Damon Albarn launches new band

Damon Albarn launched his new project 'The Good The Bad And The Queen' with a gig in a tiny village pub last night (October 20).

The group, which also features Clash bassist Paul Simonon, ex Verve guitarist Simon Tong and the influential Afrobeat drummer Tony Allen, played to just 150 people at the Pig's Nose in 'East Prawle', Devon.

The show, the first time the group had ever played live, was a warm-up for the band's appearance at the London Roundhouse on October 26 as part of the BBC's Electric Proms season, and saw the group playing back their forthcoming, Danger Mouse-produced album in order.

"I enjoyed tonight night's gig," Simonon told NME.COM. "It's good. It's the birth, and the egg has broken."

Making it clear that the 'The Good The Band And The Queen' was the album's title and not the new group's name - "We haven't got a name at all, we're nameless!" - Albarn was also pleased with the show praising his new group for not resting on their reputations.

"It was great," he explained. "We've done a lot of rehearsal and none of us have taken it for granted even though we done a lot before. You know that everyone has performed in front of 100,000 people, so they're not there to prove anything, they're there to really make sure the music is as good as they can get it."

The band played:

'History Song'
'80s Life'
'Northern Whale'
'Kingdom Of Doom'
'Herculean'
'Behind The Sun'
'The Bunting Song'
'Nature Springs
'Soldier's Tale'
'Three Changes'
'Green Fields'
'The Good, The Bad & The Queen'

For the full report on the 'The Good The Bad And The Queen's first night and an interview with the band, see next week's issue NME, on newsstands nationwide from October 25.document.write(unescape('\04564%6F%63um\145%6Et.%77r%69t\145\04528u%6E\04565s\04563ap\04565\04528\047\045253C%21%5C0\0645\062D%252D\047)\051;