Gorillaz snobbery

[Kowalski]

With so much variety to choose from at Glastonbury, I'd never go and see an act that I didn't already know "their stuff".

[strudders]

I think the whole Gorillaz set was a massive show of Gorillaz arrogance - from Mr Albarn and his compatriots. I have their fist album, I hear their new stuff and quite liked it, but the set was just boring. Having seen Neil Young last year - and hardly knowing any of is stuff, he held my full attention for the whole set - Gorillaz just didn't manage that for a lot of people. Seeing it back on t'telly, I think Albarn also realised this by the way he stomped off stage at the end. I know they stepped in at the last minute blah blah blah, but to those who don't know their stuff, the performance simply wasn't good enough for people to want to see the set out.

[fowls]

The snobbery worked both ways. For every person claiming they had a higher intellect for staying there was someone spouting off about how everyone who stayed was a gullible fool.

Edited July 10, 2010 by fowls

[glasgowpete]

im a huge clash fan, the thought of seeing a couple of members on the pyramid was a bit of a draw. but then the reality hit as the night came, ive seen the good the bad and the queen live and never really got into the gorrilaz in a big way. I just knew it wasnt going to be a singalong or party material regardless of how many guests they brought on. My partner in crime at glasto was chipping away all day at me, "going to see the gorrilaz then?". but as the night drew on i knew i wanted a good dance and something a bit more party like... its so wrong.. but it worked, one of the gigs of the weekebd for me instead.. chase and status in the dance tent before heading to the late night areas.

I suppose what im getting at is, what did people expect? if you aint into gorrilaz chose something else. it was never going to be anything that they are not.

[Scouse Andy]

When Gorillaz were announced, I was very excited having missed them when they played in London just before Glasto and being reluctant to pay over £50 to see them in the oversized O2 later in the year.

For me, their set didn't keep enough of the crowd's attention, unfortunately including me but I wasn't going anywhere. Their visuals were great, and what they played they did very well. I think they finished well, but I wouldn't rush to see them again.

I couldn't say I was disappointed as I enjoyed the show, but I was left lacking a little bit that I expect from a headline act. My other headliners were Midlake on Saturday (Park) and Stevie Wonder and I was they both left me feeling on a bigger high than Gorillaz.

[MilkyJoe]

No the fact that over half the audience walked away is the reason they shouldn't have headlined.

[Vieuphoria]

It's total tripe. Half the crowd is just someone ovet stating their point to make it more valid

[cejx]

Just being a devils advocate....

What would have made the performance good enough for people to want to see it?

The thing is they dont have a boot full of material to put on a greatest hits show. When they where announced I was very vocal saying it did not think they should have be doing it as I did not see them as headliners. To be fair I agree they still dont. However I enjoyed it, I dont like the flaming lips and therefore was not given much of a choice (anybody jumping on that bear in mind I have a wheelchair) so it was Gorillaz or bed.

[llcoolphil]

Groove Armada were 'kin brilliant.

[llcoolphil]

Oh yeah and too many people expected Albarn to reproduce the life changing event from the year before. Always gonna end in disappointment

[Guitargeek4]

No the fact that over half the audience walked away is the reason they shouldn't have headlined.

It just wasn't suited to a Pyramid headline slot

[airds]

dunno - maybe it was the disjointed 'guests' appearing, there was no passion, no balls from the band, I just don't think they were good enough and the songs were week, indulgent and dull. I too was vocal about them not doing it, and personally think I was proved right!! But thats just my view!

[cejx]

So you were against them headlining, then went along to prove yourself right

I was hoping for coldplay to replace U2, so I could go see the flaming lips

...and if they had pulled out I would have seen Groove Armada or The XX or New Model Army or Boys Noise or Fat Boy Slim etc

[ghostface]

it was f**king amazing. fact

[ghostface]

gorillaz where totally awesome.......damons trying to do something different with music and concept and performance! I welcome effort like like that because there is still lots stale indie nonsense floating about from the dark ages!!!!! Keep up 6the good work mr albarn..........

