LONDON. The Gorillaz, the virtual band fronted by Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett, have taken their sprawling multimedia project to a stadium scale. Tonight at Wembley Stadium, the group performed before a capacity crowd, with a stage design that blurred the line between concert and installation art.
Backstage, the atmosphere was controlled chaos: collaborators from across the group’s two-decade history moved through corridors cluttered with equipment, while a rotating cast of guest vocalists prepared for their cues. A source close to the production described the energy as “ridiculous,” a term that captured both the technical ambition of the show and the emotional intensity of the reunion. Since their 2001 debut, Gorillaz have existed at the intersection of pop, art, and technology.
Tonight’s performance, which included projections, animated segments, and a live band, reaffirmed their status as pioneers of the post-digital concert experience. The audience, diverse in age and geography, responded with fervour, singing along to hits like “Feel Good Inc.” and “Clint Eastwood” as well as newer material.
For Albarn, the project has always been a vehicle for collaboration; tonight’s lineup spanned continents and genres, from reggae to hip-hop to indie rock. The backstage hum reflected that ethos: a shared sense of unreality that only a project like Gorillaz can produce. As the final encore faded, the band’s human and animated elements merged on screen, a fitting metaphor for an evening that felt both intimate and vast.
