Gorillaz will stage a literal larger-than-life debut of their new single, “Skinny Ape,” with high-tech, live AR performances next week in New York’s Times Square (Dec. 17) and London’s Piccadilly Circus (Dec. 18).
The Damon Albarn- and Jamie Hewlett-created cartoon band teamed with Emmy-nominated director Fx Goby and Nexus Studios for the performances, which will be brought to life with Google’s ARCore Geospatial API technology and find Gorillaz “playing in the midst of two of the world’s most iconic skylines,” according to a statement.
“To all our followers, get ready for the biggest Times Square takeover since that other gorilla smashed the place up,” says Gorillaz virtual bass player Murdoc Niccals. “Bigger in fact cos there’s four of us. Thanks to the techies at Google, we’ve created the music video event of the century, so don your pink robes and come see Gorillaz like you’ve never seen us before. The future is nigh!”
“Skinny Ape” is drawn from the upcoming star-packed Gorillaz album Cracker Island, which will be released Feb. 24. Albarn told a San Francisco audience in September that the song was inspired by him seeing an Amazon robot deliver packages in Los Angeles.
No additional Gorillaz live dates have been announced for 2023, following the group’s extensive roadwork this year. Albarn will be busy once again with his original band, Blur, which is playing shows next summer for the first time in eight years. They include two huge concerts at London’s Wembley Stadium on July 8-9. It is unknown if the group is planning to visit North America at any point during the itinerary.
