Gorillaz: 'Blur? Our tribute band'
NME, May 2009
With band documentary Bananaz out June 1, bassist Murdoc chats Damon, N-Dubz and pants
NME: Hi Murdoc, how would you describe the state of your band at the moment?
Murdoc: “Look. Everyone knows there’s kinda two ‘versions’ of Gorillaz. There’s the real Gorillaz. That’s me, Russel, Noodle and 2D... ‘the band’, right? The award-winning, multi-million-selling ‘sunk in formaldehyde’ cartoon globetrotters, who do stuff like ground-smashing videos and gigs performing as 50-foot, spine-tingling apparitions.
“Then there’s this other bunch. The ‘human’ front for my cartoon band. The stinky flesh and blood Damon Essex and comick (sic) artist ‘Jamie Hewlett’-based one, who apparently put ‘Gorillaz’ together behind my back. Pfffft! Yeah, right. Outrageous!”
OK... and what’s this documentary?
“So this guy Ceri, a mate of Albarn’s no less, took a massive NINE years out of his stupid life to document in full gory detail what they say is the behind-the-scenes creation of Gorillaz. Brown-noser. It’s just a liberty, really. It just looks like a lost weekend that lasted six years or more - Ferris Bueller’s Big Night Out Featuring Albarn And Hewlett. Out now!
“And for that alone I guess it’s, well, ‘special’. There’s an entire menagerie of deranged ‘caught on camera’ crap. Bananaz is just an A-Z of idiocy, start to finish. My favourite bits? Damon Albarn, barking orders from the toilet with his pants around his ankles, is one image seared into my retinas. Riveting!”
How are the Syrian sessions going?
“Yeah, I’ve been scooting all around the world again, grabbing bits and pieces of the big, dirty sonic jigsaw to make a third ’Rillaz-style bad-boy soundtrack. I’ve commandeered the talents of some very, VERY special cats this time. Not just like N-Dubz or something, I mean some real old school talents. It’s all sounding great. It’s even got a donk on it! ’Im not going to tell you any more. It’s still in the oven, but as soon as this baby’s cooked I’m sure you'll smell it a mile off... yeah, baby.”
There’s this band, Blur, who seem to be mimicking Gorillaz’ vocal delivery. Are you aware of these charlatans? Will you be going to see them at Hyde Park?
“Oh yeah, the Blur issue. Gorillaz have been haunted by this black cloud since the start. Is Damon 2D or not 2D? That is the question. Well, he ain’t, he just sounds similar. He obviously saw 2D’s sparkly talent when he first heard it and pinched it. It’s more like a tribute to 2D, really.
“I'll tell you something you can stick in your filthy rag. It’s actually all that Cool Britannia rubbish that trumpeted in this government of scammers, swindlers, cheats and mealy-mouthed, war-mongering tosspots holding office today. Y’know?
“To their credit, I think the Blur band were one of the few people who caught on to that early and slipped out the back door. The rest of that Britpop ’90s rubbish seemed like a kids’ TV show on crack. All that stuff, it just lead to that self-serving disaster we're in now. Sweet Satan! You're telling me they didn’t see this coming? Check the accounts, love. They’re all at it and have been for years.
“Blur’s debacle in Hyde Park’s book-ending a lot of that period. As a rallying call for England, it’s more like they’re having one last look around the place before locking up and closing it down for good! Just like that Walthamstow dog place. The country’s gone to the dogs and now the track’s closing down.
“Nope, Rule Britannia and all that, mate, but I think it’s time to skip this country before someone pulls the plugs on the place bigtime. ‘Syria later’. I left ages ago. I’ve gone where even Google can’t find me. But I’ll be back in touch though. Gorillaz is working on something that'll blow all this mess and debris right out the water, big-styleee...”
NME: Hi Murdoc, how would you describe the state of your band at the moment?
Murdoc: “Look. Everyone knows there’s kinda two ‘versions’ of Gorillaz. There’s the real Gorillaz. That’s me, Russel, Noodle and 2D... ‘the band’, right? The award-winning, multi-million-selling ‘sunk in formaldehyde’ cartoon globetrotters, who do stuff like ground-smashing videos and gigs performing as 50-foot, spine-tingling apparitions.
“Then there’s this other bunch. The ‘human’ front for my cartoon band. The stinky flesh and blood Damon Essex and comick (sic) artist ‘Jamie Hewlett’-based one, who apparently put ‘Gorillaz’ together behind my back. Pfffft! Yeah, right. Outrageous!”
OK... and what’s this documentary?
“So this guy Ceri, a mate of Albarn’s no less, took a massive NINE years out of his stupid life to document in full gory detail what they say is the behind-the-scenes creation of Gorillaz. Brown-noser. It’s just a liberty, really. It just looks like a lost weekend that lasted six years or more - Ferris Bueller’s Big Night Out Featuring Albarn And Hewlett. Out now!
“And for that alone I guess it’s, well, ‘special’. There’s an entire menagerie of deranged ‘caught on camera’ crap. Bananaz is just an A-Z of idiocy, start to finish. My favourite bits? Damon Albarn, barking orders from the toilet with his pants around his ankles, is one image seared into my retinas. Riveting!”
How are the Syrian sessions going?
“Yeah, I’ve been scooting all around the world again, grabbing bits and pieces of the big, dirty sonic jigsaw to make a third ’Rillaz-style bad-boy soundtrack. I’ve commandeered the talents of some very, VERY special cats this time. Not just like N-Dubz or something, I mean some real old school talents. It’s all sounding great. It’s even got a donk on it! ’Im not going to tell you any more. It’s still in the oven, but as soon as this baby’s cooked I’m sure you'll smell it a mile off... yeah, baby.”
There’s this band, Blur, who seem to be mimicking Gorillaz’ vocal delivery. Are you aware of these charlatans? Will you be going to see them at Hyde Park?
“Oh yeah, the Blur issue. Gorillaz have been haunted by this black cloud since the start. Is Damon 2D or not 2D? That is the question. Well, he ain’t, he just sounds similar. He obviously saw 2D’s sparkly talent when he first heard it and pinched it. It’s more like a tribute to 2D, really.
“I'll tell you something you can stick in your filthy rag. It’s actually all that Cool Britannia rubbish that trumpeted in this government of scammers, swindlers, cheats and mealy-mouthed, war-mongering tosspots holding office today. Y’know?
“To their credit, I think the Blur band were one of the few people who caught on to that early and slipped out the back door. The rest of that Britpop ’90s rubbish seemed like a kids’ TV show on crack. All that stuff, it just lead to that self-serving disaster we're in now. Sweet Satan! You're telling me they didn’t see this coming? Check the accounts, love. They’re all at it and have been for years.
“Blur’s debacle in Hyde Park’s book-ending a lot of that period. As a rallying call for England, it’s more like they’re having one last look around the place before locking up and closing it down for good! Just like that Walthamstow dog place. The country’s gone to the dogs and now the track’s closing down.
“Nope, Rule Britannia and all that, mate, but I think it’s time to skip this country before someone pulls the plugs on the place bigtime. ‘Syria later’. I left ages ago. I’ve gone where even Google can’t find me. But I’ll be back in touch though. Gorillaz is working on something that'll blow all this mess and debris right out the water, big-styleee...”