Gorillaz Listening To Tour Offers For Fall Run Of U.S.

NY (Reuters) - Gorillaz's debut album is having more success than anyone imagined in the U.S. The self-titled album sits at Number 24 on the Billboard 200 album chart. As a result of the success, Gorillaz is being pitched by some undisclosed big-name artists for a tour of the U.S., but they are considering heading out solo if cost and time permit in September.

The animated band features Murdoc (bassist, leader), 2D (frontman with poster-boy looks), Russel (drummer, hip-hop hardman), and Noodle (kick-ass female guitarist), who will "perform" on a 50-foot screen with the real band behind the screen.

Gorillaz's behind-the-scenes musical coordinator, Blur singer-songwriter Damon Albarn, told LAUNCH the challenge of doing Gorillaz shows is groundbreaking and technically challenging. "I think we're at the beginning of a whole new generation of everything really," he said. "So on the live front, we're at the stage that silent cinema was at 80 years ago or whatever."

Gorillaz is scheduled for a gig in London and a gig at Japan's Summer Sonic Festival later this month. At the end of September, the band has four U.K. shows: Edinburgh (September 24), Birmingham (September 25), Manchester (September 26), and London (September 28).