Gorillaz Live


Gorillaz Live was the first concert tour by the British alternative rock virtual band Gorillaz, in support of their self-titled debut album.

Visuals and production

The logistics of an animated band going on tour proved problematic, with Jamie Hewlett saying in a mid-2001 interview: "We've come to realize that we've come up with something that's a bit ahead of its time and the technology doesn't exist to do everything we want to do, so the live show was something we had to really think hard about." As a compromise between having a live and virtual stage presence, the band's musicians played behind a giant cinema screen, which projected music videos and visuals to the crowd. Lead singer Damon Albarn later expressed discomfort at this setup, confessing that he "was frustrated" behind the screen. Later still, Albarn called the screens "obtuse", believing the human element of the band necessitated a change. In a 2010 interview, Albarn voiced distaste at the concept of hiding collaborators behind a screen on the then-upcoming Escape to Plastic Beach Tour: "I couldn't entertain the idea of putting Lou Reed or Bobby Womack behind a screen. I'm not that daft." Gorillaz Live was ultimately the only tour to have the musicians silhouetted behind a screen.
The voice actors of the virtual band toured alongside the real band, speaking to the crowd and each other in-between songs. However, according to Haruka Kuroda, budgeting issues prevented most of the voice actors from participating in the concert's international legs; Kuroda was the only voice actor to tour with the band beyond Europe. American DJ Dan the Automator was the opening act for select dates.

Set list

The following setlist is obtained from the concert held in London on 22 March 2001.
  1. "M1 A1"
  2. "Tomorrow Comes Today"
  3. "Slow Country"
  4. "5/4"
  5. "Starshine"
  6. "Man Research "
  7. "Sound Check "
  8. "Latin Simone "
  9. "Re-Hash"
  10. "Clint Eastwood"
  11. "Rock the House"
  12. "Dracula"
  13. "19-2000"
  14. "Punk"
;Encore
  2. "Clint Eastwood"

Tour dates

DateCityCountryVenue
23 FebruaryTorontoCanadaToronto Docks
25 FebruaryBostonUnited StatesAvalon Ballroom
26 FebruaryWashington, D.C.United States9:30 Club
28 FebruaryNew York CityUnited StatesHammerstein Ballroom
1 MarchPhiladelphiaUnited StatesElectric Factory
3 MarchChicagoUnited StatesAragon Ballroom
5 MarchSeattleUnited StatesParamount Theatre
7 MarchSan FranciscoUnited StatesWarfield Theatre
8 MarchLos AngelesUnited StatesHollywood Palladium
9 MarchLos AngelesUnited StatesHollywood Palladium
11 MarchMexico CityMexicoPalacio de los Deportes
20 JulyLisbonPortugalTorre de Belém

Personnel