Thank you, Gorillaz.
Hello, everyone who’s reading this. Super hello, everyone who’s reading this while listening to Strobelite. How’s your day going? Do you wish to murder me yet? Well, no matter; mine’s doing pretty well so far, since I’m thinking back about how much of an impact Gorillaz has done to my life’s directions. Before anything, allow me to say that I’m not a “veteran” when it comes to time spent with the band or knowing about it’s more “obscure” stuff, since I’ve started listening to them around the end of 2017; however, I’m certain that Damon and Jamie’s insane shenanigans hit me in the gut and left a painful but quite pleasing feeling of appreciation. While reading this, I ask you to relax, and that you reflect about YOUR story as a Gorillaz fan (well, if you are one); think of your beloved memories shared between you and the band while I write about mine, and enjoy.
So, you all must know the fanzine’s lead designer and editor, my greatest friend ana. Knowing her for a pretty long time, I’ve also known about how hard she appreciates Gorillaz; the absolute madwoman. Trying to find something new to listen to, around the end of 2017 I asked her for some advice about where I should start with Gorillaz, since it was something I knew she loved talking a bunch about, so why the hell not? We ended up listening to S/T; that’s when the love was ready to appear, but it was still a little bit shy so it didn’t quite come yet. Then, came Demon Days; similar result. Then, Plastic Beach; I could feel the love brewing a little bit more, but not quite there yet…
And then… Humanz came! I really gotta say, Humanz is pretty damn good, and was the one hook I took that made me define myself as a Gorillaz fan. Honestly, it was so insanely enjoyable that I have to dedicate this paragraph to it. It didn’t just give me a similar feel of the other albums I listened, it also went right up my alley when it came to musical taste, so the combo really went all out. I listened to it a few more times, and man, it really made me think… “Gorillaz is wonderful!”, “Gorillaz is marvelous!”, and some other lovely compliments. I felt like I, truly could appreciate Gorillaz not just for what they do, but for what they are.
It was a truly heartfelt experience, like I was ready to enter a layer of the world of music I never knew about.
However, before I speak more about my most memorable Gorillaz experience and my deeper journey into the world of music, let’s go back to a little bit before I listened to Humanz in depth; once again thanks to ana, I’ve been introduced to the Gorillaz community through the GU Discord, and what I met there was pleasantly surprising. Everyone there just feels so… Special. They all have their preferences, their styles, their favorite albums and songs, but they all love one thing in common… Yes, it’s Gorillaz! The way everyone expresses their unique and thoughtful opinions and develops their own thoughts about such a marvel of a band with such interesting music, story and whatnot… It was so fresh! I’ve never seen a fanbase so passionate like that before!
After my entrance in GU, my first listen to Humanz and some quite unorthodox events in life, I ended up knowing that Gorillaz were going to do a show at the 30th of March in São Paulo, Brazil. My dearest friends were planning on going there so that they could do the annual meet-up they always do, even if the show wasn’t the main focus of the meet-up. I felt funny, y’know. Almost like it was, uh, instinct or something deep like that. When I ended up knowing of the meeting and the show, I felt deep inside… “You should really go there, you dumbass”, my heart said, “You can have fun with your friends and experience a probably super cool musical experience, you clown”, my soul said. So, I followed their advice… And booked my flight to São Paulo. After that, every day getting closer to the event, I felt more and more anxious… I knew a special moment in my life was bound to happen.
And who would’ve thought, that day was miraculous! There were so many wonderful things that were experienced on that day, and of course, the show was one of the strongest experiences! Damon’s undeniable skill as a musician; the dedication of the collaborators and the many other members; the emotional impact delivered through the songs… It was all so special! Notable moments during the show, for me, were: On Melancholy Hill instantly making me cry, Strobelite making me go wild with Peven Everett’s astounding performance, Damon laying down on the floor during Charger, the sudden occurrence of Re-Hash (Reprise), etcetera… But if I want to be honest, I’d say the whole show was extremely memorable. The fact that I experienced it together with my greatest friends also made it much, much better. That show changed me. That day changed me, and I’m thankful for it. I really, really am.
Gorillaz, just… Gorillaz is just so, so special to me. Knowing how much passion goes in the work dedicated to it, from both the creators and the fans, it just fills me with an intense feeling of respect and adventure. Thanks to Gorillaz, I’ve found myself trying out many different genres of music I’ve never thought to give some attention to before. The world of music, in general, is a place I’ve always thought to have such an immense depth, but I’ve never thought outside the box before. After becoming a part of the Gorillaz community, I’ve absolutely started to not just develop more my musical tastes, but also myself. For example, thanks to Damon and various other artistic influences, I’ve recently started dedicating myself to learn how to play a keyboard. It’s funny how things like these can influence our behavior, ain’t it?
Well… That’s it for my simple chronicle regarding my certainly short but quite meaningful experience as a Gorillaz fan. Now, what about you? Think to yourself: what are your most important moments with Gorillaz? Did they impact your life in a positive way? It’s certainly something you should think about sometimes, y’know. After all, it’s good to have pleasant memories, especially when it’s about such a heartfelt project. I truly hope The Now Now manages to leave a great mark on Gorillaz history!