MusicDamon Albarn’s (Blur) harsh opinion on Bob Dylan banning cell phones at showsBlur and Gorillaz musician revealed he’s not a big fan of the restriction applied by the folk icon to his showstoday at 08:00

It’s been a long time since Bob Dylan has banned the use of cell phones at his shows. For the artist, it is important that live performances are only enjoyed by those who are there and that smartphones do not take away other people’s concentration.

The idea, of course, divides opinions. Damon Albarn is part of the team that does not approve the decision to Dylan.

During an interview with BBCthe musician from Blur and the Gorillaz explained his reservations about the format. For him, it is a problem simply because it is a ban.

The Englishman said:

If you start banning things, where will it stop? I think you just have to show up on stage and do what you have to do.”

In the opinion of Albarnit is the artist’s role to make his presentation interesting. Otherwise, cell phones could really get more interesting.

People won’t want to be on their cell phones if you’re interacting with them correctly.”

Curiously, Damon suffered from the lack of public interaction during a Blur at the American festival Coachella, last April. The audience seemed so uninterested — not necessarily because of the cell phones — that the frontman even said at one point:

You’ll never see us again, so you better sing this shit! Do you understand what I’m saying?”

Cell phones at the Bob Dylan concert

Bob Dylan makes use of a system called Yondr, which offers a grant during shows (via the website Igor Miranda). In it, the fan needs to put their cell phone. The team itself locks it before the presentation begins.

The scholarship is only opened in two situations. The first, of course, at the end of the event. The second, if the fan needs to use their smartphone — in this situation, they go to a reserved area, outside the presentation environment.

In order to ensure that no one can break the rule, several security guards move around the show location. If someone appears with a cell phone in hand, that person is removed from the room.