{"id":427169,"date":"2026-02-15T14:57:06","date_gmt":"2026-02-15T14:57:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/427169\/"},"modified":"2026-02-15T14:57:06","modified_gmt":"2026-02-15T14:57:06","slug":"damon-albarn-has-a-pop-at-having-to-play-tottenham-hotspur-stadium-as-gorillaz-perform-on-the-graham-norton-show","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/427169\/","title":{"rendered":"Damon Albarn has a pop at having to play Tottenham Hotspur Stadium as Gorillaz perform on ‘The Graham Norton Show’"},"content":{"rendered":"

Damon Albarn<\/a> has joked about playing Tottenham Hotspur Stadium as a Chelsea F.C. fan.<\/p>\n

READ MORE:\u00a0Gorillaz \u2013 \u2018Cracker Island\u2019 review: conventional, but richly satisfying<\/a><\/p>\n

In March, Gorillaz<\/a> will head out on\u00a0a UK and Ireland tour<\/a> that includes a one-off headline show at London\u2019s Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on June 20 (find any remaining tickets here<\/a>). It comes in support of their upcoming album, \u2018The Mountain<\/a>\u2018, which will be released on March 20.<\/p>\n

Ahead of the album\u2019s release, Albarn and co. appeared on\u00a0The Graham Norton Show<\/a>\u00a0on Friday (February 13), where they performed the single \u2018Orange Country\u2019<\/a> alongside Bizarrap, Kara Jackson and sitar player Anoushka Shankar.<\/p>\n

Following the performance, Albarn joined the sofa, where he made a dig at rival football team, Tottenham Hotspur.\u00a0Norton mentioned Gorillaz\u2019s upcoming gigs, asking Albarn specifically about their stop at the 62,850-capacity venue: \u201cYou\u2019re doing your biggest ever gig, I think? Tottenham Hotspur Stadium?\u201d<\/p>\n

The Chelsea F.C. supporter then jokingly responded: \u201cA large music venue in North London, yeah\u201d, refusing to outright mention the team\u2019s name.<\/p>\n

Fans on X\/Twitter have compared the moment to when Oasis<\/a> \u2013 famous Manchester City supporters \u2013 played Old Trafford Stadium, but had tickets read \u201cLancashire County Cricket Club\u201d to avoid naming their rival team Manchester United\u2019s home ground<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

You have to listen hard but Damon Albarn is having a pop at Spurs \ud83d\ude01\u2692\ufe0f https:\/\/t.co\/A7IUjY1wgn<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 West Ham Images (@HamImages) February 14, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

He’s a Chelsea fan so he’d say that, Oasis played Lancashire County Cricket Club in 2002, refused to have the words “Old Trafford” on the ticket. pic.twitter.com\/qLKydgZXPn<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 John Gould (@johngouldis) February 14, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

Before the Tottenham gig, the band will also play some warm-up shows in Bradford<\/a>, and from there will make stops at numerous European festivals over the summer, including Electric Picnic<\/a>,\u00a0Primavera Sound Barcelona<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Porto<\/a>, and\u00a0Rock Werchter<\/a>.\u00a0Visit here for tickets<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u2018The Mountain<\/a>\u2018 has so far been previewed by six singles: \u2018The Hardest Thing\u2019, \u2018Orange County\u2019, \u2018The God Of Lying\u2019 (featuring Idles)<\/a>,\u00a0\u2018The Happy Dictator\u2019 (feat. Sparks)<\/a>,\u00a0\u2018The Manifesto\u2019<\/a>\u00a0with Trueno and late\u00a0D12<\/a>\u00a0member Proof, and \u2018Damascus<\/a>\u2019.<\/p>\n

The latter features Syrian superstar of Bedouin music Omar Souleyman and rapper\/singer\u00a0Yasiin Bey<\/a>\u00a0(FKA\u00a0Mos Def<\/a>), and was also given a live preview at the huge\u00a0Together For Palestine charity gig at Wembley Arena, organised by Brian Eno<\/a>\u00a0last year.<\/p>\n

Other artists who have joined Albarn and Jamie Hewett for the record include\u00a0Black Thought<\/a>, Asha Puthli, Asha Bhosle,\u00a0Gruff Rhys<\/a>, Paul Simonon,\u00a0Johnny Marr<\/a>, The London Arab Orchestra, Demon Strings, Chris Storr, James Copus and Matthew Gunner.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

Last year, Albarn opened up about how\u00a0the record was partly inspired after both he and Jamie Hewlett lost their fathers and went to India to cope with the grief.<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cI did things I\u2019d never done before. I swam in the Ganges in Varanasi. I watched the bodies being burnt on the banks of the Ganges. I took my dad\u2019s ashes there and I cast them in the river. It was very beautiful.\u201d<\/p>\n

In other news, next month, Albarn will be performing on<\/a> Saturday Night Live<\/a>\u00a0for the first time with Gorillaz. They\u2019ll take to the stage of the iconic show on March 7, with Ryan Gosling<\/a> as host.<\/p>\n