Gorillaz are UK GQ's band of the year; Damon, Jamie, and Murdoc get dapper

Damon Albarn.
Damon Albarn in a tuxedo.
Damon Albarn in a tuxedo with Jamie Hewlett and Murdoc.
Damon Albarn in a tuxedo with Jamie Hewlett and Murdoc, on the cover of a 1920's- styled GQ.

DAMON ALBARN IN A TUXEDO.

(this is all my brain has been able to process for the last 20 minutes)


There is a God, and she's a very benevolent God.

Thanks to Brenna on Facebook for bringing this miracle to my attention, and to Gorillaz-Unoffical where the info and pictures reside.

Gorillaz North American tour dates released, with the caveat "subject to change"

Here's the tour dates then. Good news for those of you in Texas (3 shows!), or the Northeast, not so much in the Southeast... I guess you're all going to D.C.
I'm happy with the Chicago date, although I wish it wasn't at UIC Pavilion. There's a note on their Facebook that all of this is subject to change, which, regarding their treatment of the U.K. tour, is a big possibility.

GORILLAZ ESCAPE TO PLASTIC BEACH WORLD TOUR 2010 NORTH AMERICAN ITINERARY

October 3 - Montreal, QC Bell Centre - On sale August 14
October 5 - Wallingford, CT Oakdale Theatre - On sale August 13
October 6 - Boston, MA Agganis Arena - On sale August 6
October 8 - New York, NY Madison Square Garden - On sale August 6
October 10 - Camden, NJ Susquehanna Bank Center - On sale August 6
October 11 - Washington, DC Patriot Center - On sale August 13
October 13 - Detroit, MI Fox Theatre - On sale August 6
October 14 - Toronto, ON Air Canada Centre - On sale August 13
October 16 - Chicago, IL UIC Pavilion - On sale August 27
October 17 - Minneapolis, MN Target Center - On sale August 13
October 19 - Houston, TX Toyota Center - On sale August 6
October 20 - Dallas, TX Verizon Theatre - On sale August 13
October 22 - Austin, TX Frank Erwin Center - On sale August 13
October 24 - Denver, CO Wells Fargo Theatre - On sale August 13
October 26 - Phoenix, AZ Dodge Theatre - On sale August 6
October 27 - Los Angeles, CA Gibson Amphitheatre - On sale August 6
October 30 - Oakland, CA Oracle Arena - On sale soon
November 2 - Seattle, WA Key Arena - On sale August 20
November 3 - Vancouver, BC Rogers Arena - On sale August 13

Escape To Plastic Beach World Tour Video

Gawd, how exciting is this? I saw them at Coachella and let me tell you, this live show puts the ill in Gorillaz... so if you've got some scrilla, there is no filler... you won't regret it, trust me, it's killer.

Thank you guest blogger Tim Westwood.

No, I kid, that was all me. Sorry, it's been a boring day...(love ya big dog).

Gorillaz announce US tour in October!

Gorillaz have announced that they are playing 20 dates across North America in October..including all major cities! No dates or venues have been announced yet, but feel free to become preemptively hyperactive with excitement.

Gorillaz.com

NPR listeners vote "Plastic Beach" best album of the year...so far.

Stick that in the tote bag, and/or travel mug you received as your free gift during this year's NPR pledge drive. God, it was grueling listening to Chicago Public Radio this week.
Rounding out the top ten on All Songs Considered's list were a few of my other faves of the year; Teen Dream, High Violet, that one by Mumford And Sons... O.K, to be honest I haven't listened to the Mumford And Sons album, despite constant badgering from NME Radio. Is it any good? I feel like I have a duty to like a band called Mumford And Sons. We'll see.

Well done Gorillaz.

Listeners Pick 2010's Best Music (So Far) [NPR.org]

More Gorillaz at Glasto videos

Clint Eastwood featuring Snoop D.O double G. Yep, "sing that shit..."

Glitter Freeze with Mark E. Smith... LISTEN... THERE IS NO EXPLANATION!

Kids With Guns...easy does it

On Melancholy Hill... Manatee time.

Gorillaz Stylo at Glasto (video)

Bootie does Mos... Alrighty.

Gorillaz: The Story So Far (video)

How did Gorillaz get to point Nemo and onto Plastic Beach? Murdoc explains it all in this 15 min. video from the Guardian...
Plastic Beach is FANTASTICHE!


Also, it's been around for days, but here's the On Melancholy Hill video, gotta love that manatee... and Lou Reed in a submarine.

On Melancholy Hill

My favorite Plastic Beach track, On Melancholy Hill, is the next single to be released from Gorillaz. The new video will be on iTunes next Tuesday. As a sneak peek, here's a preview of the video (starring NOODLE!), a look at the visuals used for the live performances of the track (storyboard?), and a listen to the We Have Band remix.




