Anyone who managed to catch Damon Albarn’s headline performance at Latitude this summer will agree that the apocalyptic thunder storm that broke through the sky during his show was more spectacular than any kind of manmade lighting show. His new video for Hostiles, shot at the July event, should be brilliant reminder of the event to those who were there - and to those who just fancy seeing the Blur frontman and his band, The Heavy Seas, a string section and a gospel choir drenched and soundtracking such a beautiful tale of modern day despair.
Hostiles, the latest single to be taken from Albarn’s Mercury nominated album Everyday Robots, was written, “partly to do with the way so many people watch films where characters with no back story are just being annihilated,” he told the Sunday Times. “Look at video games – ‘hostiles’ is the name given to the enemy. They’re given no back story. There’s no humanity. Yet they’re given human shape.” It is also, he adds, “about those days where you’re so fucking hungover, you can’t do anything. You just sit there and stare into the middle distance”.
Albarn will play London’s Royal Albert Hall, for the first time on 15 November and 16 November. These shows will see the artist and The Heavy Seas augmented by some special guests. Before then, watch the new video and let us know your thoughts.
