Members of Gorillaz and Klaxons are working together on a collaborative project.

Gorillaz guitarist Jeff Wootton revealed the news to NME at an event at Abbey Road Studios on Thursday night (November 10), held to launch Stella McCartney’s first menswear collection. The event featured performances by DMC of Run DMC, Beastie Boys’ Mike D, Texas’ Sharleen Spiteri and The Gossip’s Beth Ditto. Each of the guest vocalists performed with a band put together by Wootton and Klaxons singer/bassist Jamie Reynolds.

Speaking before the show, Reynolds said the guests were: “A stellar line-up of teenage heroes.” He added that DMC had told the band it was the first time he had ever performed Run DMC classic ‘It’s Like That’ live. “He said he’d never played it live… did he not realise it was a mega smash hit?” said Reynolds. “He was going: ‘This sounds amazing live!’ He was so excited that we were playing that song.”


Wootton and Reynolds revealed that they’ve been working on a collaborative project since August, with a plan to release new music next year. “We’re taking different backgrounds and cultures and trying to push music forward,” said Wootton. “It’s a perfect time now with what’s going on in the world and everything else. Me and Jamie have great chemistry together and it’s really magical. It’s very fast. You think of great bands like The Smiths and it’s always fast. This has certainly been like that. Even being asked to play tonight, it feels like something’s bubbling.”

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As well as playing guitar with Gorillaz, Wootton has also played live with The Last Shadow Puppets, Beady Eye and Damon Albarn.

During the event, Mike D also spoke about the election of Donald Trump before playing ‘Sabotage’. “I got on a plane to come here and when I landed there was a President elected who’s fucked up,” he said. “I don’t know what to say, I’m sorry.”