Barbican Centre

Damon Albarn (born 23 March 1968) is an English musician. He is the lead vocalist and lyricist of the band Blur and the co-creator and primary musical contributor of the virtual band Gorillaz. Albarn was raised in Leytonstone, East London, and around Colchester, Essex. He formed Blur in 1988 with Graham Coxon after meeting at Stanway School. The band released their debut album, Leisure, in 1991. Albarn's songwriting was influenced by British bands from the 1960s, leading to the albums Modern Life Is Rubbish (1993), Parklife (1994), and The Great Escape (1995), which received critical acclaim and contributed to Blur's popularity in the UK. The band released chart-topping albums such as Blur (1997), 13 (1999), and Think Tank (2003), which incorporated elements of lo-fi, art rock, electronic, and world music. Blur's first studio album in 12 years, The Magic Whip, was released in 2015, followed by The Ballad of Darren in 2023.