On a sumptuous sofa in Fulham’s Matrix Studios, the tangle of arms, legs, skinny bodies and hangovers that pass for one-half of Blur this sunny afternoon are draped sloppily over the upholstery. They’re touching each other. Despite the trainers and the trace of stubble, it looks good. It’s pure knuckle-biting sex. Bassist Alex, looking like one of the schoolboy extras fancied by Rupert Everett in Another Country, and motor-mouthed main man Damon, the thinking person’s bit of crumpet, are weathering the after effects of being this year’s Chosen Ones, this year’s golden boys, this year’s graduates to the Premier League of superstar parties and super-sonic next-day paybacks. There have been casualties amongst the troops: drummer Dave Rowntree and guitarist Graham Coxton are AWOL. Last night’s Pulp Fiction premiere and the following INXS party are mere symptoms of how desirable Blur have become.
“From the Endsleigh Lig to the Premier Lig,” laughs Damon, “You have to cherish the novelty. You know, all the supermodels were there and they were very friendly. They were all snogging us, and they all said they had a copy of Parklife and really liked it. Part of me thinks it’s very scary when people like that own a copy of my record."But you let some of them kiss you. What’s the problem?
"There’s no problem. I think supermodels are alright, although they’re slightly sinister in a way, I don’t think they’re stupid. I thought Helena Christensen was lovely. Have I still got her lipstick on my mouth? I thought I did earlier."Inspecting Damon’s mouth at close range, there are no lipstick traces. Chapping, maybe. Alex teases: "Damon, I think it might be a bit of The Herp!”
“Shut up Alex,” Damon laughs. “I think supermodels work hard. Come on: they get drunk, get up with a hangover in the morning and have to get on a plane, looking good, and then spend all day in front of a photographer who’s probably a lech. It’s like being a popstar really."Rock-stocracy parties and premieres, where models pinch your bum, Simon LeBon includes you in his round, Neil Tennant suggests you make beautiful music together and you find yourself shit-faced with your head in Dave Stewart’s fibre-optics carpeting are a symptom of Making It. Although they aren’t talking yachts and tax shelters yet, Blur have been raking in the invites. But Damon and Alex are not totally won over.
"These are not our new mates,” Damon snaps. “We’re an oddity to them. If you do an album which sells well in this country, you slowly get accepted into that. They’re all slumming it, and we still haven’t got any bloody money.” Alex chimes in: “It’s ridiculous. The bit parts in our lives are played by famous actors.”
i-D magazine, December 1994
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