Gorillaz @ OVO Hydro, Glasgow, 24 Mar

Recently, Gorillaz frontman Damon Albarn and illustrator Jamie Hewlett suggested that the virtual band, which the pair started back in 1998, could one day be passed on to a new generation of artists. To many fans, the comic book artist and the Blur songwriter are, understandably, inextricable from their musical and visual creations. But, performing at Glasgow’s Hydro with a host of guest stars, a band of exceptional musicians and backing singers, and a cinematic animated backdrop, Albarn makes a good case for Gorillaz being far greater than any two individual artists.

Prior to the entrance of the band, both cartoon and corporeal, support act Trueno doesn’t so much warm up the stage as set it on fire. Glaring white lights illuminate the Argentine rapper and the rock band behind him as he tears through explosive opening number Fuck el Police. Black and white drawings depicting police violence overlap with live footage as a cameraman darts around the stage in his wake.

By the end of his set, which splices fiery political verses with exuberant, funky party anthems, the Hydro is completely packed. Gorillaz fans, teenaged to middle-aged, are swarming into the arena after braving the merch queue outside in the freezing wind and fumbling to find their seat numbers in the dark in time for the main act to begin.

A trail of glittering sitar and wispy bansuri flute are the first strains of music we hear, as the screens surrounding the vast stage depict a mystical jungle animated in soft hues. Each of the four cartoon band members appearing on screen elicits a riotous cheer from the audience, as if real rock-stars are walking out on stage.

Image: Gorillaz @ OVO Hydro, Glasgow, 24 Mar by Kyle Mcloughlin

After the entrancing scene-setting of The Mountain, the title track from their new album, which draws heavily from Indian classical music, the band burst straight into the bounding synth-pop of the record’s catchiest cut, The Happy Dictator. Albarn sings, typically deadpan and almost motionless, dressed like the other band-members and singers in army-like khaki with a peace symbol emblazoned on his shoulder.

The staging encourages the audience to enjoy the vivid animations and graphic art on screen as much as look at the musicians themselves, and Albarn frequently drops into the background while guest stars lead the performance. IDLES’ frontman Joe Talbot teases out Albarn’s sillier side with his jocular camaraderie, while rapper Bootie Brown absolutely flings himself about the stage when he joins the band for their 2005 collaboration Dirty Harry.

Fans hoping to hear some old favourites are not disappointed, as the band effortlessly integrate new and old material. Legendary hip-hop star Yasiin Bey (fka Mos Def) appears in a bejewelled baseball cap to revisit 2010’s gritty stomp, Stylo, before a spiralling synth line leads them into The Mountain’s invigorating, Arabic-influenced Damascus.

Written after both Albarn and Hewlett lost their fathers, The Mountain showcases some of Albarn’s most personal songwriting. And it’s perhaps the night’s most poignant moments that are its strongest. The 2010 hit On Melancholy Hill fits the tone perfectly. While the screens show some of Hewlett’s most violent imagery, it’s impossible not to feel blissfully serene as the crowd sing along to the famous synth line. The Mountain’s closing track The Sad God is a cinematic, openhearted triumph, which Albarn ends with a salute before leaving the stage, tripping slightly over his microphone lead and then comically exaggerating it.

But of course he’s soon back on stage to duet with Kara Jackson on the touching Orange County before concluding the night with the band's biggest hits. De La Soul’s Posdnuos, clad in a garish tweed jacket, introduces Feel Good Inc. with characteristic showmanship. Then there’s instant cheers as Albarn picks up the melodica and starts a playful call-and-response with the flautist to lead us into a mammoth rendition of Clint Eastwood.

The night has the feeling of a victory lap, a dizzying showcase of the countless musical styles the band have explored over nearly three decades, and the astounding artistry, both musical and visual, that has gone into shaping Gorillaz as a truly collaborative project.