Gorillaz, Coop Live. 21st March 2026

Well after a nightmare with the tickets getting in, we finally take to the massive Coop Live floor space as Gorillaz warm up with ‘The Mountain’. This is the perfect introduction not only to the new record, but the evening too. Warm gentle sounds fill the arena as people ease into place. It’s just what I need to settle my nerves, before ‘The Happy Dictator’ really cheers me up. There’s some great songs on ‘The Mountain’ and some great collaborations, the sight of Russel Mael from Sparks on the screen as his vocal is piped in still sounds wonderful and Damon sounds bloody good too. Guitars are strapped on for ‘Tranz’ as things take a punkier tone and I’m reminded just how good the sound is in here. The bass buzzes on ‘Tomorrow Comes Today’ and Damon’s melodica sounds wonderfully haunting. It’s a big sound in a big venue but sounds distinctly lonely and dystopian. The cheers and phones rise for ‘19-2000’ as the first of the hits lands and the room predictable goes off. Joe Talbot appears for ‘The God of Lying’ with the stage flooded red. Damon letting him take the spotlight, with the ska beat bouncing around them. I’m still growing into the new record, but these songs sound great live. I wondered if the intricacies would get lost but it’s all there. This is my first time watching Gorillaz and there’s stuff I don’t know so well, or have forgotten, like ‘El Mañana’, but it all paints a picture and the set flows masterfully. Helped by the brilliant animation of course. It’s all smiles on stage for ‘On Melancholy Hill’ and it feels like a real moment. Some gigs can be great, but a bit too cool, too aloof. Not Gorillaz, it’s easily accessible and engaging whether you know every word or just want to let it wash over you. During ‘The Empty Dream Machine’ I notice all in revolutionary style fatigues with peace sign patches. There’s a lot of them too, a good dozen most of the time, sometimes more with guest vocalists. Speaking of which, my favourite of the new songs arrives with ‘Delirium’, an absolute banger with a vocal from local lad Mark E. Smith, why let a little case of death hold you back. The instrumental wig out of ‘Glitter Freeze’ then cues up the monstrous ‘Stylo’ and I’m quickly reminded just how many awesome songs they have. There’s a lot, probably another sets worth that they don’t get to, but this is a joy to hear. ‘Damascus’ hits the eastern beats hard. It’s a party onstage, that sort of transfers to the crowd in places. Dividing the crowd into those with their ears and hearts open and those with their heads up there arse. You know the ones. It’s a big venue, there’s thousands of people here, there’s bound to be a few pricks. ‘Andromeda’ is a lowkey disco monster. Damon orchestrating the dancing, then sitting back to admire his handiwork. He’s bloody good at this, even if he occasionally reminds me of a guerilla Elton John with those glasses. ‘Kids with Guns’ dials is back to the dark side, as they switch effortless. It really is quite impressive the range and again speaking of, the vocal for Yasiin Bey is absolutely stunning. Limbs fly and heads bob for ‘Dirty Harry’. If there’s a definition of cool, this is it. Seriously powerful. Things then get kinda spiritual for ‘The Shadowy Light’. “What in the Coldplay is going on here” comically asks my gig buddy as thousands of phone torches light up the room. I’d usually roll my eyes at this kinda thing, but you know what, it’s quite nice. ‘The Sad God’ loses the majority of the crowd, but it feels like a nice farewell song and sure enough it leads us into the break. Damon then delicately leads us back in with the heartfelt ‘The Hardest Thing’s piano intro, as the mountain symbolically burns on the screens behind him, before rebuilding in a flurry of celebratory fireworks and it slips into ‘Orange County’. It’s finale time now and boy is it grand. A double header of ‘Feel Good Inc.’ and ‘Clint Eastwood’ has the place in rapture. Everyone’s hugging, everyone’s singing, it’s beautiful. This is not an easy space to bring people together like this, but Gorillaz make it feel easy.