Gorillaz made their debut as musical guests on Saturday Night Live on March 7, hosted by Ryan Gosling. The virtual band performed their 2001 hit 'Clint Eastwood' and a new track 'The Moon Cave' from their latest album The Mountain. The episode also featured a surprise cameo by Harry Styles during the opening monologue.
Gorillaz, the animated band fronted by Damon Albarn, appeared on the March 7 episode of Saturday Night Live at Studio 8H in New York City. This marked their first performance on the NBC sketch comedy show, in support of their ninth studio album, The Mountain, released on February 27. The album debuted at number one on the U.K.'s Official Albums Chart, securing the band's third chart-topping release there.
The group opened with 'Clint Eastwood,' the breakthrough single from their 2001 self-titled debut album. Rapper Del the Funky Homosapien joined onstage to deliver his verses, while the performance featured a large screen displaying the band's animated characters. For their second song, 'The Moon Cave' from The Mountain, Gorillaz were joined by singer-songwriter Asha Puthli, The Roots' Black Thought, and sitar player Anoushka Shankar. The track includes posthumous contributions from guitarist and singer Bobby Womack and Dave Jolicoeur of De La Soul. A lively string section accompanied the guest-filled set.
The Mountain follows 2023's Cracker Island and was created amid personal losses for the band members, as well as a trip to India. It incorporates Indian classical instrumentation and lyrics in multiple languages, including Hindi. Each of its 15 tracks features at least one collaborator. Damon Albarn explained the album's theme in a recent Rolling Stone interview: "I just thought, if we’re going to talk about the subject of death, I need some people who are dead to help me talk about it."
Earlier in the episode, Harry Styles made a surprise appearance during Ryan Gosling's opening monologue, prompting a frenzied reaction from the audience. Gosling incorporated the moment into the bit, joking about the pop star stealing attention. Styles, fresh off his album Kiss All The Time. Disco, Occasionally., will host and perform on the March 14 episode.
Gorillaz have announced a North American tour for The Mountain, their first large-scale run in the region in four years, starting September 17 in Orlando, Florida, and ending on Halloween in Seattle. They also have U.K. and European festival dates this summer, including a headlining slot at Barcelona's Primavera Sound in June and Atlanta's Shaky Knees in September.
