Gorillaz Interview
Scottish Herald, July 2001
Shadowy pop Svengalis tend to be quick to pick up on the next big thing, do you think we'll see some Gorillaz rip-offs within the next few months?
2D: Did you mention Showaddywaddy? Me and Russel were watching Do You Remember 1977 the other night, and…
Murdoc: How many times do you have to be asked if you remember, Slade? The '70s, the '60s, the '80s? Even Noddy Holder must have had enough. What’s next? I don’t remember what I did five minutes ago, hosted by Danniella Westbrook.
Russel: That tune Punk that you said you wrote sure sounds like Hey Rock 'n' Roll though, Muds!
Are you here to save music or destroy it?
Russel: We’re just here to make music. If we destroy marketing-led candy ass pop on the way, so be it.
Why aren't you on the Planet of the Apes soundtrack?
Murdoc: That is the exact same question I’ve been asking our publishing company. Y’know, you’d have thought somebody would have put two and two together somewhere along the way, but what do I know? I’m just a humble genius wading knee-deep through a slurry of retards.
Russel: Somebody help the poor man before he collapses under the burden of his own brilliance, hehehe!
Murdoc: Shutit, Russ! You sound just like Fozzie Bear when you laugh, idiot!
Russel: And who are you then, Fozzy Osbourne?
Do you find making videos boring?
2D: No, it’s ace. There’s lots of waiting around, but you get to meet co-stars. The ones on 19-2000 were really nice, although Murdoc managed to upset them all!
Murdoc: Upset them!? Did you see what those goddamn primates did to my goolies?
How does the live experience work?
Russel: Our shows work on a lot of levels, obviously, we aim to give a liver-quivering audio adventure but we don’t stop there. We’re developing a visual presentation that isn’t simply the standard four faceless dullards banging through their barely discernible repertoire. It’s a culmination of genres that’s in line with our diverse musical influences.
You're playing Creamfields in August: are you looking forward to it?
Murdoc: I just love playing live though, y’know? The stage is my turf, and if any mother steps on there while I’m in control then I’m gonna chop them down!
How do you deal with the groupies?
2D: It’s not important to me, in fact, I don’t ever think about stuff like that because it’s not real, is it?
Murdoc: What he fails to mention here is that he doesn’t actually think about anything at all, if you get close up to him you could suffer permanent Pete Townsend-ear from the level of white noise that his downer-fueled brain emits.
How did 2D and Murdoc meet?
Murdoc: I saved his life and he owes me his soul!
Is 2D related to Massive Attack's 3D? Or just a flatmate?
2D: Ha, nice one! Flatmate, I get it! Brilliant!
Do you think pop music has become too gimmicky?
Murdoc: There’s nothing wrong with a gimmick as long as your music has some substance to back it up. There’s nothing worse than a one-trick pony with a floppy hairdo and a dance routine who thinks the sun shines out their arse, but have sweet F.A. to offer and wants the world for it.
How do you think 2D will feel when his looks start to fade? I mean, look at Jason Donovan.
Murdoc: I never liked looking at Jason Donovan, so I fail to see your point.
Do you get recognized down the supermarket?
2D: I don’t like supermarkets, the air conditioning gives me a funny turn. The bloke from the corner store knows me by name. If I haven’t got any cash on me he’ll let me pay later, he knows I’m good for it.
Murdoc: Is that it? You’re given your fifteen minutes and all you can talk about or do with it is mention you get your smokes on a tab from Uncle Knobby's pervy mag store. Imagination, soul, stamina, work, and good music are what people need. This is our time. This is your time. Don’t let it pass you by.
2D: Calm down, we were only talking about shopping, Murdoc.
Would you let Spike Jonze make your next video?
Russel: I’ve always liked his stuff, the clips that he did for Dinosaur Jr., Bjork, Fatboy Slim, Daft Punk, and others are seminal but I think it's time for some new blood.
What are your musical influences?
Murdoc: You want to know who springs to mind when I’m on the job, so to speak. Lou Reed always asks, “What would Andy have said?” supposedly, although that’s a bit redundant as Andy would only have said “Gee” or “Great”. Anyway, I digress. I have a fantasy hybrid in mind at all times, a cross between Augustus Pablo, Mary Millington, Chuck Jones, and Terry Hall. Our band is like the Clash down Sesame Street with a bag of pink whiz, don’t you think?
How is the band going down in Japan?
Russel: We’re going to have a better idea when we play there at the beginning of August. I think Noodle is pretty excited about playing for her hometown audience in Osaka.
Could you take Liam?
Murdoc: That’s not of any relevance to anything that we do. He has to have one of the all-time classic English rock and pop voices, but he’s just not had the material lately.
Could you take America?
Murdoc: America is the home of Rock 'n' Roll and now Hip-Hop, so it’s like a second spiritual home to me, y’know? Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, the wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me. I lift my lamp beside the golden door! I’m the biggest lamp lifter I know, so I can relate to that and I’m glad that they relate to us too! Hail Satan and God bless America!
Who ate all the bananas?
Russel: By the way Murdoc’s crapping on, I think you could take an educated guess!
Would you ever cash in on a musical fad by producing, say, a garage remix?
Russel: Excuse me if I’m missing something, but Hip-Hop, Rock, and Pop from my home country proliferate the charts here, right? So what happens when anything originates from your own shores? The press want to destroy it. I mean, will Craig David have to break America before he wins an award here?
Is yours the real jungle music?
Russel: Are you going to be asking me if I’m the “King of the Swingers” next? You need to raise your game!
