Concert review: Gorillaz at UIC Pavilion
Midway through Gorillaz concert Saturday at the UIC Pavilion, the cartoon character/rock star Murdoc popped up on the big video screen looming behind the band and vented his exasperation.
“How much longer is this warm-up band gonna hog the stage?” the green-tinted bassist snarled.
The creation of cartoonist Jamie Hewlett and Gorillaz mastermind Damon Albarn, Murdoc is Albarn’s alter-ego. On the virtual band’s first tour a decade ago, flesh-and-blood musicians played behind a scrim while the cartoon band led by Murdoc took center stage.
The roles have been reversed on the current tour, and while Murdoc has undeniable charisma in the snaggle-toothed tradition of Keith Richards, he was no match for his “warm-up band.” Albarn was accompanied by more than 30 musicians and singers, including a core group built on former Clash members Mick Jones and Paul Simonon.
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