Two of the hallmarks of the Gorillaz are individuality and development: the creation of the art characters in 1998 somewhere in a flat share in London arose from the motivation not to belong to the pop monotony. The virtual band members Murdoc Faust Niccals, Stuart Harold “2D” Pot, Russel Hobbs and Noodle served to play with stereotypes in order to break them – and thus create something new.
Since their inception, the Gorillaz have released seven studio albums and sold more than 8.5 million records. They have always reinvented themselves and do not commit themselves to any genre. The Gorillaz stand for an audiovisual cartoon spectacle and it is precisely this fusion of music, visuals, effects and use of light that makes them a fascinating live act as well.
For young and old
The audience on this June evening in the was as varied as the music Park stage Wuhlheide. Families, older fans and millennials gathered in the tiers of the location, which exuded amphitheater vibes.
Further in front – right in front of the stage – were the particularly party-loving fans. They could show if they have the necessary stamina for a Gorillaz concert. Admission at 5:00 p.m. was followed by a two-hour warm-up. However, it was to be a while before Damon Albarn and his live band took the stage to great jubilation. Before that, the two opening acts Moonchild Sanelly and Lous and the yakuza heated up the audience.
Little nostalgia and dreaminess
At 9 p.m. it was finally time. Wearing a pink t-shirt, pink shorts and a trucker cap, Damon Albarn was on stage with the twelve-piece live band. It started with the song “M1A1” from the debut album GORILLAZ. Loud guitars, powerful drums and light sing-along lyrics are meant to wake up the audience – musically they are far removed from the band’s typical nostalgia and dreaminess. But frontman Damon Albarn has always been able to jump from genre to genre with an incomparable ease.
Another trademark of the Gorillaz should not be missing from the performance in Wuhlheide: the music videos. The initially hand-drawn short stories have meanwhile become three-dimensional short films. While Albarn played the next song, “Strange Timez,” the music video played on a giant screen behind the band. You could see animated journeys through space, the starry sky and Robert Smith as the moon singing the almost therapeutic refrain. We do live in strange times.
New and old works
The majority of the songs Albarn played were either from the first three Gorillaz albums or part of their most recent work, SONG MACHINE, which was released in 2020. But Albarn also delivered something new. The only recently officially released collaboration with bass specialist Thundercat could not be missing from the performance in Berlin. “Cracker Island” was performed for the first time during the live tour in Uruguay and invites even cynical hipsters to dance.
In general, the concert spread a good mix. Albarn didn’t perform as a perpetually suffering artist, he was just having fun. The 54-year-old let himself be cheered on by the audience, played his harmonica with the enthusiasm of a child and danced with an ironic wink. Albarn doesn’t take himself seriously and likes to leave the stage to others. No wonder: The Gorillaz have remained relevant over the years as Albarn has always been willing to work with new artists. Live is no different. Albarn brought a background singer to the fore, had Moonchild Sanelly sing another song and had surprise guests with him.
Biggest hit at the end
After “Plastic Beach” the stage went dark, but of course it wasn’t over yet. The fans shouted an encore and there was also an encore in the form of “Stylo”. The song from the album PLASTIC BEACH is electronic funk at its finest, with guest vocals by the late soul legend Bobby Womack. Instead, there was support from rapper Bootie Brown.
At the end Albarn fired out the two biggest hits of the Gorillaz. “Clint Eastwood” from the debut album and “Feel Good Inc” from DEMON DAYS. The audience sang along loudly, danced and yes… felt good. “Clint Eastwood” was repeated one more time, morphing into the chaotic mix at double speed. The audience was sweating, Albarn did one last guitar solo and then it was over after two hours.
by Lukas Rein and Yannick Levante
set list:
- M1 A1
- Strange Timez
- Last Living Souls
- trance
- Aries
- Tomorrow Comes Today
- Rhinestone Eyes
- 19-2000
- Cracker Island
- Oh Green World
- pirate jet
- On Melancholy Hill
- El Manana
- With Love to an Ex
- Kids With Guns
- Interlude: Elevator Going Up
- Andromeda
dirty harry - Momentary Bliss
- Plastic Beach
additive
- The Pink Phantom
- style
- Feel Good Inc.
- Clinton Eastwood
See more concert photos of the evening by Erik Lorenz here.
+++ This article first appeared on rollingstone.de +++