It's a shame that Damon Albarn had to be one of the prime movers behind Gorillaz, because such chronic suspicion and cynicism shrouds his annual reinvention.
With Blur, Albarn has enacted a quite heroic and almost schizophrenic skin-shredding routine: from bowl-cut indie starlet, to 'street' hip-hop raconteur, via East End Mockney figurehead and avant-garde 21st century rock and roller. He's also had a thrash at a couple of arse-sucking soundtracks if anyone's counting.
Of course, Albarn is a master of disguise, and, incidentally, was trained to be on the stage. And for those free-thinking individuals not perturbed by his desire to appear so versatile he's marginalised, the ingenuity behind Gorillaz has impressed, not least for the concept's tremendous graphical force and a bravura collision of musical styles that has trumpeted the 'virtual' band's dramatic rise to prominence.
However it is at both of these points where things start to become as one-dimensional as the rather flaccid and restrictive strip of screen pulled across the Forum stage to project tonight's 'animated' show. Put in simple terms, the band don't excite enough musically and the visuals are flat and disengaging. As a rather inspired punter observes: "It's like watching the TV'.
The show starts impressively enough, with the tremendously menacing 'M1 A1', a threatening blood-red shot of Murdoch, Russel, 2-D and Noodle approaching the audience, looming ever larger. Elsewhere, there is much to relish: 'Clint Eastwood' and 'Tomorrow Comes Today' are flawless slices of rhythmic, atmospheric hip-hop pop, 'Sound Check' is a wild mesh of beats and scratching and the spiralling roll of trumpets at the core of 'Rock The House' befits the visionary qualities of Albarn's co-conspirator and Gorillaz musical force Dan the Automator.
But the experience is let-down by the almost unworkable genius constricting the whole idea. There is no visual dynamic beyond the little more than distracting images, other than noting Damon's freshly shorn globe-head. And without any element of 'traditional', visceral performance, greater attention is drawn to the tunes, some of which simply fall-flat: 'Punk' is a Blur b-side, no more, '19-2000' DIY kids bubblegum pop and the likes of 'Slow Country', 'Starshine', '54' and 'Man Research' are only startling in their lack of stealth or surprise.
Worse still, we get occasional on-stage nonsense from the characters, attempting to mimic the voices of their animated personas. Albarn's high-pitched impression of an over-excited child is only marginally more banal and annoying than the fact that the band close their set after just an hour, and return to play two tracks already aired. An unforgivable decision.
Ultimately, Gorillaz has been an audacious and culturally striking success from vision to execution, even succeeding in putting the rather brilliant Blur in the shade. Tonight though, what was billed as a 'Lo-Fi Thriller' happening sadly only boasted a sprinkling of Lo-Fi pleasures. And thrilling it was not.
