“Mein deutsch ist Scheiße,” lies Gorillaz front man Damon Albarn, as he fluently addresses the vast, pulsating mob that stands before him. He’ll go on to natter with the 10,000 strong crowd all evening – the entire Berlin Velodrom, a monumental structure, eating out of the palm of his hand.
And why wouldn’t they? The latest incarnation of the Gorillaz is arguably the most impressive. Gone are the stages devoid of human presence, filled with holograms and shadows; in their place, a circus of musicians plucked from various continents, genres and time periods – with Albarn as ringmaster.
A leggy string section is followed onstage by a hooded brass troupe, whilst James Hewlett’s animations beam from a giant screen behind, Albarn walks on, flanked by Mick Jones and Paul Simonon.
The gig is a triumph: a feast for the eyes and an orgy for the imagination. The band are popular around the world and Germany is no exception. The entire experience, the innovative collaborations, the revolving door of cameos and the beamed video, are the culmination of a lifetime of Albarn’s musical history, his dissertation for a PhD in world music.
Gorillaz, as a concept, play on bringing all of these disparate elements together, but it’s Albarn who makes it work. Watching him is fascinating – he moves from the piano to centre stage, before joining the backing singers and then joking with De La Soul – he gives the cartoon outfit one of the most organic sounds of the year.
The band that started off as 2d rock star whimsy, over ten years ago, has developed. The action is no longer in the colourful cohorts: Murdoch, 2-D, Noodles and Russel – but Damon, Snoop Dogg, Mick Jones, Paul Simonon, Lou Reed, Bobby Womack, the Syrian National Orchestra and co. The screen that now plays throughout the gig is no longer centre stage, but behind all of the musicians. At one point it shows the characters locked in their dressing room, unable to escape. It’s a poignant metaphor for what the Gorillaz have become: a real band. And the action isn’t on the screens; it’s on the stage.
Words by Samuel Ballard