BONUS:
On Melancholy Hill live on Jools Holland:

R.I.P. Dennis Hopper

Gorillaz in your midst...

Where are they exactly? Well, everywhere except America, but don't worry they're coming...
To top it all off they're filling in for U2 at this year's Glastonbury Festival, which might leave some of you thanking Bono's wonky back. Sadly, I returned my ticket because I wasn't too keen on the lineup at the time...idiot.
Are we sick of them yet? Not a chance!

Gorillaz tourdates:

June:
25th, Glastonbury Festival
July:
1st, Roskilde Festival
18th, Benicassim Festival
September:
8th, Glasgow SECC
10th, Birmingham NIA
11th, Newcastle Metro Arena
12th, Manchester Evening News Arena
14th, London O2
15th, London O2
22nd, Dublin O2
November:
14th, Paris Zenith
15th, Amsterdam Heineken Music Hall
17th, Berlin Velodrom
19th, Milan Forum


TICKETS

Tinie Tempah doesn't "pass out" as he fills in for Del on Gorillaz' Clint Eastwood.

Yes! A Mirror-style pun based headline... (Pass Out is Tinie's crazy huge track that was number one everywhere and is a guilty pleasure). Gorillaz' performance is on one of the last episodes of Jonathon Ross' chat show. Del can obviously never be replaced, but this is a lovely try. Thanks to G-U for the video and basically the heads up on every Gorillaz related thing ever, you guys are Gods.

Oh flower of Scotland...when will we see a Gorillaz show again? (September)

Gorillaz have added a Glasgow show to their UK tour. They'll be at the SECC on September 8th!

"Glitter Freeze" alternate version (Gorillaz)

[Youtube]

Gorillaz V. Gorillaz in O2 Priority advert

Confident, front-man Damon is back. How amazing is it to see him lead his gang all bad-ass style down that hallway? I feel like I'm twelve again! Forget my insistence that I'm not a child...it's 1994 again, and THIS IS BRILLIANT. Roll on US shows...

Gorillaz to tour UK (but not you Scotland), Blur to record more one-off tracks

Scotland! You've been shunned! By Gorillaz no less. Or, you know, you could make the two hour drive to Newcastle or Manchester...
Gorillaz are touring arenas, like the X Factor finalists, but, you know...with talent and stuff. See them in a town near you (or not if you're Scottish).
Join the Gorillaz Sub Division which is a totally grown up secret club of sorts, and definitely not something akin to a "fan club". It absolutely doesn't make you twelve if you join it, even if you do get a free "toy". I mean sub-division? Only grown ups live in those right? It's for adults. Yeah? (I am not a child. I am not a child. I am not a child).
Anyway, if you join the Sub Division, you'll have first dibs at tickets, which might be expensive...so really only adults should do it... It's a very mature thing to do really, joining a club for a cartoon band.

Here's the tour dates so you can plan accordingly, taking time off from your high-powered, top-executive, important, grown-up careers:

Friday, September 10th, Birmingham NIA
Saturday, September 11th, Newcastle Metro Arena
Sunday, September 12th, Manchester Evening News Arena
Tuesday, September 14th, O2 Arena London
Wednesday, September 15th, O2 Arena London
Wednesday, September 22nd Dublin O2 Arena


In Blur news, Damon Albarn has told the NME that he's not against doing more one-off recordings with Blur, like last month's Fool's Day 7". So get your ebay account readied for more rarities.

You Are Going To See Gorillaz

Twenty-Two (22!) shows in America says Damon. Embedded below is Damon and Jamie's interview with Zane Lowe. They mention the 22 US dates, as well as the fact that Coachella was one of Damon's top 3 shows ever. I WAS THERE, I was at one of Damon's top 3 shows people. ME. Me and 79,000 other people...but it's all about meeeee.

Gorillaz to tour America, 'cos she's alright.

But it's without holograms, make sure to stress to everyone THERE WILL BE NO HOLOGRAMS! It seems of utmost importance that the lack of holograms be imparted to all who reside in the former colonies and territories. For shame Gorillaz! How will those of us here in the boorish American terrain understand a Gorillaz show w-w-without h-h-h-holograms?

Ahem, but really...I'm actually here to tell you that a Gorillaz show without holograms is like a Cadbury's Fruit and Nut without fruit...or nuts. In other words a Dairy Milk, and infinitely better. Not only are Jamie's illustrations this time around more refined and cooler than ever, but you get to see Damon and his band of musical luminaries live and in person. It's magic.

I can't wait to be a sad-sack fan-girl and try to go to as many shows as possible... I've seen them at Coachella, now hopefully I'll see them down the street. Seriously, Damon, please come to Chicago. Listen, we're the third largest city in America, the Hypnotic Brass Ensemble are from here, and I've even bought loads of Honest Jon's stuff in our various wonderful record shops. Please, don't shun us like you did with The Good The Bad And the Queen. We're waiting...



