Gorillaz closed out their Los Angeles shows with a blazing performance this past Sunday, Sept. 25, at the YouTube Theater with special guests Beck, Del The Funky Homosapien, De La Soul and others. The night was filled with surprises including a performance of an unreleased song, decades of Gorillaz’s greatness wrapped up in a single night, Damon Albarn jumping into the crowd and smoking with fans and so much more.

Imagine Damon Albarn jumping into the crowd to grab a quick smoke with you mid-performance: well, that is exactly what happened at the Gorillaz’s show at the YouTube Theatre. Co-creator and lead singer of Gorillaz, Damon Albarn, coughed his way through “Rhinestone Eyes” after smoking what appeared to be a blunt handed to him by a fan. Almost immediately, Albarn began to cough lyrics out after taking a hit from the substance. The party continued as another fan handed Albarn a Salvadorian flag which he proudly held high on stage sending the crowd into a frenzy.

Gorillaz closed out their LA shows with a special performance of their unreleased song “Skinny Ape,” a track from their upcoming album, Cracker Island set to release Feb. 24, 2023. Only playing the song live for a second time this tour, the smooth melody reminds us just how incredibly talented Albarn is as a singer-songwriter and overall performer. The song transported every audience member into the ‘80s with mixes of pop, punk and more electrifying sounds.

The surprises continued throughout the night as Gorillaz brought out a variety of special guests including legendary genre-bending artist Beck, Oakland rapper Del The Funky Homosapien, Del La Soul’s David Jolicoeur and Kelvin Mercer, actress and singer Fatoumata Diawara, reggae singer Sweetie Irie, and rapper Bootie Brown. As the band began to perform “The Valley of the Pagans,” Albarn called out for Noodles to come on stage when Beck appeared and made his way to the center of the stage greeted with immense cheers and eardrum-rupturing screams.

Albarn made his way through the crowd during “Kids With Guns,” signing autographs, having quick conversations with fans and taking selfies without missing a single beat of the song. Continuing the hype, Earthgang returned to the stage for the second time that night to join Gorillaz for a performance of “Opium.” Earthgang had opened for Gorillaz earlier that night with a blast of energy and pure positive vibes.

The crowd went wild as De La Soul joined Gorillaz on stage for their world-class iconic song “Feel Good Inc.” The 10-piece band took their time to shine during a rendition of “Dirty Harry”, creating an unmatched level of energy and engagement with the crowd alongside Bootie Brown. Beck returned to the stage for an intimate performance of “Possession Island,” sitting close to Albarn at the piano.

Following a moment of darkness, Gorillaz returned to the stage for an encore performing “New Gold,” alongside Bootie Brown, though sadly no Tame Impala this time. After 21 years, Del the Funky Homosapien joined Gorillaz on stage to perform the smash hits “Rock the House” and “Clint Eastwood.” The walls vibrated from the intense energy inside the venue as Gorillaz and Del brought the house down with such timeless classics. The night concluded with the reggae remix of “Clint Eastwood” featuring Sweetie Irie.

An incredibly notable thing to mention is how kind the staff and performers were at this event. Members of the band and backup singers did their best to ensure that fans were having a blast at the show, from dancing with fans to giving away guitar picks and everything in between. Staff members made sure not only the performers were safe throughout the night but also the audience as they assured guests remained hydrated throughout the night even by going as far as directly feeding water to audience members.

Needless to say, Gorillaz always makes sure to take care of their fans, keeping them safe and creating the most magnificent memories with the crowd. Their performances do not focus on dramatic stage crafts and theatrics, it focuses on a direct bond with the crowd over the love of music. Let’s just hope we do not have to wait another four years for another North American Gorillaz tour.

Gorillaz YouTube Theatre Sept. 25 Setlist

M1 A1

Last Living Soul

Tranz

White Light

Tomorrow Comes Today

19-2000

Rhinestone Eyes

The Valley of the Pagans (with Beck)

Cracker Island

O Green World

On Melancholy Hill

El Mañana

New Genius (Brother)

Empire Ants

Skinny Ape

Kids With Guns

Opium (with Earthgang)

Désolé (with Fatoumata Diawara)

Andromeda

Dirty Harry (Bootie Brown with audience)

DARE

Feels Good Inc. (with De La Soul)

Momentary Bliss

Possession Island (with Beck)

Encore

New Gold (with Bootie Brown)

Stylo (with Bootie Brown)

Rock The House (with Del The Funky Homosapien)

Clint Eastwood (with Del The Funky Homosapien)

Clint Eastwood Remix (with Sweetie Irie)

Earthgang 

Photos by Marv Watson