Just about everyone who made cameos on the record showed up to lend a hand, including Neneh Cherry, De La Soul, Ike Turner, Bootie Brown from the Pharcyde, Roots Manuva, Martina Topley-Bird and the gorgeous Rosie Wilson (who also sang backing vocals throughout the night). However, the strength of the ensemble’s live performance was dynamic enough for complete forgiveness in lieu of any cartoon accompaniment, as Gorillaz turned in an absolutely sublime stage rendition of last year’s “Demon Days” album.īy the second night, the visuals were up and running and when the third night came around, they were nothing short of mind blowing, a wonderland melange of Fleischer Brothers-inspired propaganda toons and Chuck Jones productions. Unfortunately, the screen visuals were on the fritz on night one, as Gorillaz co-creator Damon Albarn announced when apologizing for the technical glitches that delayed the show for almost an hour. They sat perched in the Apollo balcony, presumably in tribute to the two old men from “The Muppet Show,” providing a killer monologue at the top of the show and would spontaneously pop up throughout the concert when the grooves got extra nasty. They even hired Jim Henson’s Creature Shop to create muppets of “band members” 2-D and Murdoc (fellow Gorillaz Noodle and Russel, unfortunately, were conspicuous in their absence). They were accompanied by a half-dozen large screens, with the center one meant to project the outstanding animation of co-creator Jamie Hewlett. ![]() Much to the delight of the sold-out opening night crowd, it turned out that the Gorillaz band, complete with full string section and a bevy of surprise guests, was front and center on that legendary stage. How would they pull off showcasing a cartoon band on the stage of the most famous theater in the country? Will they use holograms? Screens? Will actual human musical accompaniment be veiled behind sheets a la Disney’s “Fantasia?” ![]() In the case of Gorillaz’s run at New York’s Apollo Theatre, it was a little bit of both. The first night of a multi-date stand can either be a rousing success or a total train wreck.
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