Gorillaz kick off a series of four intimate London performances by performing their debut album in full, in a unique blend of live music and immersive exhibition at the House of Kong, celebrating over two decades of their virtual universe and genre-blending innovation.
Gorillaz have launched a special run of four London shows by performing their self-titled debut album in its entirety, marking the first occasion the band has played at the House Of Kong venue situated in the Copper Box Arena at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. The event is part of the "House of Kong" exhibition, which offers fans a rare, immersive glimpse behind the scenes of the band’s career and creative process, commemorating more than two decades of their virtual universe.
The opening concert featured a reimagined tracklist, kicking off with "M1 A1" rather than adhering to the original album sequence. Early hits such as "Clint Eastwood," "19-2000," "Rock The House," and "Tomorrow Comes Today" were among the standout moments, eliciting enthusiastic singalongs from the crowd. Frontman Damon Albarn, usually reserved on stage, engaged the audience with wry remarks about the album’s age and even halted mid-song to restart "19-2000" after a minor mistake, reminding fans of the live, organic nature of the performance. The band's sound was significantly enriched by a live ensemble, blending vivid guitar work and deep dub influences to accentuate the album’s eclectic mix of rap, punk, funk, soul, and pop elements.
The concert also incorporated projections of Gorillaz's iconic animated characters—2-D, Murdoc Niccals, Russel Hobbs, and Noodle—maintaining the group's unique blend of music and visual art developed by Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett. After completing the debut album set, the band treated the audience to selections from their B-sides and remixes collection, G-Sides, before concluding with Albarn kneeling and bowing in appreciation.
The subsequent nights of this intimate London residency will see Gorillaz performing their critically acclaimed second album, "Demon Days" (2005), their third, "Plastic Beach" (2010), and a "mystery show" rumoured to preview new material. The series is notable not only for the live performances but also for deepening fan engagement through the ongoing immersive exhibition, which has been open since early August and runs until the beginning of September.
Gorillaz, initially conceived as a semi-fictional band fronted by animated members, have enjoyed a notable history with five UK top 10 singles and two UK number one albums. They are celebrated for their innovation in blending diverse musical genres and their collaborative spirit, having featured renowned artists such as the late Lou Reed and Mark E Smith. This series of shows and the associated immersive exhibition stand as a testament to the band's lasting influence and their ability to innovate in both the musical and virtual realms.
📌 Reference Map:
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Source: Noah Wire Services
Noah Fact Check Pro
The draft above was created using the information available at the time the story first
emerged. We’ve since applied our fact-checking process to the final narrative, based on the criteria listed
below. The results are intended to help you assess the credibility of the piece and highlight any areas that may
warrant further investigation.
Freshness check
Score:
10
Notes:
✅ The narrative is fresh, reporting on a live event that took place on August 29, 2025. The earliest known publication date of similar content is August 29, 2025, with no evidence of prior publication. The event is part of the 'House of Kong' exhibition, which offers fans a rare, immersive glimpse behind the scenes of the band’s career and creative process, commemorating more than two decades of their virtual universe. ([copperboxarena.org.uk](https://copperboxarena.org.uk/events/house-of-kong?utm_source=openai))
Quotes check
Score:
10
Notes:
✅ The quotes attributed to Damon Albarn, such as 'If I f*** up at any point, no matter how amazing you think I am, everything goes to shit,' are unique to this event and have not been found in earlier material. No identical quotes appear in earlier material, indicating potentially original or exclusive content.
Source reliability
Score:
8
Notes:
⚠️ The narrative originates from The Irish News, a reputable organisation. However, the specific author, Casey Cooper-Fiske, does not have a widely known public presence, which introduces a slight uncertainty regarding the source's reliability.
Plausability check
Score:
10
Notes:
✅ The claims about the event, including the performance of Gorillaz's debut album in full at the Copper Box Arena, align with other reputable sources. The House of Kong exhibition is confirmed to be running from August 8 to September 3, 2025, at the Copper Box Arena. ([copperboxarena.org.uk](https://copperboxarena.org.uk/events/house-of-kong?utm_source=openai)) The narrative includes specific details about the event, such as the opening track 'M1 A1' and Damon Albarn's interaction with the audience, which are consistent with other reports. ([standard.co.uk](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/music/gorillaz-damon-albarn-clint-eastwood-london-queen-elizabeth-olympic-park-b1245155.html?utm_source=openai))
Overall assessment
Verdict (FAIL, OPEN, PASS): PASS
Confidence (LOW, MEDIUM, HIGH): HIGH
Summary:
✅ The narrative is fresh, with no evidence of recycled content. The quotes are unique to this event, indicating original reporting. The source is reputable, though the author's public presence is limited. The claims are plausible and corroborated by other reputable sources. Therefore, the overall assessment is a PASS with high confidence.
