Demon Days Live was a limited concert tour performed by the British alternative rock virtual band Gorillaz, in support of their second studio album Demon Days. Demon Days Live consisted of two residencies, with five shows played at the Manchester Opera House in England, and another five played at New York City's Apollo Theater. The Manchester residency was later released onto DVD as Demon Days: Live at the Manchester Opera House. One of the New York shows was broadcast on MHD (now MTV Live) as Gorillaz: Live in Harlem. The Manchester Opera House film was later nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Music Film.
Live band
Damon Albarn – vocals, piano, melodica
Mike Smith – keyboards
Simon Tong – guitar
Simon Jones – guitar
Morgan Nicholls – bass
Cass Browne – drums
Darren Galea – turntable
Karl Vanden Bossche – percussion
Wayne Hernandez – backing vocals
Sharlene Hector – backing vocals
Rosie Wilson – backing vocals
Wendi Rose – backing vocals
Aaron Sokell – backing vocals
Isabelle Dunn – cello
Dan Keane – cello
Deborah Chandler – cello
Emma Smith – bass
Amanda Drummond – viola
Nina Kapinsky – viola
Gary Pomeroy – viola
Antonia Pagulatos – violin
Jennifer Berman – violin
Kirsty Mangan – violin
Guest collaborators and additional musicians
Neneh Cherry – vocals on "Kids with Guns" Bootie Brown – vocals on "Dirty Harry" De La Soul – vocals on "Feel Good Inc" Ike Turner – piano on "Every Planet We Reach is Dead" MF Doom – vocals on "November Has Come" (video only) Roots Manuva – vocals on "All Alone" Martina Topley-Bird – vocals on "All Alone" Rosie Wilson – vocals on "Dare" Shaun Ryder – vocals on "Dare" Dennis Hopper – narration on "Fire Coming Out of the Monkey's Head" (New York dates only) London Community Gospel Choir – vocals on "Don't Get Lost in Heaven" and "Demon Days" Zeng Zhen – guzheng on "Hong Kong" Ibrahim Ferrer – vocals on "Latin Simone (¿Qué Pasa Contigo?)" (video only)
Production
Demon Days Live marked the first Gorillaz concert where the live band performed in full view of the audience, forgoing the "behind-the-screen" setup of Gorillaz' previous tour. Visuals and music videos tailor-made for the shows played on a large screen above the band, while the band themselves were kept silhouetted by a combination of dim lighting and colorful, illuminated back-paneling. Puppets of 2-D and Murdoc were utilized during intros and intermissions, addressing the audience and commenting on the show from the venues' balconies. The lifesize puppets were created by Jim Henson's Creature Shop; the Jim Henson Company would later award Gorillaz with the "Jim Henson Creativity Honor".
A Las Vegas residency was considered, but the "astronomical" production cost of previous shows dissuaded the band from continuing the concerts. Speaking on tour expenses, Gorillaz co-creator Jamie Hewlett explained: "The idea of putting it on in Vegas really appealed, but in the end it would have cost too much. The Demon Days Live shows actually ended up costing Damon and I money overall."
Setlist
The following setlist is obtained from the concert held in Manchester on 1 November 2005. This setlist accurately represents all shows on the tour.