MTV Europe Music Awards (2005) - Gorillaz - "Feel Good Inc."

2005 Europe Music Awards - Gorillaz - "Feel Good Inc" VIDEO

Gorillaz’ first live performance at the MTV Europe Music Awards in 2005 incorporated new media and production techniques that led to a change in the discourse surrounding live performance.  Regarding live performance, audiences usually share a few expectations:  the live music should sound close to the record itself, the artist or group will most likely engage with the audience, and the artist or group may incorporate something new or change aspects of the performance to make the experience stand out.  At the MTV Europe Music Awards, Gorillaz used “the Motion Eyeliner System to beam three-dimensional holographic style performing cartoon characters on stage” and their appearance was “billed as ‘the world’s first 3D hologram performance’” (http://www.eyeliner3d.com/gorillaz_mtv_awards.html).  The Gorillaz essentially created a new performance aesthetic in which they are not performing as themselves—they are instead performing as their alter egos. This is radically different from the overwhelming majority of live performances because artists and groups almost always perform as themselves, and are visible to the audience.  By using three-dimensional projection technology in their first live performance, Gorillaz are able to maintain the alter ego cartoon identities that they have associated with all of their work, including album art, music videos, short cartoons, and a fictional Gorillaz universe on their website.  As the first “virtual hip-hop group”, the only permanent members of Gorillaz, Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewett, have established themselves as musicians that blend many different styles of music with an alternate concept of representation and identity, especially in performance.

            With influences from alternative rock, dub, electronic, pop, Latin, punk, reggae, and other genres, Gorillaz combine many styles to create a synthesized sound that makes their music unique and fresh.  At the 2005 MTV Europe Music Awards, Gorillaz performed their international hit “Feel Good Inc.”, which reached #2 in the United Kingdom and #14 in the United States.  “Feel Good Inc.” peaked in the top ten in fourteen countries.  With such great international success, Gorillaz’ live performance at the MTV Europe Music Awards in 2005 would prove to be one of the most unique performances and help propel them to further success.  During the performance, the projected alter egos of the band members appear to be playing their instruments and singing as a real band would, but the actual band members are behind a screen, hidden from the audience.  In this way, the audience connects with the band as they know them, by their alter ego characters.  This helps promote a sense of authenticity in the performance because Gorillaz represent themselves as their cartoon characters in all of their work; therefore, it would be hard for the audience to identify with a band they had never seen perform in their real identities.  The alter egos present on stage, Stuart “2D” Pot, Murdoc Niccals, Noodle, and Russel Hobbs, represent the band as “Feel Good Inc.” gets the audience to stand up and react to the projected cartoons as if they were the actual band members performing before them.  The presence the band has in these alter egos creates “liveness” in this performance that is surprisingly achieved without the actual band engaging with the crowd.  This performance is a breakthrough because it shows that even a “virtual band” can create an embodied experience through live performance. 

            The groundbreaking aspect of Gorillaz’ “Feel Good Inc.” as performed at the 2005 MTV Europe Music Awards is evident in the relationship the group has created with its fans.  Fans have come to expect innovative, interactive productions from Gorillaz, and this performance was a culmination of the group’s inventive achievements.  By creating unique alter egos with eccentric personalities and combining them with music that is also full of personality, Gorillaz are able to perform in front of huge audiences that embrace their alternate approach to what it means to be a band.  The image of Gorillaz is altogether unconventional.  The music the band creates is associated with cartoon alter egos, not the members of Gorillaz themselves.  By using projections of their alter egos, Gorillaz can incorporate actions into their performance that may be impossible in reality.  For example, “Murdoc”, the bass player, is seen licking the strings of his guitar near the top of the neck in this live performance.  In reality, a bass player would probably not do anything to his or her instrument that could jeopardize a performance.  In this way, Gorillaz have a more creative approach toward live performance because, essentially, they have no limitations.  Gorillaz are able to synthesize the expected authenticity of a live performance with a simulation of identity.    

            The 2005 MTV Europe Music Awards performance allowed Gorillaz to gain media attention through the uniqueness of their live performance.  By performing through their alter ego characters, Gorillaz were able to challenge the fundamentals of live performance.  The band members themselves did not appear, but the alter egos simulated the actions that an artist or group is expected to display on stage.  Gorillaz captivated the audience by utilizing technology to accomplish authenticity through simulation.  “Simulating authenticity” is a contradictory notion; however, Gorillaz incorporate the “concept” of the band in a virtual aesthetic in this performance, yet still manage to create “liveness” effortlessly.  This breakthrough performance demonstrates that the context of live performance is always changing and authenticity is determined by both the artist or group’s vision and the audience’s reception of that vision.  A live performance is an interaction between an artist or group and their audience.  In this performance, Gorillaz are groundbreaking because they establish a connection with the audience without being visually present.  In accomplishing the difficult feat of “simulated authenticity”, Gorillaz prove that innovative live performances challenge the audience to let go of expectations and embrace the unexpected.    

“Feel Good Inc.” Lyrics:

Hahahahahahahahaha,
Feel good,
Feel good,
Feel good,
Feel good,
Feel good,
Feel good,
Feel good,
Feel good,
Feel good.........

City's breaking down on a camel's back.
They just have to go 'cause they don't know wack
So all you fill the streets it's appealing to see
You wont get out the county, 'cos you're bad and free
You've got a new horizon It's ephemeral style.
A melancholy town where we never smile.
And all I wanna hear is the message beep.
My dreams, they've got to kiss, because I don't get sleep, no..

[Chorus:]
Windmill, Windmill for the land.
Turn forever hand in hand
Take it all there on your stride
It is tinking, falling down
Love forever love is free
Let's turn forever you and me
Windmill, windmill for the land
Is everybody in?

Laughing gas these hazmats, fast cats,
Lining them up-a like ass cracks,
Lay these ponies at the track
Its my chocolate attack.
Shit, I'm stepping in the heart of this here
Care bear bumping in the heart of this here
Watch me as I gravitate
Hahahahahahaa.
Yo, we gonna go ghost town,
This motown,
With yo sound
You're in the place
You gonna bite the dust
Can't fight with us
With yo sound
You kill the INC.
So don't stop, get it, get it
Until you're Jet Ahead.
Yo, watch the way I navigate
Hahahahahhaa

Feel good, AHHHHahahahah [x4]

[Chorus]

Don't stop, get it, get it
We are your captains in it
Steady,
Watch me navigate,
Ahahahahahhaa.
Don't stop, get it, get it
We are your captains in it
Steady, watch me navigate
Ahahahahahhaa.

Feel good, AHHHHahahahaha
Feel good,
Feel good, AHHHHahahahaha
Feel good....