Over the weekend, the virtual band Gorillaz gave two augmented reality shows in London and New York. The performances took place in Piccadilly Circus and Times Square to promote the new single “Skinny Ape”.
Fans could follow the performance of 2D, Murdoch Niccals, Noodle and Russel Hobbs using a special app that blends the real world with the animated content. The Google application “ARCore Geospatial API” was used for this. Ahead of the concert, Niccals said, “To all our followers, get ready for the biggest takeover of Times Square since that other gorilla destroyed it. Bigger even because there are four of us. Thanks to the techies at Google, we’ve created the music video event of the century, so don your pink robes and see Gorillaz like you’ve never seen us before. The future is near!”
Bonus shots of the #SkinnyApe performance. It should stay active for a few months, so grab the Gorillaz Presents app if you’re in the area. There’s also a home version of the performance, if you don’t live near NYC or London. #gorillaz #GorillazPresents #TheLastCult pic.twitter.com/OaKrirOkpx
— Jason Halter (@ereboros) December 18, 2022
Gorillaz co-creator Jamie Hewlett and French director and illustrator Fx Goby conceived the shows. The performances can still be viewed at the two places until June 2023 or alternatively called up in the app.
The band have announced their eighth studio album, CRACKER ISLAND, will be released February 24th. In addition to “Skinny Ape”, three other singles have been released so far. You can hear them here: