The Good The Bad and The Queen
JB’s, Dudley
The mood in Dudley before Damon Albarn’s new project - The Good the bad and the Queen - came on was nothing short of electric.
See also: Damon repays JB’s debt,Blur legend thrills fans
As one fan said before last night’s gig: “It’s the biggest gig Dudley has had in 10 years.” And it was made so much sweeter by the fact Alban had chosen Dudley especially as a kind of thank you.
When Blur first came to JB’s in King Street back in 1990, it was the first time the struggling band made a decent whack for a gig, and a place that Damon wanted to return to.
It meant we were given a taste of the GBQ ahead of London, where the band was due to head off to after the gig was over.And it made it all the more thrilling for the fans who knew Damon had requested to play here rather than bigger Midland venues.
JBs was packed out with people ranging in ages, as the band also boasts bassist Paul Simon from The Clash as well as guitarist Simon Tong from The Verve - a rare collection of musical talent.
Lesser music buffs like myself, who hadn’t heard the new material, were waiting to see what this kind of collaboration might produce - Albarn’s other bands, Blur and Gorrillaz, were hardly similar.
The result was a breathtaking mix of quirky, soulful lyrics with a kind of low-key wistful feel. Often dubbed as miserable and awkward in the press, Albarn was in top form jigging around the stage in a pinstripe suit and red tee-shirt - a far cry from the tracksuits and anoraks from his Blur days. Not content with singing some pretty impressive vocals, he also played a selection of instruments including the recorder.
The band has received rave reviews in pretty much all the music press which have described it as “dark” and “muted.”
Not sure about that - but to me it was pretty mesmerising to be in the presence of so many legends as well as nearly 1,000 appreciative fans. There has been comparisons drawn to The Beatles’ White Room album, which I could also glimpse.
The best track was probably Herculean which includes strings and a melancholy downbeat feel.
The songs were written to tell the story of Britain and while the band give an interesting, deep and heartfelt portrayal - the music gives the impression the country could be in a happier state. The mood in Dudley last night, however, couldn’t have been better.
By Rebecca Jones
Share this article:
What are these?