the sort of sneering songs we wrote about old people in the you know when we were in our 20s
and now aimed at us aren't they we've all got houses in the country I just remember at the
time going these people they said they didn't know anything they didn't even know they're
alive and now that's us right let's do it Dave Roundtree welcome back to absolute radio how are
you yes good thank you very good it's time for the new year what better time to launch
your next record uh so congratulations on it coming out it's out now um it's called radio
songs we're going to have a chat about that but with the music that you uh wrote with blur I mean
you were Kings of Brit pop and kings of that particular genre of which we'll speak about
but with this one some might be interested to know this is almost like an electronic album
isn't it with orchestral flourishes and you're singing for the first time as well aren't you
singing fronting vocals for the first time yes you know the past kind of eight nine years I've
been writing film music kind of that's been my day job really is ever since the last blurt also
it's probably seven years in reality you've played was it the moth Club you played was it moth Club I
played three shows I played the Amira that was it yeah and then a couple of shows out of town
yeah yeah and then we're gonna get some more my uh my plans for a Festival tour in the summer
have rather been usurped by another project I'm peripherally involved in so uh yeah we may have
to wait until guys I've been waiting to put this out for 58 years and now but if you'd if you it
would be prudent of me not to ask you about that reunion of course uh while you're here um this is
the first time you guys gonna talk for seven years after the magic whip when was this all decided
well the willingness has been there for some time right but uh obviously it was interrupted
by kovid as so many people's plans were and then post covid it was virtually impossible
to play the kind of venues that we play they would upon me they were waiting lists of about
I don't know 10 or 15. acts on each date yeah in every venue so it was like didn't see what's
going to happen and I think right up until about a couple of weeks before
we uh we announced the shows it seemed like to me it was going to happen so uh wow I'm sure people
think that there's been some sort of Master Plan going on behind the scenes that they're
sort of men in Gray suits that uh sort of subtly pull the strings and we all keep this a secret
if only people knew what it was actually like being in a band just a WhatsApp group you there
you know yeah I'm doing it what's happening is it on is it off or what who did you hear that from
um so I believe you've never played Wembley before is that right no Wembley Arena right
but never played Wembley Stadium and that was really what uh tempted us back out uh on the
road because it's one of those things where you know like the Buddha Khan in Tokyo and Madison
Square Garden in New York where these iconic venues where you just can't you just can't say
no to them can you exactly so uh yeah when when it was mentioned everybody went that sounds brilliant
followed closely by do you think people are still interested it's been a while do you think it's
still sell any tickets that'd be an embarrassing embarrassing climb down if you put that on sale
I had to take it off sale again there's a lot of very excited people counting down the day so two
nights now at Wembley as well um with that are there going to be any surprises in terms of music
oh can you tell me anything oh well I mean that's all all yet to start all of those discussions okay
yeah I mean it's only you know it's January and we're playing in yeah due July okay some
rehearsals to be down between now and then paint the picture for me you're in a rehearsal space
wherever you go and do it when you're in a band you're a relationship like brothers and sisters
isn't it it's like a family so do is there a couple of you that bicker about the set list or is
there someone who always needs to have a separate bank or a set you know a bath in the hotel is that
what kind of bit we've been through all of that and come out the other side surely you
know just try and get on with each other these days to really try and not be Prima
donors it's kind of your life is just so much easier if you just smile and Nod yeah
try and have fun and yeah we're at the stage in our careers you know and you know if we if we
were never to play again no we've never we can get any criticism from anybody you know we've
done pretty much everything there is to do you know we've done the headlining Glastonbury and
all that we don't know that multiple times you know nothing to prove to anyone these days we
may as well just enjoy it man we we may as well just relax and enjoy the pressure off each other
and just try and enjoy it I was wondering as well with with the whole kind of back cattle
that you have because there's so many big songs in that is there any that I remember talking to
James Dean Bradfield about this songs that have kind of changed their meaning to you over the
years yeah the kind of the sort of sneering songs we wrote about old people in the you
know when we were in our 20s and now aimed at us aren't they we've all got houses in the country
I've jogged around the park you know and I just remember at the time going these
people they said they didn't know anything they didn't even know they're alive and now that's us
just how we've turned into the people that uh we used to write sneering somewhere and now the youth
are all still wearing 90s stuff as well so it's kind of well still wearing 90s stuff yeah I mean
I I've worn the same clothes really but if it's 35 years one day I'll be back in fashion it's
brilliant I just hold on to that Mantra though absolutely it's why I changed why change the
habits of a life it's gonna be worked for us well do you know what though it's been so nice to see
you again thank you darling for coming in um radio songs it's an absolute Triumph I'm so excited to
see it live um thank you so much and we'll see you in June at Wembley as well brilliant thank you