The idea of Gorillaz, the British cartoon band, joining forces with Sparks, the ever-evolving American alternative pop pair, feels like something straight out of imagination for fans who lean toward the more unconventional side of music.
Night owls were treated to that dream becoming reality on Thursday evening, April 9, when the two acts came together for a live take on “The Happy Dictator,” the lead single from Gorillaz’s ninth studio album The Mountain, released through the group’s own imprint KONG.
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Any time Gorillaz hit the stage, there is always curiosity about how Damon Albarn and his collaborators will bring the band’s animated world to life. In the early years, figures like 2-D, Murdoc Niccals, Russel Hobbs and Noodle appeared on large screens while the real musicians stayed mostly hidden behind the visuals.
For their appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, Jamie Hewlett’s signature artwork stepped aside, allowing the performers to take center stage. Albarn embraced the role of the “happy dictator,” dressed in military-style clothing, complete with aviator sunglasses and a red beret.
The Mountain reached the top of the U.K. albums chart in March, marking the third time Gorillaz have landed at No. 1 there. In the United States, the group also secured another chart-topping moment, earning their fourth No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Rock and Alternative Albums chart.
Produced by Gorillaz alongside James Ford, Samuel Egglenton and Remi Kabaka Jr., with additional work from Bizarrap, The Mountain was recorded across multiple locations including Studio 13 in London and Devon, as well as sessions in India spanning Mumbai, New Delhi, Rajasthan and Varanasi, plus Ashgabat, Damascus, Los Angeles, Miami and New York. The project brings together a wide range of collaborators, including Sparks, and features songs delivered in Arabic, English, Hindi, Spanish and Yoruba.
Gorillaz will continue The Mountain Tour across the U.K. and Europe starting in June, with a run that includes festival appearances and a special headline show at London’s Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday, June 20. The performance is set to be their largest hometown concert so far, with support from Sparks and Trueno. Additional dates are scheduled through January 2027.
Watch the late night performance below and check out Gorillaz’ tour dates here.
NEWS
Oliver Tree’s team has provided a new update following the singer’s death in a helicopter crash on June 14, confirming that a new artist grant will soon be established in his memory to help creatives secure funding, a plan he had detailed in his will before his passing.
Accompanying a collection of photos highlighting Tree’s performances, travels and creative work through the years, a post shared Sunday (June 21) on his Instagram account revealed that the musician’s remains have been brought back to California, the state he called home and where he will be laid to rest. “His legacy will live on through his foundation/endowment named ‘Dr. Oliver Tree’s Extremely Epic Grant For Baby Geniuses’ coming soon,” the caption reads. “This is something that Oliver had put together before his passing.”
“We will make sure his wish comes to fruition so that more joy, love and art can be spread into the world, that was his final wish,” the statement continued, adding that “the constant love, support and positivity” shown by fans throughout the past week has helped his “family, friends and collaborators make it through these extremely difficult times.”
Tree was among six people who lost their lives in a helicopter collision in Rio de Janeiro. The musician was in Brazil for his The World’s First Tour run and had performed what would ultimately be his final concert on June 6 in São Paulo. The other victims of the crash were identified as passengers Lucas Vignale, Gaspar Prim and Lucas Brito Chaves, along with pilots Alexandre Souza and Charles Marsillac.
Just months before his death, Tree discussed his plans to direct his fortune and future earnings from his music toward a grant program for artists during an appearance on the Zach Sang Show. “I take no credit for anything I’ve ever done,” he said during the April interview. “Furthermore, I don’t believe that any of the wealth or things that get made from it is mine. So when I die … my will is set up so that when I pass, my family, nobody is going to get a penny.”
“If I have a wife or kids or anything, they’re not getting a penny,” he added at the time, explaining that the initiative would focus on helping artists create work rather than funding education. “I’ll get my kids through college, that’s the agreement, but there’s not gonna be a silver spoon. All the money is going to go back to artists.”
