Gorillaz Took the Hollywood Palladium on a Visionary Trip Through India and the Afterlife

Last Monday, the Hollywood Palladium felt less like a 4,000-capacity ballroom and more like a portal to another dimension. We made the trek from San Diego to LA early, securing a perfect spot just as a DJ set the mood with dusty 90s trip-hop—a fitting nod to the era that birthed the Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett project.

The contrast was stark: the last time ListenSD caught Gorillaz, they were headlining Primavera Sound Barcelona for 70,000 people. This time, the vibe was intimate and electric. At exactly 9:00 PM, a massive ensemble of 21 musicians filed onto the stage, followed by Albarn, who remains one of the most compelling performers in the game—less a traditional frontman and more the frantic conductor of a living, breathing ecosystem of art.

The night was dedicated to their upcoming ninth album, The Mountain, played in its entirety before its official release. Inspired by Albarn and Hewlett’s travels through India and their personal experiences with loss, the album is a sonic voyage through the cycle of life, death, and reincarnation. The production was meticulous—trippy, signature Gorillaz visuals on the screens were paired with the transportive sounds of sitars, sarods, and flutes.

The guest list was a revolving door of legends. Asha Puthli brought an ethereal glow to “The Moon Cave,” while Sparks injected their art-pop energy into “The Happy Dictator.” Joe Talbot (IDLES) roared through “The God of Lying,” and Kara Jackson provided a hauntingly beautiful counterpoint during “Orange County” and “The Sweet Prince.” Watching Albarn step back to give these artists the spotlight they deserved was a reminder of why this project has stayed vital for 25 years.

The Second Set: A Pure Adrenaline Hit

If the first half of the night was a spiritual journey, the second set was a collective explosion. The transition from the heady, atmospheric depths of The Mountain into the classic catalog turned the Palladium into a literal pressure cooker. When Del the Funky Homosapien stepped out for “Rock the House,” the floor  shook, people were euphoric.

But the real emotional peak hit when De La Soul joined the fray. During “Feel Good Inc.,” the room was vibrating so intensely you could feel the bass in your teeth and the heat of the crowd’s energy rising toward the rafters. It  was a massive, deafening singalong that spanned the entire second set. Every voice in the room locked in, creating this beautiful, unified wall of sound that felt both massive and intimate. The energy was so thick you could practically lean against it.

By the time Del returned for “Clint Eastwood,” the air in the Palladium felt heavy with the kind of shared euphoria that only happens when a room is totally in sync. We were left buzzing, genuinely absorbing the weight of what we’d just witnessed. It’s the kind of communal magic that makes the drive from San Diego feel like a short trip across the street.

We’re already planning our next trip  to catch the House of Kong exhibit, and we’ll be following the band across the Atlantic this summer for their sets at Primavera Sound Barcelona and Primavera Sound Porto.

The Setlist

Set 1: The Mountain (In Full)

The Mountain (ft. Ajay Prasanna & Anoushka Shankar)

The Moon Cave (ft. Asha Puthli & Black Thought)

The Happy Dictator (ft. Sparks)

The Hardest Thing

Orange County (ft. Kara Jackson & Anoushka Shankar)

The God of Lying (ft. Joe Talbot)

The Empty Dream Machine (ft. Black Thought)

The Manifesto

The Plastic Guru

Delirium

Damascus

The Shadowy Light

Casablanca

The Sweet Prince (ft. Kara Jackson)

The Sad God (ft. Black Thought)

Set 2: The Classics

California and the Slipping of the Sun

Rock the House (ft. Del the Funky Homosapien)

Dirty Harry (ft. Bootie Brown)

Feel Good Inc. (ft. De La Soul)

Clint Eastwood (ft. Del the Funky Homosapien)

Photos and Review: Narda Crossley