Gorillaz Warm Up Bradford Ahead of 'The Mountain' Tour: Highlights
Gorillaz recently played an intimate warm-up show in Bradford, England, before embarking on 'The Mountain' tour. The show featured fan favorites and new cuts from their latest album.
Gorillaz ignited Bradford Live with an intimate warm-up show on March 13, ahead of their highly anticipated 'The Mountain' tour. Damon Albarn and the crew delivered a memorable performance at the 3,500-capacity venue, marking a special moment for the frontman.
"I think I wanted to see Bradford," Albarn told The Yorkshire Post, highlighting the band's intention to embrace the city's multicultural essence. The setlist included beloved classics alongside fresh tracks from 'The Mountain', such as ‘The Moon Cave’, ‘The Sad God’ and ‘Orange County’.
Albarn elaborated on the band's choice of venue, stating, "I wanted to do something distinctively multicultural in this city because, yet again, we find ourselves in a situation where there is a tendency to overgeneralise and pigeonhole people in a negative way, happening in our culture."
He further noted, "In fact, in culture generally, ghosts that we thought we’d vanquished and cast out have come back again. I was just interested in the culture of Bradford and it turns out you’ve got this amazing renovated space. It’s absolutely beautiful."
The tour supports the band's latest album, 'The Mountain', deeply influenced by Indian music and culture. This influence played a key role in choosing Bradford, a city rich in South Asian heritage, for the warm-up gig.
"I think that was definitely another reason for our orientation towards this neck of the woods," Albarn confirmed.
Setlist from Gorillaz warm‑up show in Bradford, night 1 pic.twitter.com/xYQ095tWQr
— Damon Albarn Unofficial (@DamonUnofficial) March 13, 2026
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A new version of O Green World@gorillaz in Bradford, night 1 pic.twitter.com/u2qPnNi0vB
— Damon Albarn Unofficial (@DamonUnofficial) March 14, 2026
Pretty mind-blowing to get to see @gorillaz play at @Bradford_Live last night, the first of two intimate warm-ups before their ‘The Mountain’ UK arena tour kicks off next week! 🎸 pic.twitter.com/V0JlmkGJNo
— Jack Fermor-Worrell (@JFW_Music) March 14, 2026
Proud of the Gorillaz live band 😊 (can’t help being silly) pic.twitter.com/N9Gnz50iWU
— Damon Albarn Unofficial (@DamonUnofficial) March 14, 2026
The band played a second night at Bradford Live (March 14) and are now embarking on UK and Ireland arena tour, starting in Manchester on March 20. They will also be performing at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London next summer, alongside appearances at festivals like Electric Picnic, Primavera Sound Barcelona and Porto, and Rock Werchter.
'The Mountain' was largely shaped by Albarn and Jamie Hewlett's travels in India following the deaths of their fathers. The album explores themes of death and healing, featuring guest appearances from artists including Tony Allen, Mark E. Smith, Proof, Dennis Hopper, Bobby Womack, and Dave Jolicoeur (of De La Soul).
Other collaborators on the album include IDLES, Sparks, Yasiin Bey, Gruff Rhys, Paul Simonon (The Clash), Anoushka Shankar, and Johnny Marr.
NME's four-star review of 'The Mountain' praised the album's celebration of love, connection, and the spirit of giving.
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