Damon Albarn is against Bob Dylan’s gig phone ban: “Where does it end?”

Damon Albarn has distanced himself from the growing list of artists who have introduced mobile phone bans at their live shows.

The Blur frontman spoke to the BBC days after Bob Dylan announced an upcoming UK tour, which will see him playing 10 shows this winter.

All of the shows will see the implementation of a phone ban, with attendees required to switch off their devices and place them into a Yondr pouch that will be locked by staff. They keep hold of the pouch throughout the gig, but it can only be opened at the end of the show or if they try to leave before it finishes.

Asked about the ban, Albarn replied: “If you start banning things where does it end? I think you’ve just got to turn up and do your thing. People won’t want to be on their phone if you’re engaging with them correctly.”

Albarn went on to discuss Blur’s comeback shows at Wembley Stadium last summer and explained that the Sunday show – which he describes as their greatest ever performance – was aided by fans using their phones as torches to light up the venue.

As the BBC notes, detractors of phone bans have argued that it could lead to longer entry and exit queues and a fear of not having a phone if a major incident occurred.

Jack White, however, has taken the side of Dylan and argued that a phone ban will improve the atmosphere.

“I don’t have a setlist. I really react to the crowd, just like a stand-up comedian would. If I finish a song and it’s ‘tah-dah!’ and it’s crickets. I don’t know what to do now,” he previously told Apple Music.

“What I don’t like, is that how they really feel or are they just not even paying attention because they are doing this, they are texting? When you go to a movie theatre, a symphony, church, there are all these moments in life when people put them away and engage.

“I love the idea of rock concerts being punk as hell, I love that. But I don’t like the idea that I don’t know what to play next.”

Blur, meanwhile, are gearing up to release To The End – the emotional documentary which captures the story of their triumphant comeback last summer.

In a four star review, Rolling Stone UK described it as “a must-watch for fans of the Britpop icons”.