Gorillaz live in Birmingham: A glorious career-spanning celebration
With special guests and a setlist that flits between the old and the new, Damon Albarn's gang of unruly primates are on fine form.
By Ben Jolley
Few acts boast a discography as varied as Gorillaz, so deciding which tracks to play on their latest arena tour was always going to prove a difficult task. There’s no pressure sensed, however, when Damon Albarn and co casually arrive on stage in Birmingham for the latest night of their arena tour.
Greeted by a packed, generation-spanning audience – including countless dads introducing their sons to their favourite group – their decade-spanning 24-track trip leans heavily on last year’s chart-topping album The Mountain, while also weaving in plenty of throwback fan favourites (sadly minus ‘DARE’; presumably, Shaun Ryder wasn’t around).
Taking the 15,000-strong crowd at bp pulse LIVE on an epic multisensory journey where the visuals centre around the band’s iconic animated avatars, the themes of death, grief and the afterlife that drive their most recent LP shine through.
After some yoga led by Albarn, enchanting flautist Ajay Prasanna – one of two new additions to the touring ensemble, alongside the equally great Kayam Hussain on tabla – sets the tone with the transportative title track from their ninth record. Soon after, ‘The Happy Dictator’s contrast of pulsing beats and dystopian lyrics (“while everyone’s consuming, I’ll save you from yourself”) coalesce for the night’s first singalong. Later, stirring renditions of ‘The Empty Dream Machine’ and ‘Delirium’ from the same collection feel deeply spiritual; despite its heartfelt lyrics, the latter becomes a rowdy anthem thanks to flashing pink strobes.
A plethora of guests – both IRL and on-screen appearances – bring varying energies to the two-hour spectacle too. A suited Joe Talbot from IDLES joins for thought-provoking collab ‘The God of Lying’, support act Omar Souleyman returns to start an Arabic-language dance party with ‘Damascus’, and Kara Jackson’s duet with Albarn on ‘Orange County’ – with its poignant refrain of “you know the hardest thing, is to say goodbye to someone you love” – leaves a lump in the throat. Similarly tear-jerking are Gorillaz classic ‘On Melancholy Hill’, and ‘The Shadowy Light’ which illuminates the arena with swaying phone torches.
Amid the more obviously emotional moments, there are dopamine rushes aplenty: Yasiin Bey and the powerful virtual presence of Bobby Womack raise the roof during ‘Stylo’, an extended version of ‘Clint Eastwood’ is beefed up by long-standing guitarist Jeff Wootton, and ‘Dirty Harry’ practically explodes with the arrival of rapper Bootie Brown. It’s a close call, but ‘Feel Good Inc.’ – featuring a frantic turn from De La Soul’s Pos – gets the wildest reaction.
Overall, Gorillaz’ latest tour not only demonstrates the power of music to connect and move people in myriad ways, but how important it is for skilled musicians to remain at the heart of live performance.
“It’s always a joyous thing when you let someone into your family, it gets bigger and bigger,” Albarn says near the show’s close, reflecting on his band’s recent expansion. “And you’re all part of that,” he adds to rapturous applause. At a time when division is rife, such a sentiment of inclusion feels more important than ever.