Sunday ACL Fest Face-Off: Gorillaz vs. The Killers

Compare the headliners!

Photo by Gary Miller

Gorillaz

8:15pm, Honda stage

Government name(s): Damon Albarn, Jamie Hewlett

Hometown: Essex, England

Active since: 1998

Genre: anime-pop

Number of albums: 5

Precursor acts: The Archies, Jem & the Holograms, the Banana Splits

Secret weapon(s): drummer Cass Browne and keyboardist Mike Smith

Breakout moment: "Clint Eastwood" video in which the face of guest MC Del the Funky Homosapien is never seen

Song they should play: "Feel Good Inc." and "Stylo," of course

Song they shouldn't play: "We Got the Power" from Humanz

Stereotypical fan: Blur fanatic, into Japanese anime, knows the backstories to the virtual band members

Best lines: "There was crack on the corner and someone dead/ And fire coming out of the monkey's head" ("Don't Get Lost in Heaven")

Fun fact: There were once talks of a film involving Terry Gilliam

Last show in Austin: Frank Erwin Center, Oct. 22, 2010

Factoid: They're drawn

Photo by Shelley Hiam

The Killers

8:15pm, American Express stage

Government name(s): Brandon Flowers, Dave Keuning, Mark Stoermer, Ronnie Vannucci Jr.

Hometown: Las Vegas

Active since: 2001

Genre: alternative glam

Number of albums: 5

Precursor acts: Springsteen, New Order, Mike + the Mechanics, U2, the Cars

Secret weapon(s): Flowers' lyrical earnestness

Breakout moment: debut of "Mr. Brightside" on Zane Lowe's old BBC radio show

Songs they should play: most of Hot Fuss

Songs they shouldn't play: most of Sam's Town

Stereotypical fan: Levi's only, New Balances for support and comfort, #maga acolytes

Best lines: "Well, somebody told me you had a boyfriend/ Who looked like a girlfriend" ("Somebody Told Me")

Fun fact: Flowers was fired from his first band

Last show in Austin: Cedar Park Center, May 10, 2013

Factoid: Flowers credits growing up Mormon with helping him not go all rock star

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READ MORE
More Gorillaz
Phases & Stages
Live Shot

Austin Powell, Oct. 29, 2010

Off the Record
Music News

Austin Powell, Oct. 22, 2010

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KEYWORDS FOR THIS STORY

Gorillaz, Killers, ACL Fest 2017

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