Gorillaz: Questions
Creamfields, August 2001
How did the band first come about?
Russel: I first met Murdoc and 2D when I caught Murdoc trying to steal tunes from the bargain bin at the record store I was working in. Noodle turned up in a FedEx crate a couple of weeks later after we’d put some ads for a guitarist in the music press.
Murdoc: Yes, yes, yes, Russel, but don’t forget that it's my band!
What does it feel like to be the first-ever animated pop stars? Where did the idea come from?
Russel: The best comparison we can think of for being in a cartoon band is finding yourself sewn into the seat of William Hanna’s and Joe Barbera’s jogging pants on the day they invented The New Shmoo. A pretty wild ride.
So, what’s the website all about then?
Russel: It’s not what it’s about, it’s what it is! Our site isn’t just more pages of dry text farmed out for the sake of it, it’s a different experience for everybody who uses it. Gorillaz.com is just as much about what users put into it as what they get out of it, and there’s a hell of a lot to get out of it at that!
How did the band get together?
2D: It’s like what Russel said earlier. I’d known Murdoc for some time before that, I’d been involved in a ram-raiding hit-and-run type of incident that had left me in a coma and he was just standing over me when I regained consciousness a couple of months later in the Tesco's car park in Nottingham.
We’ve heard rumours of a TV series... any truth in it?
Russel: There’s a one-off special in the pipelines, but we’re not about to do no dumb-ass TV series. We’re the Gorillaz, not the goddamn Monkees.
Where did the name Gorillaz come from?
Murdoc: I dabbled with Satan’s Scrotum, Thor’s Roar, and my personal favourite was Number of the Beats.
2D: I thought The Punch-Ups was cool.
Russel: Fortunately, Noodle saved us in the nick of time just before our first gig.
Noodle: Gorillaz!
What do you think of manufactured bands like S Club 7?
Murdoc: Why does everyone ask us about children’s bands? Anyway, what does the S stand for again?
2D: Secret, isn't it!?
Murdoc: Secret? What kind of secret? Like, pervy sex scandals or sniffing thinners? Is that what they are all about? I should start paying more attention to them in that case.
You’re playing Creamfields UK, in Liverpool this August Bank Holiday. Have you ever been to Cream as punters?
Murdoc: Punting and Creamfields? This is all sounding a bit To the Manor Born, what is this? Am I talking to The Hunting and Field Sports Monthly Society pages? Well if it is, you can sod off, I’ve told you before that I’m not interested in you doing a shoot in my palatial country home. And another thing, if you try and connect me to Tara Palmer Thompkinson once more I’m gonna put an envelope full of crap on your front doorstep and set it on fire, alright? Let’s see how you look with a big ginger poop all over your handmade ginger brogues, you inbred ginger hair git!
Cream: it’s quintessential Liverpool. How do you think the crowd differs up north from say, down south?
Murdoc: I love a northern crowd, everybody’s there to get into it, no mucking about. Our London gigs are always crammed full of clucking media coke whores who’re too scared to be seen having a good time in case they don’t look cool.
2D: We’re going off to play in the Far East before we play Creamfields, I can’t wait to get out there. I’m going to buy every hi-tech thingy I can lay my hands on!
Russel: I’m looking forward to playing out west, and I don’t mean Bristol! Unless that’s Bristol Massachusetts, y’dig?
Is there anyone around at the moment that you would like to collaborate with?
Russel: I think Roots Manuva is going to do a mix of one of our tunes, he’s great. And I think Adam F’s new stuff is real good, it’d be cool to hook up with him too. British Hip-Hop is our country's great un-sung hero, everyone needs to pay attention to what’s going on in their own backyards. I’m up for working with all of them. Fill the stage, let's get an English Wu-Tang in the house. We’ve already got Murdoc, so that’s Dirty Ol’ Bastard covered!
Who are you looking forward to seeing when you play Creamfileds UK?
Murdoc: Creamfields, I dunno. Who else is playing? The best act this year was Black Sabbath at Oz Fest, no competition. I went to my first festival with my older brother Hannibal, he was a Skin and he took me to Reading to see the UK Subs and Sham 69. What he didn’t tell me was that he’d taken me so that he and all of his mates could give me a kicking because I was a rocker, the bastard. I only got to see Jimmy Percy spitting at a girl before I was knocked unconscious, so I couldn’t give you a review, but I’ll never forget that experience or the lesson it taught me; Never ever trust any fucking skinheads!
