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Gorillaz help promote Manchester festival

19/09/2005

Top cartoon pop group Gorillaz are set to perform a series of shows in Manchester to publicise a festival that promotes original work from around the world.

The innovative act are booked to perform five gigs at the Manchester Opera House in November to advertise the Manchester International Festival - even though the entertainment event does not begin until 2007.

The band will play all of their second album "Demon Days" at the Opera House from November 1st to 5th, and it is hoped the gigs will kick-start a series of events to promote Manchester's festival.

Gorillaz, who try to convince the world that they are not actually a real band, are four animated characters drawn by Tank Girl creator Jamie Hewlett.

The 'real people' behind the band include Blur's Damon Albarn, DJ Dan "The Automator" Nakamura and rapper Del Tha Funkee Homosapien.

Originality is the keyword for Gorillaz, and their "simultaneously populist and yet credible" sound, as Albarn describes it, has made an impact both in the UK and in the States.

"It's great to be in at the beginning of the Manchester International Festival," Damon Albarn told the Manchester Evening News.

"Manchester is the centre of Britain. We're only ever going to do this once, so it makes sense to do it somewhere in the middle of the country.

"London gets all the gigs. It's time to do something a bit different and redress that balance."

Madchester's finest Happy Monday's frontman Shaun Ryder will be among guest artists appearing alongside the simian-styled act in November.

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