Watch Blur Recruit Fred Armisen for Live, Cali-Themed ‘Parklife’
Blur celebrated their epic Hollywood Bowl performance with comedian Fred Armisen, who added a Californian spin to the band’s Britpop anthem “Parklife” during the October 20th gig. The Portlandia star delivered a Cali-styled take on the Cockney spoken-word bits, reimagining the protagonist’s worldview with CrossFit, dog parks and personal trainers.
This fan-shot video features Armisen onstage, decked out in a white suit, running in place and delivering fancy windmill moves with the microphone. “Hey man, you been working out? I’m gonna give you the number to my trainer!” he speak-sings at one point. Blur frontman Damon Albarn enthusiastically jumps around, and the whole band joins in for the shout-along chorus.
Albarn originally had a different comedian in mind for a cameo, as he told Rolling Stone earlier this month. “It’s going to be very interesting performing a song like [1994’s] “Parklife” in Madison Square Garden,” he said. “I haven’t got any answers to this, but I’m trying to find an American comic actor to perform it. I think that would be really fun. I asked Mike Myers — he’s a lovely guy. I imagined him as Austin Powers doing ‘Parklife.’ It’d be quite a wonderful thing. But unfortunately he couldn’t do it.”
When asked if Jerry Seinfeld could fill in, the songwriter emphasized that the guest performer should be a true Blur fan. “Well, it has to be someone who’s kind of into the band, I suppose,” he continued. “The reason I wanted Mike Myers is that he knows that record. I wouldn’t want to put someone in an awkward position.”