Hyperreality, spectacle, and identity - case study of the Gorillaz PDF

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Case study of the band the Gorillaz and their 2005 performance of Feel Good Inc at the MTV awards...

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AN EXPLORATION OF HOW THE GORILLAZ PERFORMANCE OF FEEL GOOD INC. AT THE 2005 MTV EMAS CAN BE CONSIDERED ‘LIVE’ AND ENCAPSULATES NOTIONS OF HYPERREALITY, SPECTACLE AND IDENTITY.

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Considering that 2D, Murdoc, Noodle and Russell are virtual creations of ex-Blur frontman Damon Albarn and artist Jamie Hewlitt, it seems unrealistic that they could perform live. However, at the 2005 MTV European Music Awards, Gorillaz took to the stage and performed Feel Good Inc. without any of the ‘human’ band members present on stage. The identity of Gorillaz is not unknown, with the lead singer 2D openly voiced by Albarn, and it is this that opens up to interesting analysis of how the band reinforce ideas of the hyperreal (Baudrillard 1994), and Debord’s (1967) theory of the spectacle. There are a number of debates surrounding ‘liveness’, from arguments over authenticity and what a live performance consists of. It is often believed that live performance is set in “antagonist opposition to mediatization” (Auslander 2008 p. 4), and thus the virtual performance by Gorillaz proves to be an interesting case study. When envisioning a live music performance, it is usually the case that the musicians themselves will be on stage. As defined by Holt (2010), live music must involve “face to face relation in the same physical space” (p. 245); not only this, audiences should be able to differentiate what they are witnessing ‘live’ from what they know to be pre-recorded audio or video (Holt 2010). In the case of Gorillaz, and in particular the performance in question, it becomes difficult to do as such, which reinforces Baudrillard’s idea of the ‘hyperreal’. In his 1994 work Simulation and Simulacra, Baudrillard introduces the concept of the hyperreal by suggesting that reality is “no longer really the real” (Baudrillard 1994, p. 2), that simulations have escalated to the point in which representations are so realistic, they can no longer be distinguished as representations (Baudrillard 1994). Gorillaz were created with the intention of replicating human beings. They cannot be considered to be a representation of the real, which Baudrillard described as the first order of

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simulacra (Baudrillard 1994), nor are they an inadequate representation of reality, or a complete simulation. It is argued therefore, that Gorillaz fall into the third order of simulacra (Baudrillard 1994), as they represent the reality of a rock band, without the existence of ‘Gorillaz’ in the human form. This can be understood as “make believe” (Mattessich 2003, p. 456), and differs from previous virtual performances such as Tupac’s holographic appearance at Coachella 2012, which would be considered the second order of simulacra. The audience were expected to behave as though they are “actually witnessing” (Freeman 2016, p. 4) Tupac live, displaying an “inadequate reflection” (Mattessich 2003, p. 456) of reality. The third order of simulacra leads to interesting analysis of whether Gorillaz can be described as performing live. FIG. 1

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As Gorillaz ‘walk’ on stage at the EMAs, the elements of reality are challenged (McLeod 2016) and almost prove that we exist in a state of hyperreality. There are times when 2D appears to get bored and checks his phone and Murdoc gesticulates to the crowd displaying humanistic behaviours, with the intention of creating a ‘make believe’ performance for the crowd. The hyperreality is exaggerated when rap group De La Soul (featured on the single) appear on stage. The combination of real and virtual lead to a multi-dimensional performance, consequently blurring the lines between reality and fantasy even further. It is argued that in order to be considered a musical performance, “musical work is presented by performers during a live event” (Kelly 2007, p. 106), and therefore when considering the hyperreal element of Gorillaz, there is nothing that suggests that they are not performing live, despite the lack of tangible musicians on stage. The creation of Gorillaz as an imitation of humans goes far deeper than virtual live performances, further reinforcing the hyperreality of the band. A fascinating addition to the

