Photo: Adam B

Gorillaz Perform 3 New Songs During Live UK Show: Watch + Listen

August 11, 2021

During last night’s free concert held for NHS workers and their families the Gorillaz premiered three new tracks at London’s O2 Arena.

With the help from several special guests, the band debuted each of the three songs were played in a row including “Meanwhile” featured Jelani Blackman, “Jimmy Jimmy” featured AJ Tracey and “De Ja Vu” featured Alicai Harley.

As thanks for health care worker efforts during the pandemic, Gorillaz used the show as an opportunity to bring out The Cure‘s Robert Smith to perform “Strange Timez,” off the band’s album Song Machine: Season One – Strange Timez. New Order’s Peter Hook and De La Soul‘s Posdunos also joined Gorillaz onstage at various points.

Gorillaz frontman Damon Albarn told Rolling Stone that, in recent years, the band had been growing into a more serious live act saying: “I suppose we became a fully-fledged arena band when we did Plastic Beach, and we’ve been riffing with that ever since. It was about trying to get the band to feel like they had the capacity to break out into Earth, Wind, and Fire if they needed to, do you know what I mean? Now, with this, I suppose we’re taking it to another realm, where you’re not quite sure what’s real and what isn’t.”