The Epiphany
In the deep funk of lockdowns during COVID-19, I found myself exploring old iPods, mix CDs, and YouTube deep dives to maintain some semblance of the human I used to be. Gorillaz were a band that I remembered for their weird cartoon videos, funky beats mixed with a monotone delivery, and underground collaborations with anyone who had a pulse on the current music landscape. I had no history with them and chalked them up to a fun band whose hits you play at parties because they set a mood.
Fast-forward to 2021, sitting on my couch looking up live concerts and deciding to give their 2010 Glastonbury show—performed last-minute after U2 dropped out—a shot, and I was completely blown away.
The visuals, individual musicianship, and wall of orchestral sound were nothing that my limited expectations had prepared me for. The set featured drop-ins from rock legend Lou Reed, rapper Snoop Dogg, and soul musician Bobby Womack. The arrangements from the band’s creative leader, Damon Albarn—who is also the lead singer of the British rock band Blur—had me pondering how this production was able to come together with so little notice. I’ve watched this concert a dozen times since, and it allowed me to explore their full catalog, which brought me to the Spectrum Center tonight as Gorillaz performed for the first time in the Queen City. So, what exactly are Gorillaz?
The Band
The story goes that in 1998, lead singer Damon Albarn was sharing a flat in London with comic book artist Jamie Hewlett, known for creating Tank Girl among other projects. As they watched MTV, they felt disheartened by the soulless, manufactured boy bands dominating the charts at the time. They decided to create a virtual band where the actual musicians would remain behind the curtain.
Albarn would provide the music and Hewlett the visual component, creating the four main band members. The first two were bass player Murdoc, who crashed his car into a music store, leaving the second member, lead singer 2-D, with a permanently bruised eye and the limited vision that created his nickname. Later on, drummer Russel Hobbs and guitar prodigy Noodle rounded out the group, creating the band’s visual persona.
They have had many rotating real-life band members to accompany Albarn, including The Clash’s Mick Jones and Paul Simonon. The band heavily features guest singing collaborators, including Yasiin Bey (Mos Def), André 3000, Beck, De La Soul, Del the Funky Homosapien, Little Dragon, Robert Smith, Elton John, and a slew of other artists over their twenty-five-plus years of existence.
The band hit it big in 2001 with their self-titled album featuring hits like “Clint Eastwood”, “19-2000”, and “Rock the House”. They followed up with two massive full-length albums: Demon Days in 2005 and 2010’s Plastic Beach, which included “Feel Good Inc.”, “DARE”, “Dirty Harry”, “Rhinestone Eyes”, and “On Melancholy Hill”. The ability to use studio-produced beats, Albarn’s iconic voice through a Shure 527B CB radio microphone (which gives it a lo-fi telephone effect), and tempo changes from guest singers makes this a truly unique sound.
Matt at the Music Top 10 Gorillaz Tracks
“Delirium” - Off their newest album, The Mountain, the song is a fever dream featuring deceased poet and frontman Mark E. Smith that makes you want to jump through the TV as his maniacal lyrics blister with an EDM-style bassline buildup.
“Rock the House” - Featuring Del the Funky Homosapien, we see the earliest vibe of what the band was hoping for. It mixes rock, studio beats, and guest hip-hop lyrical overlay to create incredibly fun and catchy anthems. This is a true head-bopper.
“Dirty Harry” - Between Bootie Brown coming in like a hurricane and working in a vocal track recording of the San Fernando Valley Youth Chorus in the background, the song charges forward, building to an apex of dancing electronic energy.
“The Valley of the Pagans” - Multiple Emmy Award-winning artist Beck trades vocals with Albarn about Hollywood, showcasing some of their most clever lyrics to an upbeat, funky track.
“Rhinestone Eyes” - Plastic Beach is my favorite album, and the payoff to this song, particularly live, is a perfect combination of Albarn’s skill in mixing rock and studio-produced sounds. This song hits hard live.
“The Shadowy Light” - Indian singer Asha Bhosle, who sang in over 1,200 songs in twenty languages, died at age 92, just months after her final recording was captured in her kitchen. The Hindi lyrics talk about life’s journey and transcendence which, much like the rest of The Mountain, takes you to an ethereal plane.