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analysis is the Gorillaz appearance on MTV Cribs, which allows audiences a voyeuristic view into the homes of celebrities. MTV Cribs and similar TV shows break down the wall between celebrities and audiences, forming para-social relationships and alludes to the feeling of intimacy (Chung and Cho 2014). When the featured celebrity is a cartoon, a whole new area of interest is opened. In Society of the Spectacle (translated by Knabb in 2002), Debord discusses the ways in which “negation of life has taken on a visible form” (page 1) which is contextually applicable to both Gorillaz 2005 performance and their appearance on MTV Cribs. The way the band members appear to be physically on stage, the representation of the reality of a rock band has become independent and taken on meaning alone (Debord, translated by Knabb 2002), thus reinforcing the idea of the spectacle. Debord’s original work, published in 1967 does not consider the technological advances that have occurred in the 40 years since, however it is still relevant as the theoretical basis can be contextualised. Debord suggests that society becomes fascinated by the ordinary becoming spectacularised, so much so that it infiltrates popular discourse (Debord, translated by Knabb 2002), and this is displayed in Gorillaz feature in MTV Cribs. Throughout the episode, each member is introduced with an “idiosyncratic fictional identity, history, musical taste and temperament” (Eckstein 2009, p. 244); something that would usually

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so ordinary becomes fascinating to audiences who are aware that Gorillaz are simply a representation of a rock band. Even more broadly, the literature written about the band predominantly uses discourses that construct the band as real, such as Richardson (2005) analysing the way “Russel smashed out the four-beat snare-drum introduction” (p. 1) 4

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Gorillaz ‘performing live’ on stage displays the intersectionality of hyperreality and spectacle and further develops the discussion of what constitutes liveness. For it to be said that a live performance is something that cannot be replicated on TV or via other media outputs (Auslander 2008), it is suggested that there is a binary: live, or mediatized. The hyperrealism of Gorillaz breaks down this binary providing a much more complicated and open discussion. Whilst the members of Gorillaz (2D, Murdoc, Noodle and Russell) are not literally singing, the audience are aware that Albarn and the other musicians are singing behind the screen. Alongside this, in the context of Debord’s theory of the spectacle, the representation of reality has become so easily integrated into popular discourse and society that Gorillaz have become an independent entity and therefore can very much be considered to be performing live on stage. Amongst discussions of hyperreality and spectacle, it is impossible to ignore way that notions of identity and representation interlink. In a rare interview with Albarn, he said: “We – I mean they – are a complete reaction to what is going on in the charts at the moment. Everything is so manufactured these days. Gorillaz are different. They may only appear in cartoon form but, believe me, they are larger than life” (Albarn, found in Richardson 2005, page 3). The way Albarn refers to Gorillaz as ‘they’ highlights the way that the representation that is Gorillaz has become completely integrated into popular discourse and is difficult to distinguish from reality. Their creation and refusal to appear as anything other than Gorillaz leads to the argument that Gorillaz have moved into Baudrillard’s fourth order: pure simulacrum (Prior 2009). The complex identity that is displayed during their performance of Feel Good Inc. backs this idea up. Gorillaz are no longer the virtual creation of Damon

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Albarn and Jamie Hewlitt, they are Gorillaz made up of 2D, Russel, Murdoc and Noodle and it is these band members that audiences have come to see live. After exploring Gorillaz in reference to hyperreality, spectacle and liveness, it can be concluded that in the case of a virtual band such as Gorillaz, there is no concrete answers surrounding the reality and liveness. The case study displays how it is impossible to consider concepts in isolation from one another, for example whilst it could be argued Gorillaz fall under Baudrillard’s third order, when bringing in ideas surrounding identity and representation, arguing that it is in fact the fourth is also justified. Gorillaz are very useful when contextualising Baudrillard and Debord’s theories of hyperreality and spectacle respectively. In terms of the spectacle, as Debord argues that society have become obsessed with the impossible, and it can definitely be said that cartoon band members performing on stage at the EMAs is ‘impossible’. Perhaps most interesting, is the way that every argument around the Gorillaz returns to the identity of the band, and the way that the creators themselves consider the members to be a separate entity. Albarn does not think of 2D as a cartoon with his voice, he considers him as the vocalist of Gorillaz, and it is this that makes such an interesting case study.

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