I don’t think the British band Gorillaz need much of an introduction, yet it only feels right to paint some picture for those who might be unfamiliar with the name.
Gorillaz are an animated four-piece project composed of a young Asian girl, Noodle, who popped out of a FedEx crate and bewitched us with her multi-instrumental charm, Russell the Brooklyn-born drummer with eyes haunted by his past, 2D as frontman and vocalist, forever tormented by the final member – Murdoc, the bassist who sold his soul to the Devil in return for world fame. Behind the virtuality, Damon Albarn (singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist) and Jamie Hewlett (artist, illustrator, comic book creator) have been two of the most important cogs running this machine and working hard to build the storyline of their four characters through song and video.
With background lore madder and wackier than a rollercoaster ride, Gorillaz have been winning the hearts of people from around the globe for decades with their eccentric, dark-ish humour and poignant but entertaining writing. Winning GAFFA Awards, Brit Awards, Grammys, multiple MTV Europe Music Awards amongst many others since their self-titled debut album in 2001, Gorillaz have become one of the most culturally-influential bands in the history of British alternative music.
They have redefined the world of music by operating as a collaborative project. Although Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett have been two fundamental creators, each album is written and composed with a plethora of artists from around the globe – each collaboration an act of admiration to those artists. From De La Soul, to Thundercat, Tame Impala, Stevie Nicks and Bad Bunny, there is no genre Gorillaz are afraid to tackle.
Their newest album, The Mountain, released on February 27th of this year, proved once again that Gorillaz know no bounds to music. Anchoring the album in South Asian and Arabic culture, we can find many interesting names credited on the tracks: Asha Puthli (an Indian singer, songwriter, producer and actress), Anoushka Shankar (sitar player), Asha Bhosle (Indian playback singer, admired and recognised for her collaboration on many Bollywood hit movies), Ajay Prasanna (Indian classical flautist) and Omar Souleyman (Syrian singer) who also joined Gorillaz on The Mountain Tour as the support act.
Amongst these, we can find many other names recognisable in the industry. To name just a few, we can hear input from: Johnny Marr (singer and songwriter, known for his work in The Smiths), posthumously Dennis Hopper (actor, director and screenwriter, narrating works for Gorillaz since Demon Days), also posthumously Tony Allen (Nigerian drummer), and IDLES (a British post-punk band).
With so many talented musicians and creatives from around the world propelling this new project forward, I think Gorillaz are one of the very few bands capable of bringing such an eclectic collective into a cohesive, extraordinary, spectacular album that weaves around traditional Hindu music, hip-hop, synth-pop and worldbeat, yet staying so loyal to the inherent indie and alt-rock Gorillaz style. Similarly to Rosalía’s album LUX from 2025, The Mountain collapses the cultural and linguistic barriers by including performances in English, Arabic, Spanish, Yoruba, Hindi and Russian.
Since its release, “The Mountain debuted at number one on the UK Albums Chart and number seven on the US Billboard 200, earning Gorillaz their third number one album in the UK”, acclaimed for its spiritual depth and emotional as well as sonic maturity. The Rolling Stone magazine called it “their best album in years”.
Indeed, The Mountain is a very profound album that reflects on grief, death and the afterlife, following the loss of Damon Albarn’s and Jamie Hewlett’s loved ones during their stay in India and the production of the album. Songs like The Hardest Thing ft. Tony Allen and Orange County ft. Bizzarap, Kara Jackson and Anoushka Shankar are amongst the few to overtly bring such tender themes to the very front, becoming a requiem to people who might have lost someone dear to them.
Although some have criticised the very specific choice of cultural sonic representation in The Mountain, this is a good time to remind you that the frontman, 2D, has been recognised as the Buddhist member of the band, conceptualised as such to provide diversity to the group. Additionally, Albarn’s father was fascinated with Indian culture, as quoted by Pitchfork: Albarn started giving quotes like, “My early years were full of sitar music and incense.” To Albarn, The Mountain was a humble meditation on grief, samsara-style, tinged with his artist father’s fascination with Indian music and culture.” Inspired by Albarn’s father, 2D’s lore, their past tendency to represent pagan and other cultures, and their journey through India, it doesn’t feel totally illogical for Albarn and Hewlett to have thus employed South Asian elements within this record.
From beginning to end The Mountain is euphoric. It stirs emotions, expands our idea of what music can do and shows alliance during a harsh geopolitical climate – something Gorillaz have been loud and proud about since their inception (such as their recognisable anti-war messaging through Clint Eastwood). The self-titled introduction track is fantastical, surrounding the listener with fairytale magic and delight, plunging them into a different universe from the get-go. Despite themes of grief and loss, the record stays captivating and hopeful. The titles Orange County, The Shadowy Light and The Lying God are my personal golden, stand-out choices that everyone should listen to.
