Gorillaz unveil augmented reality concerts in London and New York
In celebration of their new single ‘Skinny Ape’, Gorillaz have taken over London’s Piccadilly Circus and New York’s Times Square for a set of augmented reality shows. The concerted were announced earlier in December, with fans being required to download a bespoke app in order to view the band’s special AR set.
In a press release, it was explained that the shows would give fans the chance to watch Gorillaz “play in real life as Murdoc, 2D, Noodle and Russel literally tower over them, playing in the midst of two of the world’s most iconic skylines.”
Gorillaz co-creator Jamie Hewlett and Emmy-nominated director Fx Goby directed the two performances, which were created by Nexus Studios. The design company utilised Google’s ARCore Geospatial API software, which uses information garnered from Google Street View to create AR content.
Speaking ahead of Gorillaz New York performance, Murdoc said: “To all our followers, get ready for the biggest Times Square takeover since that other gorilla smashed the place up. 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!”
If you didn’t have the chance to watch the performances last week, fear not. Both AR concerts will be available to visit at Times Square and Picadilly Circus until June 2023. Alternatively, if you can’t travel, you can watch the concert at home via the app.
Gorillaz are set to release their eighth studio album, Cracker Island, on February 24th, 2023. The group have already shared four singles from the much-anticipated LP, including ‘Baby Queen’, ‘New Gold’ and ‘Possession Island’. The record features guest appearances from the likes of Stevie Nicks, Thundercat, Tame Impala, Bad Bunny and Beck.
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