[MTV]

I shouldn't be surprised, some people will never get Gorillaz

I don't know if it's my immense impartiality toward anything vaguely connected with Damon Albarn, but I'm getting really miffed at all the idiots out there complaining about the Gorillaz Coachella show. The main complaint is that they played as themselves and didn't use "puppets", or cartoons or holograms or whatever. Really? Was the giant freaking screen with amazing visuals not enough? Were you put off by the presence of TWO BLOODY MEMBERS OF THE CLASH!? Did you not want to see that? "Oh for god's sake you can do anything, but PLEASE don't show me TWO LIVING LEGENDS in person." Well, really it's three living legends if you count Damon, and I certainly do.

I've ranted on twitter about this the past few days, but I felt like writing a stern telling off on my blog. The comments section on Entertainment Weekly's review is what really set me off, one astute "music lover" Bob wrote:

"[T]his guy has to be the biggest moron ever. that gorillaz performance was absolute trash. a fake band that decides not to be a fake band for the coachella closing performance? it was terrible. i have seen gorillaz in concert before, with actual animation, and it was amazing. this performance was uninspired and poorly executed. people left early in droves because it was so bad."

So, "Bob" would prefer to see a fake band, screw who the actual musicians are! "If I don't have some cartoons to make this K-Hole more psychedelic I'm going back to my tent." The thing is, Gorillaz never were a fake band. Anyone with an internet connection, or a brain could've figured out that one of the biggest music stars was behind it. Where was the music coming from? I think Bob has just blown my mind, did I imagine it all, have I been listening to silence and inserting my own made-up music in my head?

The Coachella message board is another place where Gorillaz dissenters have posted their grievances (dissenters is too nice, I should say wankers). The comments range from disrespect towards the wonderful Bobby Womack, anger at the lack of DARE, and also disappointment that they chose to end with the MOST PERFECT CLOSING SONG EVER "Cloud Of Unknowing". Come on, that song was made for closing a festival. One of the worst comments comes from music genius and casual racist Dogvolta:

"I'm glad I'm not the only one who noticed Bobby W. was off of his fucking rocker the whole god damned time. Did anyone else noticed he had to be pulled off stage after Stylo?
And Rhinestone Eyes, the first note when the colored women were to sing "thats electrictrictrictric" they missed HORRIBLY. The 2nd time that part came up Damon straight up shouted those lyrics, as if it was a "FUCK YOU LADIES AND SING THIS SHIT NOW"
So pissed I left Plastkiman man for this mess, but so happy I left early, if I heard them end on Cloud of Unknowing I would have taken a shit right on the grass."

Um, colored women? REALLY? Way to go Dogvolta, racial epithets really help your argument. Bobby Womack is old, and this was probably one of the first times in many, many years that he had performed for a huge crowd. Also, Damon did not look mad, in fact he was more excited and animated than I've ever seen him.

I used to cringe a bit when I'd hear Damon say things about having to dumb things down for Americans, living in the US now, I had a bit of a defensive attitude towards it. However, now I really see his point. People, Gorillaz aren't a fake band, they aren't ACTUAL CARTOONS. Damon Albarn takes great pains to gather some of the best musicians in the world to make these albums. Sorry, it's not Murdoc.

Ever since Demon Days they've performed as a real live band, visible to the public. If all these so called "fans" would've taken it upon themselves to actually find out about Gorillaz before the show, maybe the lack of "puppets" wouldn't have come as such a shock and they wouldn't have needed those smelling salts back at the tent. The Hypnotic Brass Ensemble, Mos Def, Bashy, Kano, and Shaun Ryder all couldn't make it because of the Icelandic volcano. Did you hear Damon making excuses? No, because it didn't matter. He knew it was going to be an epic show no-matter what

As for the visual aspect, I thought the giant letters spelling out Gorillaz, and the video screen made for a really sharp and cool presentation, definitely the most impressive thing I saw at this years' Coachella.

Anyway, since it's my blog I get to have these little fan-girl rants, and now I feel better. It truly was one of the greatest shows I've ever seen.

AMERICA, THIS IS WHY WE CAN'T HAVE NICE THINGS.

Gorillaz on The Colbert Report

Cute wee interview with Damon and Jamie, stomping performance of Stylo. It seems like Damon is very concerned that we all know he was hired by Murdoc. Maybe the people commenting about them not being cartoons at Coachella have got to him? After seeing Bananaz (the Gorillaz doc.) We all know that Damon likes to simplify things for Americans (and to be fair, sometimes it's needed). I wish that Murdoc would just be quiet now though...
-Susan Boyle.

colspan='2'Gorillaz

The Colbert Report	Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
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colspan='2'Gorillaz - Stylo

The Colbert Report	Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
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