http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/music/gorillaz-to-tour-australia-20100722-10mk9.htmlGorillaz to tour Australia
The world's most famous cartoon band, Gorillaz, are coming to Australia on their first ever tour.
Fresh from headline shows at the UK's Glastonbury Festival and Coachella in the US, the virtual pop collective will play Perth, Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and then Auckland throughout December.
A mash-up of music and art, Gorillaz was conceived by Blur's Damon Albarn and cartoonist Jamie Hewlett in 1998 as a result of their disdain for MTV.
The virtual band is fronted by four animated characters, singer 2-D, bassist Murdoc, guitarist Noodle and drummer Russel Hobbs.
But a rollcall of famous guests have breathed real life into the project over the course of three critically acclaimed albums.
Lou Reed, Snoop Dog, De La Soul, Bobby Womack, Shaun Ryder and members of The Clash have all contributed to Gorillaz, with Albarn the only permanent member of the band.
At early live shows musicians and singers were silhouetted behind a curtain, leaving the four cartoon characters to "perform" to the audience on large screens.
But since the release this year of the Plastic Beach album, which debuted at number one in Australia, Albarn has ensured an impressive array of guest collaborators to create a live spectacle on the open stage.
Organisers won't say who will be making the trip to the southern hemisphere, but this year's entourage has already included Bobby Womack, Shaun Ryder, and Mick Jones and Paul Simonon of The Clash.
Tickets go on sale on Friday, August 6, for the following Australian tour dates:
Monday, December 6 - Burswood Dome, Perth
Wednesday, December 8 - Adelaide Entertainment Centre
Saturday, December 11 - Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne
Thursday, December 16 - Sydney Entertainment Centre
Sunday, December 19 - Brisbane Entertainment Centre
