Latest news with #2-D
The Irish Sun
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
Inside the weird and wonderfully subversive home of Gorillaz where iconic band are brought to life
The exhibition promises to be 'like no other' and it certainly is a unique experience HOUSE OF KONG Inside the weird and wonderfully subversive home of Gorillaz where iconic band are brought to life GORILLAZ: HOUSE OF KONG Copper Box Arena, London ★★★★★ IN a discreet corner of London's Olympic Park, you'll find a vast, dingy looking metal warehouse. The word KONG is picked out in big red capital letters above a menacing statue of Pazuzu, a demon-god entity from ancient Mesopotamia, only this one is unceremoniously covered in stickers. 3 A new exhibition is open and celebrates 25 years of Gorillaz, the legendary virtual band Credit: Gorillaz 3 The House of Kong brings the band to life, and there are surprises in store for visitors Credit: Gorillaz Welcome to House Of Kong, the endlessly weird and wonderfully subversive home of Gorillaz. You may think of 2-D, Murdoc Niccals, Russel Hobbs and Noodle as a virtual band — product of the fevered minds of musician Damon Albarn and artist Jamie Hewlett. But this immersive exhibition, which opened its doors yesterday at the Copper Box Arena, is the physical embodiment of their 25-year history. So visitors get the sights, the sounds and, er, the smells that created the legend. Having been given a sneak preview, I was sworn to secrecy about many of the surprises in store, but I can give you a few juicy details. With headphones on, I am invited by a tour guide down a dimly lit, wood-panelled corridor with a sign at the end — again in bold capitals — which implores: 'REJECT FALSE ICONS'. The first room I enter is devoted to what is called the 'miscreation' of Gorillaz, through Hewlett's dazzling drawings. I see how the cartoon band's final line-up was arrived at, how a whole world was built around them and finally how they came to life through animation. I hear the story of their wild ride into the world of music — beginning with the self-titled debut album (2001), then continuing with Demon Days (2005), Plastic Beach (2010) and so on. This part of the exhibition is fascinating but relatively normal. It didn't quite prepare me for the bizarre (secret) scenes about to unfold. Official music video for the track Humility from the Gorillaz's newest album The Now Now Without giving too much away, I get lost in total darkness at one point and have to be rescued by an assistant with a torch. Shocking pink At least a panic attack didn't kick in — and I'm putting it down to a bit of Murdoc Niccals mischief. I can also add that I was very impressed with the large, original model of Plastic Beach, the shocking-pink floating Gorillaz HQ in the South Pacific made of humankind's detritus. And by the time I exited through the gift shop (in time-honoured Banksy-inspired fashion) and emerged blinking in the sunlight, I felt like I was ready for a lie-down (although not in a darkened room!) On the poster, Murdoc describes it as 'an exhibition like no other.' I would add the words, 'and then some'.
Channel 4
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Channel 4
New Gorillaz exhibition comes ahead of new concerts and maybe new music
A quarter of a century after musician Damon Albarn and artist Jamie Hewlett created the world's first virtual cartoon pop group, there's a new Gorillaz exhibition-come-experience about to open at the Olympic Park, ahead of some already sold out concerts. We went to see Damon and Jamie as they were putting the finishing touches to The House of Kong show, and got some exclusive hints about the future of 2-D, Murdoc, Noodle and Russel.
Time Out
28-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time Out
Gorillaz have announced a summer 2025 residency at London's Copper Box Arena: dates, ticket prices, presale and everything you need to know
Last week Gorillaz announced plans for a huge exhibition at the Copper Box Arena in east London's Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. Titled 'House of Kong', the exhibition will celebrate 25 years of Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett's virtual band, running from August 8 to September 3. All of which was exciting enough news for many Gorillaz fans – but this week Albarn and Hewlett have announced an exciting update. The closing days of the 'House of Kong' exhibition will see the band play a series of four one-off gigs, with each show dedicated to playing one of Gorillaz' classic early records in full. Set to be played are 2001's Gorillaz, 2005's Demon Days and 2010's Plastic Beach, while the fourth gig is tantalisingly billed as a 'Mystery Show'. This'll mark the first time that Gorillaz has ever been played in full, while it'll be the first time that Demon Days and Plastic Beach have been fully played live since their release. Each gig will also recreate the album tours' original visuals. Keen to catch a one-off show from 2-D, Murdoc, Noodle and Russel Hobbs in London this summer? Here's everything you need to know about the band's Copper Box residency, from the dates and when general sale goes live to pricing. When are Gorillaz playing London in 2025? While the 'House of Kong' exhibition stretches for nearly an entire month, the gigs all take place between August 29 and September 3. Full list of Gorillaz tour dates at London's Copper Box Arena Here are the dates Gorillaz will be in east London, along with the album being played at each show. August 29 – Gorillaz performed in full August 30 – Demon Days performed in full September 2 – Plastic Beach performed in full September 3 – Mystery Show When do Gorillaz tickets go on sale? General sale goes live at 10am BST on May 30. You'll be able to buy on Ticketmaster here. Is there a presale? If you haven't got in on presale, unfortunately it's now too late. Presale was open to those who bought 'House of Kong' exhibition tickets before 11pm BST on May 27, and the tickets went live on May 28 at 10am. Ticket prices Tickets will be priced 'from £80', according to the events' website. What's the capacity of the Copper Box Arena? These will be comparatively intimate shows, by Gorillaz standards – the Copper Box has a maximum capacity of 7,500. That makes it bigger than the likes of O2 Brixton (around 5,000), but smaller than Alexandra Palace (just over 10,000). Tickets for the House of Kong exhibition cost £27.50 and you can find them here. The best gigs in London this month.
