Gorillaz frontman Damon Albarn has been labeled a "diva" and a member of a "novelty group" by the rock band Uncle Acid And The Deadbeats, who allege that Albarn's complaints caused their set to be terminated early at the Roskilde Festival in Denmark.
The two bands were scheduled to perform on different stages at overlapping times. Gorillaz' set was slated to begin at 10 p.m. on the Orange Scene stage, while Uncle Acid And The Deadbeats were scheduled for 10:15 p.m. on the Lagune stage.
Uncle Acid And The Deadbeats stated that their performance was cut short after Albarn allegedly "threw a hissy fit" upon hearing their music. "Pop diva Damon Albarn of the novelty cartoon act Gorillaz threw a hissy fit while we played, threatened to storm off stage before finally getting our set shut down because we were 'too loud'," the band said in a statement. They further claimed their set lasted only 25 minutes before it was stopped, despite being within the festival's decibel limits and offering to lower their volume.
Festival organizers, however, attributed the disruption to weather conditions. A statement from the festival indicated that strong winds led to "a number of changes to today's programme" to ensure the best experience for attendees and artists. The interruption of Uncle Acid & The Deadbeats' show was attributed to "a combination of wind conditions and technical factors that affected the sound production."
Albarn has a history of public disagreements with other artists. During the 1990s Britpop era, a notable rivalry existed between Albarn's band Blur and Oasis, fronted by brothers Liam and Noel Gallagher. Noel Gallagher has claimed the feud began partly due to a personal entanglement, a claim Liam Gallagher has denied.
In a separate incident, James Blunt alleged that Albarn refused to be in a group photo with him during an appearance on The Jools Holland Show in 2007, citing Albarn's management instructing producers to keep the two apart.
More recently, in 2022, Albarn's comments about Taylor Swift's songwriting process, suggesting a distinction between writing and co-writing, led to public backlash. Swift responded directly on social media, asserting that she writes all her own songs. Albarn later apologized, stating his remarks were taken out of context and reduced to clickbait.
Albarn also faced criticism in 2025 after comments he made about Adele's music and perceived insecurity. Adele later stated she regretted working with him.
This incident at Roskilde adds to a pattern of public disputes involving the Gorillaz frontman.
The Daily Mail has contacted Damon Albarn's representatives for comment.