as they felt the documentation of the making of Tonight was a bit much. Headlining Field Day Festival in London this summer. But as this is a Radiohead thread, woo, Radiohead.

To be honest, that's pretty much the same here. I've had to explain to every girlfriend that I'd leave them for Damon Albarn. They say "Who?" and I say "Blur, Gorillaz". And then it's "Oh, that's the same guy?" Both acts are woven into our cultural tapestry, but as you say, no one knows who they are. Not like Oasis, funnily enough.

I've only just noticed you're from the States. Is it true about no one over there knowing of Blur other than Song 2, and Gorillaz being the superstars? Or is that hyped up just a little, and people do actually know of Blur's work if they're into their music? Off topic, just I'm interested.

We're all waiting for the tickets. If you like I'll send you a message on here when I get mine :)

Wowwwww... Which project are they on about? Rocketjuice, Dee or something else?

If I was you, I'd regularly talk to people in the UK who have bought their tickets, to find out when exactly they receive them. I haven't got mine yet, and of course, I couldn't then send them to you, could I? Different tickets arrive at different times, but most arrive about two weeks before an event.

No experience needed, just enthusiasm...

Your tickets will arrive a few days before the event if you buy with Viagogo. I've used them before. The person who's selling needs the tickets to arrive before they send them off. As far I'm concerned, Viagogo is what it is, and it's a business. Same as eBay take commission. Viagogo need to make a living, and no it's not nice taking money from diehard music fans, but if it means the right people get to go to the gigs, then it's something we need until everyone implements this.

Hi everyone. My band are compiling a remix compilation of our songs. Just wondered if anyone would like to work on a song? They're available to hear here: http://soundcloud.com/weatherunderground, but we have only stems for Leave the Floor, Euphoria, Godsend, Paris and Nebulous Rave unfortunately. It'll probably be going to a cancer charity, and we have no expectations of standards, we just want creative musicians to have a go at doing something for others to listen to. If anyone's interested, that would be utterly fantastic. Just say here, and I can send you a link to download the stems!

I think in all fairness to Damon though, the lack of Jamie is not his fault. They are a band. Music comes first. It wasn't Damon's choice to cut the video, nor was it his fault that band became Glastonbury-headliner-sized in three months flat. And as half the band, I'd expect Jamie to accept that, and I'm sure he did, to be honest. But as Damon said, they can never do a tour like that again. They have to downsize, and that will make Jamie's side of the deal easier. I still want a movie. Can I plug a Gorillaz remix on this page please?

In my band, I play piano/keyboard, but obviously a lot of people will volunteer for that. What I can offer that's perhaps a little bit different is that I can score string sections, orchestras, etc. Synthetic of course, but good quality, as I have a Yamaha MOX8.

Yeah, there is great music, but there's something about Damon, really. You know that. He just has this ability that few people have... Everything that he writes sounds as if he's writing for you and you only. Same with his performance. Indie needs a kick up the backside, and a Blur album would do that. There aren't many bands that really, really excite anyone like they did in the 90s.

The reason I'm not happy with the "no Blur" thing is because music is boring at the moment. I got into Blur in 2009, and Hyde Park was the start of my adoration of Albarn. I was 11 when Blur went on hiatus, and though they were always there, I haven't had this band for 20 years, I've had them for three. And when they got back for 2009, I really wanted an album from them. We got Fools Day, and I've played that to death, but I want a Blur record to look forward to. And I know plenty of people my age who would also look forward to it. They're still relevant. And you know what, we don't have anything else at the moment. Everyone else is too huge to care about us - Kasabian, Muse, Arctic Monkeys - and there are no decent indie bands coming through. Ending Blur is totally the right thing to do. But I just long for one more record from them.

That's fair enough that there's not just him involved. But come on, it's Damon Albarn we're talking about. This is a man that joined the dots between all those huge names with Gorillaz. The same man that formed, easily, the most musically-gifted group since Stone Roses with TGTB&TQ, and has united all-star casts for Africa projects and Rocketjuice. What I'm saying is, if there's anyone who can make a sleeping band work, it's him. I'm in a sleeping band myself, and it's overwhelmingly difficult to keep it running. He's the man that inspires me to do it, though. Saying I'll never forgive him was harsh. I was upset, sorry. He'll always be my hero, no matter what he does.

It must be really hard to put a stop to a project, and I respect him for doing it, but I'll never forgive him if he never records another album with either Blur or Gorillaz.

For anyone who doesn't know about this band, they've caused a bit of a storm in the music press over here. You see they wouldn't give interviews with anyone, and as you can hear for yourself, the music's pretty unique and mysterious, so obviously everyone wanted to speak to them. They then started giving interviews, stating that they weren't rock music, they were heavy pop. They said they weren't a band either, they were a lifestyle. They've said they're doing three albums, as there's nothing worse than a band overstaying their welcome. And they laid into everyone from Arctic Monkeys - "we saw them with their sunglasses, and we thought, 'are you taking the piss?' They're so pretentious" - to Arcade Fire - "Win Butler's always talking about the kids but he's out of touch with them; unlike us" They recently whipped up further frenzy by claiming to have played their last ever gig. Personally, I think they're the pretentious ones. Can't stand 'em as people. They're working the media extremely well though, and the music - once you get past the shoutiness! - is beautiful.