Damon Albarn has weighed in on Bob Dylan's decision to ban phones on his upcoming 10-date UK tour (get tickets) here), pointing out that a musician's job is to capture the attention of his fans during concerts.
“If you start banning things, where does it end? I think you just have to turn up and do your thing,” the Blur and Gorillaz frontman said. BBC“People won’t want to be on their phones if you engage with them properly.”
Get tickets for Bob Dylan here
Each date on Dylan’s November tour will require fans to turn off their cellphones and place them in a Yondr bag, which will then be locked by venue staff until they leave the building.
Yondr bags are nothing new to the entertainment industry, having previously been used by Dave Chappelle, Jack White, Childish Gambino, Guns N Roses, Tool and more.
However, Albarn believes that mobile phones can enhance the concert-going experience. In an interview with the BBC about Blur's Wembley Stadium shows chronicled in the new documentary Until the endHe recalled that fans held up their phones instead of lighters during his performance of “Tender.”
Dylan is set to spend much of the rest of 2024 on the road. Following the ongoing “Outlaw Music Festival Tour” with Willie Nelson, he will embark on a European tour in October before the UK dates. Get your tickets here.
Earlier this week, Albarn was awarded an honorary degree by the University of Exeter. Until the end goes behind the scenes of Blur's 2023 comeback album, The Ballad of Darrenand supporting reunion tour. Check back for our 2023 cover story on the band.
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