It’s a universal truth that group projects are never fun. Everyone waits until the last minute. Nothing ever seems to get done, and one person always winds up doing all of the work. Often times the end result is a mishmash of styles, and what was supposed to be more efficient and effective winds up a disaster. Apparently, Damon Albarn disagrees with the rest of us, though. He seems to thrive on collaboration.
From Blur and Gorillaz, to The Good, The Bad & the Queen, to his multiple film and theater projects, the artist is constantly pulling unique and interesting talent into his orbit with unexpected and rewarding results. What makes this remarkable, though, is how cohesive it sounds. He never dominates the conversation, often stepping back to let others shine. This was especially true on Friday night as Gorillaz played the first of two nights in Philadelphia.
Albarn was often off to the side or up at the piano as several other artists took the spotlight. The crowd came to party with hands up from start to finish as the revolving cast of characters blasted through hit after hit. On "Kids with Guns," Albarn picked up the guitar while Michelle Ndegwa let loose a barrage of soulful wails. Opening duo EarthGang stepped in for a riveting "Opium" while Albarn sat at the piano with his captain's hat, looking like a multiverse version of Elton John. Mali’s Fatoumata Diawara was all smiles during her captivating "Désolé."
Bootie Brown came out for "Dirty Harry," Rebecca Freckleton and Petra Luke took the reins for "Dare," and a brass section brought "Plastic Beach" to the next level. Albarn seemed to enjoy it almost as much as the audience. He was often playful and seemingly in awe of the artists beside him.
At one point in the first half of the set he apparently nicked his finger and required a bandage, which was supplied by a stage technician while Albarn continued singing. This unscripted moment would have never happened a decade ago—while Gorillaz used to hide behind animations, the live band is now at the fore, the mask seemingly dropped.
That's not to say the gang wasn’t in the house. Throughout the evening, stunning visuals of Murdoc, Noodle, Russel, and 2-D competed for the audience’s attention, the colors creating a wash of neon light across the theater. It was like a Saturday morning cartoon marathon meets an electrifying warehouse rave.
As if the aforementioned talent wasn’t enough, the encore alone had Bootie Brown join in on "Stylo" and "New Gold," and the legends De La Soul and Del the Funky Homosapien came out onstage for a raucous "Feel Good Inc.," "Rock the House," and the closing "Clint Eastwood." Judging by the sweaty, smiling crowd exiting the theater, Gorillaz get an A+ on this project. FL
Earthgang
Scroll through more from Gorillaz at The Met in Philadelphia in the gallery below.
