Gorillaz at La Prima Estate: Damon Albarn brings the world to the stage in Lido di Camaiore
With influences ranging from India and Africa to rap and British pop, Gorillaz transform their Versilia concert into a joyful global melting pot. The hits are there, but Damon Albarn looks to the future and debunks the idea of the virtual band as a nostalgia machine
We’re in Lido di Camaiore; the sand is swirling in gusts of wind and the air is sweltering. This is Versilia, with the sea just a few metres away and the scent of summer in the air everywhere. But when Gorillaz take to the stage at the La Prima Estate festival – on 27 June, headlining the second evening of the second weekend – something in the atmosphere shifts: the concert opens with the delicate sound of the bansuri, the Indian transverse flute, and with a sequence that somehow evokes the puja, the sacred Hindu ceremony, complete with offerings of flowers, food, lit lamps and whispered mantras. From that ritualistic and exotic imagery, Gorillaz set off on a journey into *The Mountain*, the ninth studio album by the ‘virtual’ band formed by British singer and musician Damon Albarn and cartoonist Jamie Hewlett. From there, the concert takes the form of a journey: it encompasses the sounds and imagery of India, the rhythms of Africa, guest rappers and British pop. And above all, there is Albarn, who once again uses Gorillaz not as a vehicle for nostalgia, but as a space where eras, languages and traditions can engage in dialogue.
Nation of Language and Wolf Alice are performing before them, but the audience is there mainly for this act which, 25 years after the release of their first album, has no intention of resting on its laurels. All the hits are played, but they don’t feel like a museum piece: from ‘19-2000’ to ‘On Melancholy Hill’, from ‘Feel Good Inc.’ to ‘Clint Eastwood’, culminating in a rousing finale with Albarn draped in a purple cloak. The classic tracks are interwoven with new ones, given fresh arrangements and, above all, they make it clear just how far today’s Gorillaz have come from their beginnings, and how far Albarn has, over time, ventured beyond the world of Blur. Anyone who still thinks of Gorillaz as a virtual band, incidentally, needs to update their understanding: the holograms haven’t disappeared, but they’ve taken a back seat. 2-D, Murdoc, Noodle and Russell remain in Jamie Hewlett’s drawings, projected onto the festival’s giant screens. In front of us, however, is a living organism, made up of a large number of musicians, backing singers and guests, with constant comings and goings – a joyful bustle that seems to evoke an entire landscape.
Taking to the stage are Kara Jackson, delivering a powerful performance of ‘Orange County’; Yasiin Bey, who gets the crowd going with ‘Stylo’ and ‘Damascus’; Bootie Brown for ‘Dirty Harry’; and Pauline Black for ‘Charger’. Each appearance shifts the focus and broadens the scope, giving shape to Gorillaz’s globalist dream, though in a less cartoonish way than in the past. Perhaps the most moving moment is the tribute to Asha Bhosle, one of the great voices of 20th-century Indian cinema and music, who passed away in April (Cornershop’s ‘Brimful of Asha’ was dedicated to her, speaking of Britpop memories). Another loss, much like the one that lies at the heart of *The Mountain*: whilst the album was taking shape, both Albarn and Hewlett lost their fathers within days of one another.
All around, the Versilia coast plays its part, creating the atmosphere of a huge summer gathering. The logistics remain a little problematic: bringing so many people together in a park and ensuring everyone has a good view is a challenge the festival doesn’t always manage to overcome. And then there’s Albarn’s initial slip-up: he takes to the stage saying ‘hello Lucca’, then realises his mistake and apologises to the audience. He goes on to recount how, once in New York, he was introduced to Paul Simon – his idol – but under the wrong name. “So he’ll never know who that person was that he met,” he says. He uses this personal anecdote to ask for forgiveness. It’s a brief interlude, not the heart of the concert, but one can’t help thinking that the world would be a better place if there were more artists capable of being on stage like that, without a shield, like Damon Albarn.
Gorillaz will be returning to Italia on 25 July, at Piazza Unità d’Italia in Trieste.