Jamie Hewlett speaks out about The Mountain, encouraging people to be patient with the record: “Hewlett said people listening to the album are “supposed to listen to it from beginning to end”, saying that they were “trying to bring back that idea of taking time to invest in something, instead of this culture of scrolling”. If you decide to listen to the album, which I encourage you to do, be attentive and perceptive – open-mindedly venture into the psychedelic jungle alongside your favourite four heroes and climb up The Mountain of mystical discovery.
On the 20th and 21st of March, Gorillaz appeared at the Co-op Live arena in Manchester as part of their The Mountain Tour. As a long-time fan of Gorillaz, it is difficult to put into words how ecstatic and euphoric I felt to have had the privilege of witnessing their live performance on the 20th of March. Omar Souleyman warmed up the crowd with eccentric music and infected the audience with excitement and joy.
The Gorillaz (or rather Damon Albarn and his impressive band) then entered the stage, opening the set with The Mountain, the title track of the record. The entire room plunged into darkness, sending everyone into a silent meditation as they embarked on their personal venture into a different, fantastical world and with live sitars, flutes and drums resounding around the arena. The screens behind the scene suddenly lit up, as we observed a child-version of Noodle walking, swimming and running across the jungle with her carefree and pure excitement, setting the audience up for the same sentiments. In her grown-up version, she is joined by the rest of her bandmates as they continue their adventure across the jungle. The cartoon style itself, reminiscent of Disney’s Jungle Book, paid great homage to two-dimensional animation.
And thus, the two-hour concert plunges in and out of the Gorillaz’ past music, flawlessly wandering across their discography from their debut album, to their most recent release. The combination of oldest to newest music, including ones from their underrated Laika Comes Home album, resounded with crowds of all ages and fan statuses – whether you’ve been a fan for decades or have just recently become one, there was enough to keep everyone entertained.
Gorillaz’ music has always felt like and relied on a cinematic experience. It’s no surprise then, that the whole concert was accompanied by Hewlett’s mesmerising, psychedelic visuals from music videos and new animations alike. Seeing especially Phase-One, Phase-Two and Phase-Three Gorillaz gave the audience an emotional nostalgic ride. John Anson hits the nail on the head in his own review of the gig: “This was so much more than a gig. In typical Gorillaz fashion it was also a live art installation with the Co-op Live’s massive screens being put to full use as Jamie Hewlett’s cartoon creations and delicate illustrations provided the backdrop for an astonishing array of musicians to spellbind us.”
As for the impressive band that joined Damon Albarn on stage – he played alongside various string players, two percussion sets and one set of Hindu tabla drums, keyboardists, Ajay Prasanna on the flute and a four-piece choir on the centre podium behind Albarn, whose voices bewitched myself and undoubtedly many other people listening. Everyone was synchronised, exhibiting pride to be there, putting on the most dynamic, clear-sounding and touching performance. A whole multitude of featuring artists from Gorillaz’ discography come on stage (Kara Jackson, Omar Souleyman, Joe Talbot, Kevin Mercer a.k.a Pos and others) – Albarn, many times happy to tuck away on the side, playing the keyboard and let guests take spotlight instead, he let their presence completely hypnotise the crowd and keep us excited to see what’s still to come.
Albarn’s crowd work cannot go unmentioned – he has amazing appreciation for his people and it showed. Multiple times, he took the opportunity to step into the crowd, hug, shake hands and embrace his fans, taking the time to even sign one of the crowd member’s cap. He was just as communicative with his stage members and featuring artists.
I previously mentioned the alliance displayed by Gorillaz with people around the globe in a struggling geopolitical climate. This has been done not just through the music, but Albarn and his team went above and beyond to provide symbolism that spoke a million words. Albarn’s hand tattoos in Hindi shone on display during his melodica solos (especially during Tomorrow Comes Today) as well as his jacket flashing India’s flag on the sleeve and a peace sign on the chest; some of his first words said upon appearance on stage was to wish those celebrating a happy Eid. Seeing such influential artists take their time to unite people with love is nothing short of admirable. Each element of the gig juiced to the max in sending peaceful messages to the world.
Gorillaz left the stage with a bang, concluding the gig with an encore and Clint Eastwood as the final song. The crowd may have been slightly exhausted by previous jumping, dancing and emotional excitement, but no one missed a beat to join in with this iconic hit.
The performance of everyone on that night of the 20th of March can only be summed up as spectacular. Gorillaz is for the people, by the people – that much is clear. I have a tendency to say after most concerts I attend that that specific one was the best I ever witnessed, but I truly and wholeheartedly believe that no one could beat this experience. Except Gorillaz themselves.
With all of this being said, Gorillaz is a must-see performance. The Mountain is a must-hear album. Both have shown that the Gorillaz’ work is eternally relevant, forever growing and, through it all, always groundbreaking.
Article by Rozalia Lewandowska
Photography by Luke Dyson.