Gnarls Barkley’s first tour in 18 years will feature CeeLo Green without Danger Mouse. The promoter’s announcement now discloses the producer’s absence.
Announced in September following the release of Atlanta, the duo’s third and final album, the To Whom It Still Concerns tour opens its North American run on November 5 in San Francisco.
A CeeLo Green-led tour
A September 22 statement said the concerts had been conceived as a Green-led tour from the outset and that Danger Mouse had never been scheduled to take part.
Green later addressed his collaborator’s absence on social media. Revised promotional artwork identifies the shows as “CeeLo Green performing Gnarls Barkley”.
The billing specifies who will perform the duo’s repertoire. Green provides the vocals, including on “Crazy,” while Danger Mouse’s role in the partnership is production.
Band names across changing lineups
Other groups have retained their names through personnel changes, including departures and deaths. Their histories also illustrate how founding members can differ from those most closely associated with a band.
- Lynyrd Skynyrd returned in 1987 for a tribute tour with Johnny Van Zant, younger brother of Ronnie Van Zant, on vocals. The group subsequently continued and recorded new music.
- The Temptations’ founding lineup included Elbridge “Al” Bryant. David Ruffin, whose vocals many listeners associate with the group, joined later.
Cryptic concert promotion
Gnarls Barkley’s announcement follows a lengthy touring hiatus. Its revised billing makes the participating performer explicit alongside the project’s name.
Cryptic promotion has also accompanied music releases. Arcade Fire’s 2013 campaign for Reflektor included graffiti appearing around the world before the single’s release.
The imagery included “9/9/9”, referring to September 9 at 9 p.m., and a geometric grid bearing the word “Reflektor”. In the following months, the band appeared alongside those images on broadcasts including Saturday Night Live.