“Stylo” - From the opening bassline, Yasiin Bey (Mos Def) and Bobby Womack take you on a literal ride. The lyrics take on the exhaustion of life in the digital age while still possessing a soulful message of love. This song is a mood setter.
“Baby Queen” - My personal favorite song off of Cracker Island, Damon talks about his real-life encounter with Thai Crown Princess Siribha Chudabhorn in 1997, who is said to have stage-dived during one of Albarn’s songs while he was touring with his rock band Blur. This song is more subtle and melodic, leveling you out energy-wise.
“Empire Ants” - The song features the artist Little Dragon and starts off with a beautiful intro talking about humans striving to make it through like ant colonies. It’s almost too cute until we reach the halfway point, where the tone completely changes to an electronic dance song that is completely transformative. Not many songs dare to be as bold as this memorable track.
“On Melancholy Hill” - This beautiful love song talks about putting your trust into someone despite the chaotic nature of modern life. The low synth background mixes with the breezy keyboard notes, making you think of the person in this world you cherish the most.
Well, you can’t get what you want
But you can get me
So let’s set out to sea, love
‘Cause you are my medicine
When you’re close to me
When you’re close to me
As the years have passed, they prominently feature Hewlett’s visuals and videos during their live performances along with a backing, soulful choir to give what can best be described as a “wall of sound” Phil Spector would be proud of. Their newest album, the India-inspired concept piece The Mountain, features a cultural fusion of sounds with prominent Indian instrumentals and vocals.
Albarn has maintained top status as a producer and musician, allowing the band to move with the times by bringing in some of the biggest talents of each period to collaborate. Albarn and Hewlett have even suggested that down the road, when they are ready to retire, the virtual band can be passed down to the next generation to continue.
The Show
When I heard they were finally making an appearance in Charlotte, this became my #2 bucket list event (behind watching Bayern Munich in a Champions League final). I scouted out the presales, prepared my wallet, and dove into the rip-off wasteland of Ticketmaster. My knees aren’t quite what they used to be, and fellow Y’all Weekly/Soccer Sheet collaborator Adrian Singerman is coming off a knee surgery, so we opted to sit over being on the floor.
We snagged some pretty dope seats in the second row, stage right, to soak in the experience. The two of us have spent many a night listening to their catalog, and we’ve had their first-ever Charlotte appearance circled on our calendars for months. A few of my students were also in attendance, tagging along with their parents to cross the generation gap of this seemingly timeless spectacle.
They hit the stage with the cinematic title track from The Mountain, complete with traditional Indian artist Ajay Prasanna on the bansuri, to introduce the virtual band on the big screen before moving into more upbeat classics like “Last Living Souls” and “19-2000”. An early highlight was “Rhinestone Eyes”, which electrified the crowd as hands waved in unison while Albarn pumped up the filled Spectrum Center.
The intensity of the full band, backing choir vocals, and backdrop visuals was an overload on the senses. Albarn brought energy and an aura to the stage, dressed in 1960s military camouflage regalia, bringing “The Happy Dictator” to life.
Just when the roof seemed ready to pop off, he slowed down the set with ballads “On Melancholy Hill” and “Casablanca” before building back up with “New Gold” featuring Bootie Brown and “Delirium”, with breakneck insanity from the deceased Mark E. Smith. The beauty of the show was the meticulous stage production that blended musicianship and visual spectacle. Every person attending had their eyes glued to the stage in anticipation of what would come next.
When Kelvin Mercer of De La Soul & Del the Funky Homosapien joined in the encore for “Feel Good Inc.” and “Clint Eastwood” to close out the night, Adrian and I were smiling ear to ear as we walked out into the crisp night air to take the light rail back to NoDa.
This was a top-five bucket list experience where Damon and Gorillaz exceeded expectations. It took twenty-five years for them to visit the Queen City, and as Albarn said to close the evening, “If you told me as a young boy growing up in England that one day I’d have things in common with North Carolina, I wouldn’t have believed you. Thank you for a wonderful night.” Thank you, Gorillaz, for rocking the house.