Complete this sentence: Thom Yorke is s…
2D: Thom Yorke is slightly lop-sided.
2D: Did you mention Showaddywaddy? Me and Russel were watching Do You Remember 1977 the other night, and…
Murdoc: How many times do you have to be asked if you remember, Slade? The '70s, the '60s, the '80s? Even Noddy Holder must have had enough. What’s next? I don’t remember what I did five minutes ago, hosted by Danniella Westbrook.
Russel: That tune Punk that you said you wrote sure sounds like Hey Rock 'n' Roll though, Muds!
Are you here to save music or destroy it?
Russel: We’re just here to make music. If we destroy marketing-led candy ass pop on the way, so be it.
Why aren't you on the Planet of the Apes soundtrack?
Murdoc: That is the exact same question I’ve been asking our publishing company. Y’know, you’d have thought somebody would have put two and two together somewhere along the way, but what do I know? I’m just a humble genius wading knee-deep through a slurry of retards.
Russel: Somebody help the poor man before he collapses under the burden of his own brilliance, hehehe!
Murdoc: Shutit, Russ! You sound just like Fozzie Bear when you laugh, idiot!
Russel: And who are you then, Fozzy Osbourne?
Do you find making videos boring?
2D: No, it’s ace. There’s lots of waiting around, but you get to meet co-stars. The ones on 19-2000 were really nice, although Murdoc managed to upset them all!
Murdoc: Upset them!? Did you see what those goddamn primates did to my goolies?
How does the live experience work?
Russel: Our shows work on a lot of levels, obviously, we aim to give a liver-quivering audio adventure but we don’t stop there. We’re developing a visual presentation that isn’t simply the standard four faceless dullards banging through their barely discernible repertoire. It’s a culmination of genres that’s in line with our diverse musical influences.
You're playing Creamfields in August: are you looking forward to it?
Murdoc: I just love playing live though, y’know? The stage is my turf, and if any mother steps on there while I’m in control then I’m gonna chop them down!
How do you deal with the groupies?
2D: It’s not important to me, in fact, I don’t ever think about stuff like that because it’s not real, is it?
Murdoc: What he fails to mention here is that he doesn’t actually think about anything at all, if you get close up to him you could suffer permanent Pete Townsend-ear from the level of white noise that his downer-fueled brain emits.
How did 2D and Murdoc meet?
Murdoc: I saved his life and he owes me his soul!
Is 2D related to Massive Attack's 3D? Or just a flatmate?
2D: Ha, nice one! Flatmate, I get it! Brilliant!
Do you think pop music has become too gimmicky?
Murdoc: There’s nothing wrong with a gimmick as long as your music has some substance to back it up. There’s nothing worse than a one-trick pony with a floppy hairdo and a dance routine who thinks the sun shines out their arse, but have sweet F.A. to offer and wants the world for it.
How do you think 2D will feel when his looks start to fade? I mean, look at Jason Donovan.
Murdoc: I never liked looking at Jason Donovan, so I fail to see your point.
Do you get recognized down the supermarket?
2D: I don’t like supermarkets, the air conditioning gives me a funny turn. The bloke from the corner store knows me by name. If I haven’t got any cash on me he’ll let me pay later, he knows I’m good for it.
Murdoc: Is that it? You’re given your fifteen minutes and all you can talk about or do with it is mention you get your smokes on a tab from Uncle Knobby's pervy mag store. Imagination, soul, stamina, work, and good music are what people need. This is our time. This is your time. Don’t let it pass you by.
2D: Calm down, we were only talking about shopping, Murdoc.
Would you let Spike Jonze make your next video?
Russel: I’ve always liked his stuff, the clips that he did for Dinosaur Jr., Bjork, Fatboy Slim, Daft Punk, and others are seminal but I think it's time for some new blood.
What are your musical influences?
Murdoc: You want to know who springs to mind when I’m on the job, so to speak. Lou Reed always asks, “What would Andy have said?” supposedly, although that’s a bit redundant as Andy would only have said “Gee” or “Great”. Anyway, I digress. I have a fantasy hybrid in mind at all times, a cross between Augustus Pablo, Mary Millington, Chuck Jones, and Terry Hall. Our band is like the Clash down Sesame Street with a bag of pink whiz, don’t you think?
How is the band going down in Japan?
Russel: We’re going to have a better idea when we play there at the beginning of August. I think Noodle is pretty excited about playing for her hometown audience in Osaka.
Could you take Liam?
Murdoc: That’s not of any relevance to anything that we do. He has to have one of the all-time classic English rock and pop voices, but he’s just not had the material lately.
Could you take America?
Murdoc: America is the home of Rock 'n' Roll and now Hip-Hop, so it’s like a second spiritual home to me, y’know? Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, the wretched refuse of your teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me. I lift my lamp beside the golden door! I’m the biggest lamp lifter I know, so I can relate to that and I’m glad that they relate to us too! Hail Satan and God bless America!
Who ate all the bananas?
Russel: By the way Murdoc’s crapping on, I think you could take an educated guess!
Would you ever cash in on a musical fad by producing, say, a garage remix?
Russel: Excuse me if I’m missing something, but Hip-Hop, Rock, and Pop from my home country proliferate the charts here, right? So what happens when anything originates from your own shores? The press want to destroy it. I mean, will Craig David have to break America before he wins an award here?
Is yours the real jungle music?
Russel: Are you going to be asking me if I’m the “King of the Swingers” next? You need to raise your game!
Complete this sentence: Thom Yorke is s…
2D: Thom Yorke is slightly lop-sided.