Gorillaz @ SydneyEntertainment Centre, Sydney(16/12/10)

Tue 21st Dec, 2010 in Gig Reviews

Breathtaking Swedish electronic-pop band Little Dragon open the evening to an intrigued crowd. Invited on tour to as a result of their appearance on Plastic Beach tracks Empire Ants and To Binge, Little Dragon have been making waves of their own recently with their tracks Never Never and My Step currently on high rotation on triple j. The band are exceptionally tight and engaging, however their intricate arrangements are somewhat lost in the rafters of the Sydney Entertainment Centre.

When it was hinted that Gorillaz were going to be bringing an entourage of guests to Australia, one of the most anticipated names thrown about was De La Soul. Bringing a completely different pace and vibe than Sweds who’d graced the stage before them, De La Soul wound back the clock and delivered half an hour of corny, but fun, beats and rhymes – a ideal support choice for Gorillaz.

When Gorillaz first “toured” Australia back in 2008 under the guise of the Gorillaz ‘Sound System’ their appearances at Global Gathering were met with exceptionally lackluster reviews. Most likely because it wasn’t actually Gorillaz, but rather some dudes Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett handed their iPods over to. Thankfully, they’ve done away with the façade of holograms and animations (well, almost) and finally injected that “human element” into the show we’ve been waiting for all these years.

Aptly opening with Orchestral Intro the crowd are welcomed to the Plastic Beach by Snoop Dogg via the wonders of the big screen – a versatile backdrop used to its full capacity throughout the show. Guests, including Hypnotic Brass Ensemble and Rosie Wilson, begin to file onto the stage however its a few songs in before the show begins to meet expectations, and with 66-year-old Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee Bobby Womack on the mic for Stylo those expectations are exceeded. The recording on the album simply doesn’t do Womack’s voice justice.

Despite suggesting that, “I think the sun’s got to me over the last few days”, Albarn is anything but off the mark. Managing to strike the perfect balance between the drawling, trashy rockstar and commanding ringmaster, Albarn continues to guide us through Plastic Beach with Rhinestone Eyes and Superfast Jellyfish (enter De La Soul).

Gorillaz tour manager Craig Duffy recently described the show as a full-on assault on the senses and although the spectacle of it all fades a little during down tempo tracks Tomorrow Comes Today, Empire Ants and Broken, Dirty Harry manages to save the day. With Hewlett’s animated version of the Children’s Choir San Fernandez (the same kiddies from the music video) invading the big screen while rapper Bootie Brown winds up the crowd, the impact of the show is almost overwhelming.

After criticism of their live set at Glastonbury earlier this year saw Gorillaz labeled by UK media as a “disappointment”, Damon Albarn responded by vowing to communicate more with the crowd. “Basically, the difference between [Glastonbury] and the next gig we did at Roskilde [Denmark] which was the same sized audience, same age demographic, was I just communicated with the audience more. I introduced Bobby Womack, introduced Lou Reed, introduced anyone.” Albarn told Newsbeat earlier this year.

This revised approach proved most effective when Albarn introduced guests the Syrian National Symphony Orchestra. Explaining that it was their collaboration on Plastic Beach that led Gorillaz to become the first British band to perform in the Syrian capital of Damascus, Albarn’s passionate and sincere introduction evokes a strong reaction from the crowd for White Flag.

Despite having listened to the track on the album countless times there is something really striking about seeing all these elements – a Britpop legend, rappers Bashy and Kano and a Syrian Friken’ Orchestra – come together on the stage right before my eyes. It was a special moment, reminding me just how inventive and ambitious Gorillaz really are.

After stellar guest performances by Rosie Wilson on DARE and Little Dragon Yukimi Nagano on To Binge, the crowd is given a taste of Albarn’s former role as a key player in the infamous “Battle of Britpop” with Bluresque tracks Glitter Freeze and Punk before the main set comes to a close with the melancholy Plastic Beach.

Encores are usually the best bit of the night, the big hits are saved for last, and the crowd realise that they’ve only got a limited amount of time left in the presence of the band. This encore was no exception. Kicking off slowly with a little more help from Womack on Cloud of Unknowing, the night is taken to another level with Feel Good Inc and Clint Eastwood – cue shit hitting the fan.

While one of Gorillaz more high-energy tracks would seem like a natural closer for the evening, they instead choose to take a more reflective approach. As on the Demon Days album, the track of the same name is built-up slowly with the whimsical Don’t Get Lost in Heaven before the string section melts into Demon Days and the guests of show reunite on stage for one of the most uplifting moments I’ve experienced in a live arena.