Features

Gorillaz is a multi-national virtual hip-hop group comprising four fictional characters - Murdoc (bass), 2D (vocals/keyboards), Russel (drums) and Noodle (guitar).

It started out as a side project of Blur's lead singer Damon Albarn, who with the help of producer Dan "The Automator" Nakamura and the cartoonist Jamie Hewlett (creator of the cult Tank Girl) produced a cartoon band with a genre-splitting art pop sound!

Albarn assumes the role (aka voice) of 2D, the animated lead singer of a pack of four misfits, but according to the fictional biography, the band was actually put together by the Satan-worshipping bassist Murdoc.

Now, you'd think that would mean (him being 'virtual') that he could never be interviewed. But how wrong you are!
In January 2009, Radio 1 dj Mark Lamacq and his special guest Damon Albarn were interrupted during their show by a snarling crazy man - Murdoc himself.
To hear the interview, click on the link in the top right-hand corner of this page.

Number of the Beast

Murdoc, it's said, was born in Stoke-on-Trent on June 6th 1966 (that's FOUR 6's... one more 6 than the number of the beast! No wonder he's in league with the devil... Gulp!)

He has green crooked teeth, has personal hygiene problems, loves to vent his rotten spleen and dominate interviews, and he also used to set fire to cats, apparently.

We thought it only fair to send along our reporter Jim Salveson, to investigate...

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“He’s in the back” shouts the burly landlord with the expected gruffness you would imagine from a man who spends his life in a room that I am amazed people can occupy without industrial breathing equipment. 

I trot over to the door, staring at the peeling brown paint and this sign that reads ‘lung’ (I'm sure it once read Lounge but Lung seems strangely appropriate). I stop. Just a single bit of wood separated me and one of the greatest cartoon characters of all time. 

Who could it be? Bugs Bunny? Mickey Mouse? Charlie the Cat from those annoying child safety videos? No. I was about to come face to face with cartoon musical genius Murdoc from animated monkey band the Gorillaz.

Having acclimatised to Murdoc's particular choice of boozer I sit down and talk to the great man himself. It's hard to think it was this crazy foul smelling bassist's bad driving that kick started the Gorillaz into life. He assures me that it was pure accident that saw his car plough through the window of the shop in which future front man 2D worked – almost erasing the pair in the process.

Over the next 7 hours in his company the badly drawn man spouts conspiracy theories galore, talks of his love for the dark master and described, rather too graphically, why his 18 months spent in a Mexican prison after the phenomenal success of debut album The Gorillaz, persuaded him (along with a rather large cheque from EMI) to come up with the band's second album.

It becomes clear to me after a few ‘bonding altercations’ involving the words “journalist low life”, “bottom feeder” and “expense account” that the man with the battered bass in front of me is the main driving force behind the band. 

This becomes even clearer as he boasts of his hobby of punching lead singer 2D and his huge confidence about his as-yet-unfinished solo side project death metal album, on which he hopes to enlist the vocal efforts of Satan himself.

As I become immune to his rotten aroma and less repulsed by his views, I begin to feel that a connection has been made and I broach a delicate subject that has been nagging away at the corner of my mind. 

Egged on by the large quantity of un-pronounceable and un-drinkable substances that are now swarming around my intestines I ask if the rumours were true? Had his voice, in the past, been over dubbed by Dead Ringers and Stella Street star Phil Cornwell…

The doctors say it may be some time before I have full movement back in both legs.

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N.B. No Jims were harmed in the research of this article

FACTS:

• When single ‘Clint Eastwood’ hit the top 5 in 2001, Murdoc thanked his fans by including a key to his Winnebago in limited addition albums. Someone then stole it!
• He was born in Stoke-on-Trent on the 6th June 1966 - (6/6/66)
• His musical influences include Sabbath, Dub, J Andrew Anderson and Dennis Wilson

WEBSITES: (paste link into your browser)

http://www.gorillaz.com - Official site! Get lost at Kong Studios.

http://fans.gorillaz.com - Find out what the fans think of the latest Gorillaz offering

http://www.gorillaz-unofficial.com – Discographies, Reviews, Lyrics, Tabs and more