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Could Gorillaz Return?


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Damon has been talking about firing up Gorillaz again. My favourite of all his projects, I'm one of the few who loved their performance in 2010. However, I'm aware that I'm in the minority.

Now there is very little chance of a headlining slot again. Damon kinda pissed on his chips by playing before the band was ready, rather than at the end of a tour when the set and band was polished.

Are they in the funny position of being too big to play Other or W Holts, but their last performance would keep them away from the Pyramid? Could they ever play in a non-headlining slot, or is it just over for Gorillaz at Glastonbury?

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i don't think they'll be returning any time soon, if at all. the performance was one of those headline slots that is so engraved in most peoples minds as being shite that i don't think either the band nor the festival would be in any rush to have em back, even in a none headline position. reckon they're far more likely to do a festival like Bestival or Latitude when they do eventually start touring again, and if they're still around in a couple of albums time, maybe they could headline Other or West Holts or something

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I dunno, they did plenty of stuff in the months before Glastonbury so I don't think it was lack of rehearsal. What is true is that it was the first time they'd done all the stuff with guests, which didn't really work. Quite a line-up though, given that Albarn, Jones and Simonon, Bobby Womack, De La Soul, Mark E Smith, Lou Reed, Shaun Ryder, Snoop Dogg were all on stage that night. 

 

I don't think they'll do Glastonbury ever again to be honest, too big a following elsewhere to justify small festival slots. Would be tempted to see one of their own gigs though, especially if they did a warm-up tour a la 2010. 

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yeah it was definitely the constant slew of guests, however impressive the roster was, being walked on and off stage that made the whole thing seem shambolic. a lot of gaps in between songs and sadly indifference to guests when they were finally brought on stage. i get that they wanted to make it a really special show, but the whole all the Plastic Beach guests thing was definitely under rehearsed

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I've always said that at least half the problem was an unenthusiastic crowd who didn't get it.  We were surrounded by people who either moaned then left, were walking past moaning while leaving or people just asking each other what was going on.  I'd got a good spot and the sound, etc was fine, but the crowd just weren't having it and it is very hard to remain enthusiastic in that situation so we left 2 or 3 songs before the end as it just wasn't working for us.

 

The gaps, interludes and Damon's initial refusal to interact with the crowd didn't help, which was a shame because I loved the album they were touring.

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I wasn't there but I've watched the video and I thought the Gorillaz performance looked great - though obviously an unenthusiastic crowd can ruin a lot of great performances. I'm a huge Gorillaz fan and loved Plastic Beach though, so I was bound to. I don't think they'll do Glastonbury, still too big of an act to play a lower down set, but I'll definitely go see them if they do a tour.

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All I can remember of that set is Damon pleading with the crowd to sing along to some album track whilst a film of whales being butchered played on the screen in the background. It wasn't the best.

That bit wasn't great, I admit. I'd played Plastic Beach to death, bit still had no urge to sing along to that song.

Still, the damage had been done by that point, it was fairly late in the set, if I remember rightly. Apart from Lou Reed's guitar playing, the only part in the set that wasn't sublime to me.

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Why anyone chose what was clearly going to be a last minute, risky set with the potential to go severely tits up instead of The Flaming Lips is beyond me. And I'm not even a big fan of that crazy haired guy with his crazily staged sets.

 

But yeah, no big headline slot at Glastonbury for them any more.

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Why anyone chose what was clearly going to be a last minute, risky set with the potential to go severely tits up instead of The Flaming Lips is beyond me. And I'm not even a big fan of that crazy haired guy with his crazily staged sets.

 

But yeah, no big headline slot at Glastonbury for them any more.

 

it was the combination of me loving Plastic Beach at the time, the lure of all of the special guests, and the fact that Damon had nailed it the previous year that did it for me. it was also my first Glastonbury and so first Pyramid headliner ever

why i stayed for the entire thing, though, instead of retreating to the Other stage, is another thing entirely, although i can't think of many, if any acts that i've walked away from in a live environment - i'm stubborn like that. like to stick with my decisions and stay with things to the end, which unfortunately sometimes doesn't pay off

 

also there was the obvious thought that as bad as a lot of it was, Feel Good Inc. and Clint Eastwood were coming, both of which were pretty awesome iirc

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Why anyone chose what was clearly going to be a last minute, risky set with the potential to go severely tits up instead of The Flaming Lips is beyond me. And I'm not even a big fan of that crazy haired guy with his crazily staged sets.

 

But yeah, no big headline slot at Glastonbury for them any more.

easy - it was a risky set with the potential to be brilliant as well as go tits up (also the reason i went to see Kanye - that sort of risk is, imo, too often missing from the Pyramid these days), by a band i really liked touring an album i also really liked.

 

i have never liked the Flips, they make music that makes me turn off the radio.

 

i give Gorrilaz great credit for aiming high.  it didn't come off, but i respect that ambition more than i respect the 'guaranteed' performances of many headline acts.

 

 

having said all that, and in answer to the OP, i think Gorillaz moment in the sun has passed now.  i'm surprised Albarn is resurrecting it.

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i think Gorillaz moment in the sun has passed now.  i'm surprised Albarn is resurrecting it.

For me, it's his most varied, interesting and successful of all his acts. I'm surprised he's bringing it back, but I wouldn't be surprised if a good album comes out of it. It's like a solo record without having to do dull introspective 'singer songwriter' type stuff.

Since nobody asked, here is my ranked list of Albarn acts:

1. Gorillaz

2. Africa Express

3. Mali Music

4. Blur

5. The operas

6. The Good, The Bad and The Queen

7. Damon Albarn (I.e. Everyday Robots)

8. Some other stuff I can't remember.

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