Gorillaz is not an ordinary band. They have a Guinness World Record for the ‘Most Successful Virtual Band’ to their credit. The quartet not only produces hip hop inspired songs though. They also blend hip hop with different elements of electronic, trip hop and alternative rock music. This creates their unique sound which is easily distinguishable.
Gorillaz love to perform live, and that is why they are going on tour now. It promises to be an exciting experience to watch them do what they do best. So, quit waiting and book your Gorillaz tickets now and get ready to listen to their hit songs Feel Good Inc, DARE and Rock the House.
Early Life & Influences
Gorillaz’ formation dates back to 1990 when guitarist, Graham Coxon asked the creator of cult comic, Tank Girl, Jamie Hewlett to interview Blur. Coxon and Damon Albarn had recently formed the group. This was the first time when Hewlett met Albarn and his impression of him was not pleasant. The two would often not get along despite of Jamie Hewlett becoming associated with the band but things started to change when the duo decided to share a flat on Westbourne Grove in London in 1997.
Albarn and Hewlett thought of forming a band when they were watching MTV. The result was, Gorillaz. Hewlett stated,
“If you watch MTV for too long, it's a bit like hell – there's nothing of substance there. So we got this idea for a cartoon band, something that would be a comment on that.”
The two completed the band by introducing four virtual characters, 2-D, Murdoc Niccals, Russel Hobbs and Noodle. Gorillaz soon secured a record deal with Parlophone and started things off by releasing their first extended play, ‘Tomorrow Comes Today’ on November 27, 2000. This EP was very well received in the United Kingdom. It also made waves in the U.S. and received four and a half stars out of five from AllMusic.
Breakthrough & Recognition
Gorillaz were now ready to drop their first full-length studio effort and in 2001 the world got to enjoy their eponymous debut record. The album turned out to be a massive hit. It went on to achieve multi-platinum level sales in the United Kingdom and New Zealand and also reached fourteenth spot on the Billboard 200. The album consisted of fifteen tracks among which, Clint Eastwood made it to the Rolling Stone’s list of the, ‘100 Best Songs of 2000s.’ The single also won three Billboard Video Music Awards.
Apart from enjoying commercial success, the album also received a lot of critical acclaim. It was included in the book, ‘1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.’ Moreover, the album made the Q’s list of the ‘Best 50 Albums of 2001’.
After making the fans wait for four years, Gorillaz returned with their second album, ‘Demon Days’ which came out on May 23, 2005. Influenced by alternative rock, the album enabled them to build on the success of ‘Gorillaz’ as it peaked at the top spot on the UK Albums chart. ‘Demon Days’ is one of their best works to date as it went on to sell six million copies in the United Kingdom alone. In addition, the record received airplay in the United States and eventually sold over a couple million copies in the country. The album also yielded a single which featured the American hip-hop trio, De La Soul titled, Feel Good Inc. It won the band their first Grammy Award in the category of ‘Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals’.
‘Demon Days’ was also met with great response from the critics as Q, Mojo and The Guardian gave it four stars out of five. It was also included in the list, ‘100 Greatest Albums of the Decade’ by NME. The record was also ranked at the forty third spot on the Complex’s list of the ‘100 Best Albums of the Complex Decade’.
Gorillaz then took five years off and in 2010, their third studio effort, ‘Plastic Beach’ saw the light of day. Many popular stars appeared on this record including, Lou Reed, Snoop Dogg, Bobby Womack, Little Dragon and Kano. The album sold in excess of one million copies worldwide and spawned a single, Stylo, which landed at the seventy eighth spot on the ‘Triple J Hottest 100’. ‘Plastic Beach’ also received 77/100 rating from Metacritic.
Album Releases and Notable Work
After one year, Gorillaz spawned their next record, ‘The Fall’. The album was not as successful as their previous records and debuted at the twelfth spot on the UK Albums chart. It collected mixed reviews from the critics and offered a single, Amarillo, which was praised by NME in words,
“Amarillo is a slow, yet euphoric song that finds Damon's reverb-laden voice evocatively recalling America's vast great interior. One of the more fully formed songs on the album, you get a vivid portrait of a songwriter from the British Isles getting his mind around one of the world's largest open spaces.”
The band’s fifth and latest studio album, ‘Humanz’ hit the shelves on 28 April, 2017. It outperformed ‘The Fall’ and became a top 5 hit in the United States, United Kingdom, New Zealand, Mexico, France and Australia. The album offered eight singles and received four stars out of five from AllMusic.
Apart from their studio records, Gorillaz have also spawned three compilation and three video records. They also have two extended plays under their belt.
Gorillaz Tour Tickets
Gorillaz are now on tour to support, ‘Humanz.’ They are currently trekking through Europe. The quartet is scheduled to perform multiple shows in different cities, including Oslo, Stockholm, Munich, Berlin, Budapest, Paris, Glasgow and Santiago. So, if you want to know how energetic their live performances are then grab a pair of Gorillaz tickets now.
