Gorillaz – We'll Have To Up Our Game For Glastonbury
NME, June 2010
Gorillaz’ Murdoc looks ahead to the band’s Glastonbury headline set
Headlining Glastonbury, for us, is a big operation. You see, we’re not a four-piece from Colchester. We’re a festival all of our own - musicians, the collaborators, their people, their people’s people, plus crew, lighting designers, LCD operators, engineers, videos, spanners, drivers, rum manufactures, tincture holders. Putting a show on for us involves commandeering people from all round the globe.
What can people expect from the show? An onstage flick book of the history of music. We’re really going to have to step up our game for this one. Pull in every comrade we can. The songs are faultless, but our band’s been a bit fractured recently. Hence pulling in half The Clash as backup.
Will we be better than U2 would’ve been? Well, yes, I’d say we have the upper hand for Gorillaz fans. Then again U2, they’ve had what? 30, 35 years of catalogue to choose from. So I think they’d probably cater to the tastes of U2 fans somewhat better.
We may be playing to a disgruntled U2 audience. Who knows? All we can do is our best. Anyway, it’s great to be the underdog, give you something to aim for. And there are loads of other artists I want to check out - Snoop, Mos Def and The Hypnotic Brass are all playing. But then again, I can watch them with us when we play, maybe...
Look, I genuinely feel sorry for Bono and U2. Glastonbury Festival really is the Mecca for all music fans, so for a band to have to cancel last minute must twist your melon right round. But if we can send them any kind of tribute, that would be to give what was their audience the very best show we can possibly do. Send Glastonbury into meltdown, in their place. How’s that sound?
As for collaborators... well, we come mob heavy wherever we go. It’s always deep. Since I got the call [from Michael Eavis] I’ve been looking through the entertainment world’s Yellow Pages and pulling in everyone I can for this one. It’s gonna be like Live Aid but with music.
And if it rains? We’ll carry on regardless. I don’t think, all things considered, that Gorillaz would be thwarted at this stage by a spot of rain, do you? Anyway I like storms. They’re electric.
Headlining Glastonbury, for us, is a big operation. You see, we’re not a four-piece from Colchester. We’re a festival all of our own - musicians, the collaborators, their people, their people’s people, plus crew, lighting designers, LCD operators, engineers, videos, spanners, drivers, rum manufactures, tincture holders. Putting a show on for us involves commandeering people from all round the globe.
What can people expect from the show? An onstage flick book of the history of music. We’re really going to have to step up our game for this one. Pull in every comrade we can. The songs are faultless, but our band’s been a bit fractured recently. Hence pulling in half The Clash as backup.
Will we be better than U2 would’ve been? Well, yes, I’d say we have the upper hand for Gorillaz fans. Then again U2, they’ve had what? 30, 35 years of catalogue to choose from. So I think they’d probably cater to the tastes of U2 fans somewhat better.
We may be playing to a disgruntled U2 audience. Who knows? All we can do is our best. Anyway, it’s great to be the underdog, give you something to aim for. And there are loads of other artists I want to check out - Snoop, Mos Def and The Hypnotic Brass are all playing. But then again, I can watch them with us when we play, maybe...
Look, I genuinely feel sorry for Bono and U2. Glastonbury Festival really is the Mecca for all music fans, so for a band to have to cancel last minute must twist your melon right round. But if we can send them any kind of tribute, that would be to give what was their audience the very best show we can possibly do. Send Glastonbury into meltdown, in their place. How’s that sound?
As for collaborators... well, we come mob heavy wherever we go. It’s always deep. Since I got the call [from Michael Eavis] I’ve been looking through the entertainment world’s Yellow Pages and pulling in everyone I can for this one. It’s gonna be like Live Aid but with music.
And if it rains? We’ll carry on regardless. I don’t think, all things considered, that Gorillaz would be thwarted at this stage by a spot of rain, do you? Anyway I like storms. They’re electric.