Arabian Heights: Gorillaz Stage Historic Gig in Syria
From the moment Snoop Dogg’s face appeared on two giant television screens at the back of the stage, set against the walls of the historic 11th-century Damascus Citadel, the Syrian crowd knew they were about to experience something never before seen in their country.
Gorillaz are the biggest western act ever to play Syria, and the several-thousand-strong crowd were never going to be disappointed. The atmosphere for the gig was aided by a full moon and fuelled by teenage Syrians telling me: “We’re here to see Gorillaz, man.”
A surreal evening of music and visuals had the locals captivated: female violinists from the Syrian National Orchestra for Arabic Music, decked out in sailor hats and swaying to a hip-hop beat, were accompanied by background footage of Bruce Willis shooting at Murdoc. The haunting duo of Bobby Womack and Damon Albarn made it less like a concert and more of an experience for the Syrian audience, who perhaps didn’t know regular concerts are not supposed to be this diverse.
Playing in Damascus clearly meant much to Albarn. “For the whole country I’m not sure this [concert] means anything at all,” he told me, before the gig. “For us, I do think it is an important thing by virtue of being pretty much the first western act to arrive in Damascus.”
Albarn said he wasn’t sure how the multi-genre concert would be received in Syria, a country where exposure to western music is confined to satellite TV channels and two radio stations. Later on, his relief was visibly clear in the enthusiasm with which he waved a huge flag over the heads of fans, feeding off their adoration. Albarn admitted he should have interacted more with the crowd at Glastonbury – a mistake he didn’t repeat in Damascus.
A 23-year-old Syrian man, still hanging around 30 minutes after the gig, told me: “I came here because it’s the biggest concert we have had, and I wanted to welcome them to my country. We need more of this.”
Until now, major western artists haven’t considered visiting Syria on tour. While this historical gig cannot be repeated, the door has been opened for others to follow. For the Syrian orchestra, topping Glastonbury may be difficult, but these Syrian musicians are set for international success.
Eslam Jawaad, the Syrian-Lebanese rapper, closed the night in fitting fashion. Sporting a Syrian flag tucked down the back of his T-shirt, Jawaad rapped the final verse of Clint Eastwood in Arabic to the obvious pleasure and definite surprise of the crowd.
Stephen Starr
Guardian.Co.UK