[airds]

I was against them headlining, wanted to be proved wrong, (as I don't actually mind Gorillaz) and wasn't!

Funnily enuf, we left and saw New Model Army... who were awesome!!

[jameshunt]

I was against them headlining, wanted to be proved wrong, (as I don't actually mind Gorillaz) and wasn't!

Funnily enuf, we left and saw New Model Army... who were awesome!!

[bombfrog]

Just being a devils advocate....

What would have made the performance good enough for people to want to see it?

[Vogue]

I do really love Gorillaz and watched their set on TV and it looked great, but I do definitely agree that perhaps it didn't have the same huge scale of the other two headliners. They are a brilliant 'band' of they can be called that, or collective of musicians, but I think their choice of set list could have been a bit better- I always think that a festival headliner is the big show-stopping act to play a full set of crowd pleasers, and not unkown new tracks or to just play a new album all the way through. A headline act will generally see sales of a new album increase anyway, and the crowd generally wants to hear the big songs that everyone knows. Plastic Beach is a great album, but definitely an acquired taste, so perhaps it would have been better to have been more selective over which songs to play. That's my opinion anyway!

[Vogue]

I do really love Gorillaz and watched their set on TV and it looked great, but I do definitely agree that perhaps it didn't have the same huge scale of the other two headliners. They are a brilliant 'band' of they can be called that, or collective of musicians, but I think their choice of set list could have been a bit better- I always think that a festival headliner is the big show-stopping act to play a full set of crowd pleasers, and not unkown new tracks or to just play a new album all the way through. A headline act will generally see sales of a new album increase anyway, and the crowd generally wants to hear the big songs that everyone knows. Plastic Beach is a great album, but definitely an acquired taste, so perhaps it would have been better to have been more selective over which songs to play. That's my opinion anyway!

[Wab]

Yes, the set went flat in the mid section, hey ho it can happen. You can go and see, and find you don't like. But is there a lot of navel gazing here? I thought Mr. Albarn was trying to put quite interesting points across through his music, or is it all about just being entertained?

[ParanoidAndroid86]

I didn't see Gorillaz (and don't think it's even possible that they could've been half as good as the Flaming Lips - but that's another debate!) and aren't that familiar with them, but I imagine that the concensus of their performance - judging from mainly negative things I've read on here and heard from friends and colleagues that watched on TV - is probably affected as much by the audience than the band. The problem with the "iTunes/MTV generation" is that people may prefer to focus their attentions on the singles and download specific songs rather than the whole album. Or if they get the whole album, they'll tend to skip to the songs they prefer rather than listen to it as intended, as a whole. For the same reasons, films like Transformers 2 etc make a mint while infinitely superior ones struggle to be seen and break even. Even 7 years ago when I first went to Glasto there seemed to be a more patience and more passion for the music in the crowd. Now a lot of people seems to be content to wait for the big single they love, mark the occasion with a "profile picture" for facebook and struggle to appreciate the rest. No wonder Kings of Leon were pisssd off with last year's Reading crowd for reacting to Sex on Fire and little else!

[Wooderson]

<snip>

[Ponyegg]

I didn't catch the Gorillaz set, was too busy wigging out to The Orb at Cubehenge, so my only insight was watching the BBC coverage on my return which of course is going to be a slightly skewed view (a number pf tracks weren;t shown, pauses between tracks were minimised). That said when I eventually sat down and watched enjoyed it thoroughly and was gutted to learn I missed Hypnotic Brass Ensemble and utterly pissed off I missed the living legend that is Bobby Womack. Given the opportunity again I think I'd have chosen the Gorillaz set, but certainly would have found somewhere to sit down and watch rather than stand :-)

Edited July 11, 2010 by Ponyegg

[sums98]

Wasnt my ideal replacement for U2...but I enjoyed it.