Gorillaz and their many guests prove to be the essence of alternative

“Hello? Is there anyone there?” comes the repeated distress call from somewhere in the darkness of London’s O2 Arena. It’s not long before this troubled voice is joined by the sound of a creeping guitar, and the sight of a distant green light above the stage – less in the alluring style of Gatsby, more an ominous glow.

It signals the arrival of Gorillaz, and their opening salvo, ‘M1 A1’. The closing track of Gorillaz’ eponymous debut album, released while Blur were – just about – still a functioning unit in their first spell together, the song’s thrashing, Graham Coxon-esque guitar makes it a fitting opener, before the duty of maintaining a foreboding atmosphere is handed over to ‘Last Living Souls’. The band then speed through a number of classics – time is of the essence if Damon Albarn and his band of merry musicians are to get through 30 songs tonight, an extended setlist being trotted out for this final show of the group’s European tour – before the first guest of the night emerges; ‘Let Me Out’, the first song this evening to be featured from 2017’s Humanz, sees Pusha T deliver his verses with vigour, whilst Mavis Staples’ absence is made up for by a towering visual depiction of the soul songstress, on the stage’s main screen.

10 years ago, fans might have envisioned that by now Gorillaz concerts would feature 3D models of the band’s fictional, cartoon members…

The same technique is employed during ‘Saturnz Barz’ – another single from Humanz – as Popcaan is unable to appear. It must be said, however, that the performances of the above two songs still prove to be some of the best of the night, even in the absence of some of their collaborators. 10 years ago, fans might have envisioned that by now Gorillaz concerts would feature 3D models of the band’s fictional, cartoon members, and whilst that may not be the case, the visuals that are available are used very impressively, to full effect. From idents to entire music videos, perfectly syncing Albarn’s words with those of his cartoon counterpart, 2D, these visuals feel just as integral to the show as the music that they accompany. For that, fans have cartoonist Jamie Hewlett to thank, whose work really does turn this show into a spectacle. As a result, every member of the audience will feel that they are very much characters in Gorillaz’ world, even if just for a couple of hours.

Long time Gorillaz collaborators De La Soul soon walk out to lend a hand on the delightful ‘Superfast Jellyfish’, but it’s not the last this London crowd will see of them. New track ‘Sex Murder Party’ atmospherically transforms the O2 into a debauched den of hedonism for 6 minutes, before another regular contributor appears. Mos Def’s presence seems somewhat wasted on ‘Sweepstakes’, one of the set’s weaker songs, but – like De La Soul – he hangs around, waiting for a bigger moment, and soon re-emerges for crowd favourite ‘Stylo’. The Plastic Beach cut may be missing the late, great Bobby Womack, but Peven Everett fills in, gleefully giving his all to honour the soul legend. All the while, tribute is paid to Womack, an image of his grinning face hanging high from the rafters of The O2.

Gorillaz in performance. Image: Alex Pattle

‘Stylo’ starts a searing sequence late in the set; it precedes ‘Dirty Harry’, which induces dancing all across the arena floor, and all the way up to the nosebleed seats, before fellow Demon Days classic ‘Feel Good Inc.’ provides the inevitable highlight of the night, with De La Soul relishing their second appearance of the evening. ‘We Got The Power’ rounds off the lot, and sees Noel Gallagher – whose presence goes cheekily unmentioned – sharing a stage with Damon Albarn, a reminder of how far the two men have come. Of course, the pair have long since settled their differences from the Britpop battle between Blur and Oasis, but Noel’s contribution to Humanz’ ‘We Got The Power’ this year is a testament to the very message of that song: that no matter what happens, we have the ability to set differences aside and love one another. It may sound idealistic, but in a year in which coexistence between people around the world seems increasingly difficult, it’s a welcome notion.

It must be mentioned that Gorillaz’ set tonight does suffer from a few songs that aren’t as keenly received as others, and this is most evident when the band reappear for an encore, and begin by playing a lovely, but very subdued and lesser known b-side, ‘Hong Kong’. All in all, the London crowd certainly greet the group’s more danceable tracks with more enthusiasm than their slower ones. Ultimately though, Gorillaz can be seen as the essence of ‘alternative’, and with that comes a great eclecticism to their music, one which Albarn rightly feels the need to display on stage, and one which is mirrored in their fanbase; you’ll struggle to find a more diverse crowd in your gig-going life.

Gorillaz can be seen as the essence of ‘alternative’, and with that comes a great eclecticism to their music

As the band re-gather form to finish off the evening with a fistful of classics – ‘Kids With Guns’ gives way to Shaun Ryder’s hilarious cameo on ‘DARE’, before ‘Clint Eastwood’ elicits a monumental reaction – one can’t help but appreciate just how impressive Damon Albarn’s talents really are. He certainly sets himself up to stand out – apparent from the wide array of instruments with which Albarn equips himself, and the vast group of musicians with whom he aligns himself – but could any other songwriter in the world channel all of those elements so harmoniously? Right now, there’s no one more ambitiously alternative on the planet.