Gorillaz at BP Pulse: More than just music

BP Pulse Live, Birmingham, 22 March 2026

Following the release of their ninth studio album, The Mountain, earlier this year, the virtual band Gorillaz set off on a European tour to give fans a taste of their sound in a live setting. The 15,000-strong crowd at BP Pulse Live spanned generations, from merchandise-wearing seven-year-olds to original Blur fans, following Damon Albarn’s new direction with this band.

As a first-time attendee of a Gorillaz gig, I arrive with an expectation that the visual animations would be integral to the live show, and it certainly doesn’t disappoint; the introduction to the band’s avatars receives one of the biggest cheers of the evening, conveying the continued popularity of Gorillaz’s unique appeal. The fan-favourite characters appear on the screen in clips which are from Gorillaz’s latest short film, The Mountain, The Moon Cave and The Sad God, which was released alongside their album.

Throughout the evening, Albarn welcomed numerous guests with whom the band had collaborated

The gig very much places their new album at the centre of this tour, with the setlist including ‘The Mountain’, ‘The Happy Dictator’, and ‘Orange County’, the latter getting the biggest reaction from the crowd. Damon Albarn, Gorillaz’s co-creator and primary musical contributor, recognises too that the crowd wanted to hear their most iconic hits and the band didn’t disappoint, ‘On Melancholy Hill’ and ‘Rhinestone Eyes’ sending the crowd into delirium. However, some fans may have been disappointed that the band didn’t play ‘Dare’, one of their biggest tracks with over 700 million Spotify streams.

Throughout the evening, Albarn welcomes numerous guests with whom the band have collaborated. Omar Souleyman, a Syrian artist, re-entered the stage – he had been introduced to the crowd earlier in the evening as the support act – to sing ‘Damascus,’ accompanied by an incredible scenic video. Other guests included Bootie Brown, an American hip-hop rapper, who performs the classic hit ‘Dirty Harry’, his energy and stage presence causing the crowd to erupt.

Collaborators also appear via pre-recorded stylised videos on the screens behind. A particular stand-out moment was ‘The Shadowy Light’ featuring the legendary Bollywood playback singer, Asher Bhosle. The crowd complement the melodic vocals with a blanket of swaying phone torches spreading enthusiastically across the arena.

Although very much the front man, Albarn was eager for the audience to recognise the incredible backing singers and talented musicians who play an equally important role in Gorillaz’s unique sound

Albarn interacts with the crowd, moving down to the front row, shaking hands, high-fiving and even signing autographs. He kept talking to a minimum throughout the night until the end, where he apologised for taking a while to warm up, explaining humorously that he takes a portable ice bath with him on tour, which had literally left him feeling “too cold” at the start of the show. Although very much the front man, Albarn is eager for the audience to recognise the incredible backing singers and talented musicians who play an equally important role in Gorillaz’s unique sound.

An encore leaves the audience satisfied, playing two of their most popular songs – ‘Feel Good Inc.’ and ‘Clint Eastwood’ – which have fans up and out of their seats, bringing the evening to a rousing end. As the band leave the stage, the lights begin to dim, and it feels like the incredible night has ended. However, just as many audience members begin to head for the exits, Albarn announces that there are still more songs to come. The band then proceed to play two songs from their 2005 album, Demon Days: ‘Don’t Get Lost in Heaven’ and ‘Demon Days’.

As the audience has just piled most of their energy into the first encore, it felt like the second encore loses momentum and feels somewhat underwhelming in comparison. Perhaps playing the encore songs the other way round would have been a smoother and more conclusive end to the show.  Nevertheless, Gorillaz left their loyal fans buzzing from an overall spectacular evening. An incredible band at the top of their game with much more music and touring to come, Gorillaz continue to remain at the peak of their mountain.

★★★★☆