IT was once the fiercest rivalry in rock, with two of its most hedonistic stars clashing while dominating the charts.

But 20 years on, Damon Albarn reveals his friendship with Noel Gallagher has become fiercely important to him — as the Oasis star is one of the only people who understands what he went through as Blur’s frontman.

Damon Albarn has said Noel Gallagher is one of the only people who understands him Credit: Getty - Contributor

Despite recently turning 50 — and joking he had expected the milestone to be more enlightening — Damon still gets “nightmare” flashbacks to his hard-partying heyday.

He explained: “It’s a long time since I’ve indulged in that sort of thing.

"It was magnificent while it lasted, but it was a very long time ago.

“I went to see that Alexander McQueen film last night, and I spent all night having nightmares just because it kind of triggered all of those scenes of nightlife and people getting wasted.

“It triggered stuff that I wasn’t aware I was storing.

During their Nineties heyday, Noel Gallagher was a huge rival of Damon's Credit: Getty - Contributor

"It was cathartic in a weird way.

"I mean, it terrifies me to think what I might have turned into.”

Explaining his new friendship with Noel, he adds: “We don’t talk about our past.

"We talk about our present.

Damon still gets 'nightmare' flashbacks to his hard-partying Blur days Credit: Getty - Contributor

“I value my friendship with Noel because he is one of the only people who went through what I did in the Nineties.”

Damon has transformed from wild frontman to keeping strict 9am-to-5pm working hours at his studio, prompting him to become one of the most prolific men in music.

This weekend sees him back on stage with animated “virtual band” Gorillaz for their only UK show of the year at Boomtown Fair in Winchester, Hamps.

They will perform hits alongside tracks from new record The Now Now, which sees him fully reconnected with the other half of the band Jamie Hewlett — the genius behind its striking animated image and today’s stunning Bizarre makeover.

Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett are back with their virtual band Gorillaz

Damon and Jamie, who admit to clashing “over everything”, didn’t speak for three years from 2011.

Jamie relocated to Paris but their lively new record sees the pair going back to basics.

Damon explains: “For this record it was back to how we originally worked.

“He was somewhat absent when making Humanz, but with this one he was in the studio for the whole month.

Last month Gorillaz released new album The Now Now

“We just hung out for the whole of that month, which was really important.

“We wanted to do something that was purely about one of the cartoon characters 2D — about his feelings, which I suppose are my feelings through a filter.

“So The Now Now is basically a dream within an imagined reality.

"I don’t know how you translate that.

Damon and Jamie admit to clashing 'over everything' and didn’t speak for three years from 2011

“It’s a record within a record.

"It’s the voice of 2D singing about isolation and an inability to understand or find his way.”

Damon admits he fears releasing too much music, but he won’t rule out the prospect of another Blur album — and wants to perform live again with bandmates Graham Coxon, Alex James, Dave Rowntree, who last hit the stage together in 2015.

“A reunion is never not a possibility,” he tells me. “I think most definitely at some point we’ll play those songs again.

“I’d hate to think I’d never play with those musicians again.

"But it has just got to be the right time.

"You want to feel that people really, really, really want you to do it, otherwise you’re kind of becoming a tribute act to yourself.

“You destroy everything that you’ve created if you do.

“Some days I really fancy doing a Blur song in the middle of a Gorillaz set.

Damon hasn't ruled out the possibility of a Blur reunion Credit: Getty - Contributor

"I’ve never tried it, but I probably shouldn’t.”

And despite hitting the big 5-0 there are no plans to slow down.

Damon adds: “Fifty is a weird one because, up until then, you’re deluding yourself that you’re still young.

"It’s like you’re on a long journey and you can see the great towers of the end right on the horizon.

“I wake up every day hoping that the horizon is a long way off, I’ve got so many things going on.

Damon Albarn talks about the return of Gorillaz and their newest album The Now Now on BBC Radio 1

“I just like making music.

"Sometimes I get embarrassed because everyone says ‘You do so much’, but I feel like I do an acceptable amount.

“I’m very confused.

"I thought 50 would bring clarity and all it’s done is raise more questions."

The Sun Says YOU would have got good odds in the mid-Nineties if you had said Blur’s Damon Albarn and Oasis’s Liam Gallagher would be mates 20 years later.



What next? The Krays and the Richardsons sharing a roast dinner in heaven? Nigel Benn and Chris Eubank bonding over a Martini?



Good luck to both – still going strong.

READ ON FOR MORE OF

THE GORILLAZ

BIZARRE COLUMN TAKEOVER

Life's Dyer inside

IN the latest Gorillaz’ instalment, moody bassist Murdoc Niccals is in prison.

His absence gives frontman 2D free rein to dictate the musical direction of sixth record The Now Now.

While in prison Murdoch has developed an infatuation with Love Island winner Dani Dyer

And it has a stripped back but upbeat feel at odds with some of their previous outings.

Unimpressed, Murdoc drives his #FreeMurdoc campaign via social media.

While inside, he’s developed an infatuation with Love Island winner Dani Dyer, despite initially hunting for pics of her EastEnders dad Danny.

Asked about the sexy poster on his cell wall, he tells me: “Yeah, that was a bit of a balls up.

"It was meant to be her dad.”

Gorillaz bit

FANS can expect plenty of new music from Damon. Referring to The Now Now, he teased: “The reason I was able to get it out so quickly was because I started this year, went to Mali then South Africa and made another record, which is coming out at the beginning of next year.”

Noo best pal for Beyonce

BEYONCE’s seemingly endless On The Run II tour may have bored me to tears, but it’s still catching the attention of fans in America.

She heads to Chicago today after hitting Minneapolis this week, where Gorillaz pal Noodle joined the crowds to watch her and Jay Z rattle through their set of greatest hits and multiple outfits – including this stunning white mini-dress with heels.

Noodle watched Beyonce during her On The Run tour in Minneapolis this week

Noodle tells me she’s always keen to support fellow female artists.

SNOOP DOGG recently teamed up with Gorillaz for the second time on their new track Hollywood.

Now Damon is hoping the rapper will join the band on stage at Boomtown Festival.

Snoop Dogg has collaborated with Gorillaz again on new track Hollywood

He said: I thought, that kind of audience, they’re really into that kind of Nineties hip-hop.”

Snoop is yet to respond but Damon hasn’t given up.

He said: “I might be able to contact him through some fiendishly clever act of technology.

"I’m not promising, but I hope.”

Gorillaz bit

DESPITE two albums in quick succession, Gorillaz won’t be on the road again for some time after their shows this year.

Asked if a tour will follow their festival appearances, Damon explained: “No. There’s one in America but that’s the end of that for a while.”

IT has only been a matter of a days since his split this week from reality star girlfriend Kourtney Kardashian but ex-boyfriend Younes Bendjima has already been seen getting cosy with another woman in Mexico.

The couple split after almost two years together, having first met in 2016.

Could 2D be newly single Kourtney Kardashian's new man?

As model Younes lives in Paris and she in Los Angeles, it had been claimed it was the distance that caused them to split.

But others say he cheated.

Either way, it didn’t take long for Kourtney to be spotted with a new fella – Gorillaz frontman 2D – who looked suitably pleased with himself.