From Lockdown to Mission Creep: Damian Lewis’ Music Journey – Part II

“I wanted the album to give a sense of a journey to this point, from busking ‘til now. I suddenly had a lot to say. People will judge if it’s any good or not, but for me, it felt entirely natural.” – Damian Lewis

photo credit: Rhys Frampton

You can read Part I here. We had a cliffhanger at the end of Part I… Steve Abbott introduced Damian to Giacomo Smith, one of the best  jazz musicians working  in London today…

Then Jay Rayner of  Out to Lunch podcast let the world know about Damian performing Dr. John’s “Such a Night” with Giacomo and his band Kansas Smittys – and asked Damian if the experience was as fun as it looked… Continue reading “From Lockdown to Mission Creep: Damian Lewis’ Music Journey – Part II”

Throwback Thursday to Damian Lewis on The Moment with Brian Koppelman

Note: This post was originally published on March 26, 2019.

Photo Credits: Brian Koppelman

When he’s not running a show, co-creator of Billions, Brian Koppelman hosts a podcast called The Moment. Each hour-long session is a conversation about the creative process and pivotal moments in creative careers. Koppelman talks to people in various forms and stages of their creative lives about inflection points, the moments they sensed something shifted for them in their careers. Having listened to several of these conversations in his archive, its always a treat to hear how people get to live their professional dreams, be they restaurateurs, musicians, writers or actors. Back when he first publicized the podcast, I had this twee Twitter exchange with him. Continue reading “Throwback Thursday to Damian Lewis on The Moment with Brian Koppelman”

On The Horizon: Damian Lewis as Twin Vampire Brothers in The Radleys

“Your instincts are wrong. Animals rely on instincts for their daily survival, but we are not beasts. We are not lions or sharks or vultures. We are civilized, and civilization only works if instincts are suppressed. So do your bit for society and ignore those dark desires inside you.” – The Abstainer’s Handbook (second edition), p. 54

The Radleys is seemingly an ordinary suburban family. They live at 17 Orchard Lane in the village of Bishopthorpe, Yorkshire. Peter Radley is an overworked general practitioner. His wife Helen is an amateur artist who paints apple trees in watercolor. Their marriage has got distant over the years. Peter and Helen have two teenage children who attend the local high school. Rowan, their 17 year old son, suffers from rashes and chronic insomnia and reads Lord Byron .Clara, their 15 year old daughter, has recently become a vegan with the hopes of having animals treat her better.

Despite their best efforts to live like the next family, The Radleys are perceived to be “a little odd” by their fellow villagers. The family has their curtains closed at all times. They love their meat almost raw but choke on garlic. The amount of factor 60 sunscreen Rowan uses on his skin is off the charts. Clara is extremely pale and fragile. The Radley children are called freaks and bullied at school.

Continue reading “On The Horizon: Damian Lewis as Twin Vampire Brothers in The Radleys”

Guitar Man: Damian Lewis’ Music Journey Part I

“I’m looking forward to getting out there and playing the songs I’ve written and been recording for my debut album. Be good to be back on stage, this time with a guitar in my hand.”

—Damian Lewis

You know what I did in the title, don’t you? If you know a certain ginger man who thinks he is the “second coming of Elvis” that is returning to stage with a guitar in hand, you go and title your related post after a lesser known Elvis gem.

So… if you are not living under a rock, you know that Damian returned to stage, this time, with a guitar in hand turning his fantasies into reality. He released a few singles in spring 2023 followed by his highly acclaimed first album ‘Mission Creep’ in June, and is already working a second album. He did live gigs in London, played at music festivals, rocked the paddock at the British Grand Prix, and went on a UK tour the second part of which is coming up in March.

https://twitter.com/FanFunDamian/status/1758882092744581219

If you want to see Damian and his new beard on stage, you can find all gig dates, venues and ticket information here. Continue reading “Guitar Man: Damian Lewis’ Music Journey Part I”

53 Song Dedications for Damian Lewis’s Birthday

Today Damian Lewis turns 53! Happy Birthday Damian, from the Fan Fun with Damian Lewis Team and all the fandom around the world! Every January the Team begins contemplating what we can do differently to celebrate Damian’s birthday in February and year after year we strive to be creative and unique. In 2022 we baked and decorated 51 Birthday Cakes and in 2023 we mixed 52 Celebratory Cocktails in honor of Damian. We’ve been bakers and we’ve been mixologists – now it’s time to enter the DJ booth, lay down some tracks and scratch out those beats on the deck. With the release of his debut album Mission Creep and recent UK tour, what better way to continue that music theme than to celebrate Damian’s 53rd birthday with 53 song dedications!

We planned, conspired and mobilized the fandom in the back channels of Twitter, Instagram or Facebook DM’s, as well as e-mail, to accomplish this secret project. With our idea set in motion the goal remained the same…to bring a smile to Damian’s face. The task was simple: choose a song that reminds us of Damian or reminds us of one of our favorite characters he has played. It could also be a song we wished he would cover at one of his music gigs or hope to hear on his next album. Any song for any reason.

Continue reading “53 Song Dedications for Damian Lewis’s Birthday”