Music Editor Liza Glushak reviews Gorillaz’s recent concert at Birmingham’s bp pulse LIVE, admiring the grandeur of the show’s blending of animation and live energy.
The iconic virtual band Gorillaz graced Birmingham’s bp pulse LIVE with a spectacular evening full of energy, bringing the crowd their newest studio album, ‘The Mountain’. It wasn’t just a music gig, but a multi-media immersive journey. With Hewlett’s hand-drawn animation projected on screen behind Damon Albarn and the guest performers, who included IDLES, Yasiin Bey (formerly Mos Def), Bootie Brown, Kara Jackson and Pos of De La Soul, it was certainly a night to remember.
The opening artist, Omar Souleyman, who also features on the album’s track ‘Damascus’, got the crowd’s blood pumping with a modern take on the Levantine folk dance, dabke. Despite the lyrics being primarily in Arabic and Kurdish, the audience clapped and danced along to the bold beat and rhythmic vocals. Souleyman wore a keffiyeh and sunglasses, effortlessly cool in owning the stage. In front of us sat a father with his two young kids, and to me, that summarises the intergenerational success the virtual band has.
When Gorillaz finally came out, there was a roar throughout the stadium as everyone cheered in excitement. In front of us sat a father with his two young kids, and to me, that summarises the intergenerational success the virtual band has. Their music draws on the world, and in that, it’s timeless.
The album takes the listeners through both Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett’s experiences of grief and loss, all while being full of vitality and hope. The sense of the afterlife pulses through the traditional Indian musical instruments featured in the tracks. A particularly special moment was the blending of the band’s legacy and discography with the concept of ‘The Mountain’, as the melodic dialogue between Albarn’s harmonica and the sound of a traditional wooden flute that transitioned into their classic, ‘Clint Eastwood’.
My personal favourite was the performance of ‘Stylo’ with Yasiin Bey. I thought the golden-tone visuals of a car speeding through the road on the screen blended seamlessly with the performers on stage, perfectly elevating one another. Throughout the concert, I couldn’t help but feel that I was another character in the Gorillaz universe. The massive stadium was hot with vigour and animation…
Though Gorillaz have experienced mass success over more than two decades, the enthusiasm of those involved in the project is intoxicating. One thing I kept thinking throughout the concert was: ‘How sick is it when the artists on stage are having just as much fun as the crowd!’ There wasn’t a droplet of feeling that Albarn is performing solely to keep the income rolling.
Coming back out after the audience’s stomping pleas for an encore, he jokingly admitted that before the gig he was in fact freezing, thanking the crowd for warming him up. I can say for certain that the massive stadium was hot with vigour and animation (spiritually, and of course, on screen.) Gorillaz’s passion radiated from the powerful vocals, and the crowd responded with their hands in the air.
If you liked this, read more from Redbrick Music:
Comments