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Gorillaz ready to rock the city

01/11/2005

Hip cartoon popsters Gorillaz are beginning their five-night stand in Manchester tonight, in the band's first ever live performance of their new album.

The chart-topping simians' real-life alter egos will finally be 'revealed' on stage together, led by Blur frontman Damon Albarn.

Gorillaz will be joined by a whole host of musical support, including the Happy Monday's own Shaun Ryder, US hip hop bands De La Soul and Roots Manuva, soul legend Ike Turner and singer Neneh Cherry.

The performances are part of the Manchester International Festival, which celebrates original, new work from artists and musicians from around the world.

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

"We're very excited to be getting all the guest artists together in one place for these shows. The Festival is going to be an engaged, outward-looking event and that really appeals to me … and it fits perfectly with Gorillaz."

There is a real buzz around the city as Manchester prepares for the five-night extravaganza of music. Albarn's assertions that this will be a 'one-off' for the city makes the event even more hotly anticipated.

"Manchester is the centre of Britain," he said.

"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."


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