Russel: OK keep your wig on, Granddad. I’m sure clubbers up and down the land were hanging on your every word there!
2D: I’m going to find it hard to drag myself out of the Boutique Arena so if we’re late on stage, you know where I’ll be!
What made you choose Creamfields as your first festival gig?
2D: Easy, because it’s going to be wicked. We’ve had great support from the dance community. Seven Magazine have been right there for us, and Dancestar gave us an award for the Clint Eastwood video, so we wanted to give something back to everyone. Nice one, cheers, see you there!
Russel: I first met Murdoc and 2D when I caught Murdoc trying to steal tunes from the bargain bin at the record store I was working in. Noodle turned up in a FedEx crate a couple of weeks later after we’d put some ads for a guitarist in the music press.
Murdoc: Yes, yes, yes, Russel, but don’t forget that it's my band!
What does it feel like to be the first-ever animated pop stars? Where did the idea come from?
Russel: The best comparison we can think of for being in a cartoon band is finding yourself sewn into the seat of William Hanna’s and Joe Barbera’s jogging pants on the day they invented The New Shmoo. A pretty wild ride.
So, what’s the website all about then?
Russel: It’s not what it’s about, it’s what it is! Our site isn’t just more pages of dry text farmed out for the sake of it, it’s a different experience for everybody who uses it. Gorillaz.com is just as much about what users put into it as what they get out of it, and there’s a hell of a lot to get out of it at that!
How did the band get together?
2D: It’s like what Russel said earlier. I’d known Murdoc for some time before that, I’d been involved in a ram-raiding hit-and-run type of incident that had left me in a coma and he was just standing over me when I regained consciousness a couple of months later in the Tesco's car park in Nottingham.
We’ve heard rumours of a TV series... any truth in it?
Russel: There’s a one-off special in the pipelines, but we’re not about to do no dumb-ass TV series. We’re the Gorillaz, not the goddamn Monkees.
Where did the name Gorillaz come from?
Murdoc: I dabbled with Satan’s Scrotum, Thor’s Roar, and my personal favourite was Number of the Beats.
2D: I thought The Punch-Ups was cool.
Russel: Fortunately, Noodle saved us in the nick of time just before our first gig.
Noodle: Gorillaz!
What do you think of manufactured bands like S Club 7?
Murdoc: Why does everyone ask us about children’s bands? Anyway, what does the S stand for again?
2D: Secret, isn't it!?
Murdoc: Secret? What kind of secret? Like, pervy sex scandals or sniffing thinners? Is that what they are all about? I should start paying more attention to them in that case.
You’re playing Creamfields UK, in Liverpool this August Bank Holiday. Have you ever been to Cream as punters?
Murdoc: Punting and Creamfields? This is all sounding a bit To the Manor Born, what is this? Am I talking to The Hunting and Field Sports Monthly Society pages? Well if it is, you can sod off, I’ve told you before that I’m not interested in you doing a shoot in my palatial country home. And another thing, if you try and connect me to Tara Palmer Thompkinson once more I’m gonna put an envelope full of crap on your front doorstep and set it on fire, alright? Let’s see how you look with a big ginger poop all over your handmade ginger brogues, you inbred ginger hair git!
Cream: it’s quintessential Liverpool. How do you think the crowd differs up north from say, down south?
Murdoc: I love a northern crowd, everybody’s there to get into it, no mucking about. Our London gigs are always crammed full of clucking media coke whores who’re too scared to be seen having a good time in case they don’t look cool.
2D: We’re going off to play in the Far East before we play Creamfields, I can’t wait to get out there. I’m going to buy every hi-tech thingy I can lay my hands on!
Russel: I’m looking forward to playing out west, and I don’t mean Bristol! Unless that’s Bristol Massachusetts, y’dig?
Is there anyone around at the moment that you would like to collaborate with?
Russel: I think Roots Manuva is going to do a mix of one of our tunes, he’s great. And I think Adam F’s new stuff is real good, it’d be cool to hook up with him too. British Hip-Hop is our country's great un-sung hero, everyone needs to pay attention to what’s going on in their own backyards. I’m up for working with all of them. Fill the stage, let's get an English Wu-Tang in the house. We’ve already got Murdoc, so that’s Dirty Ol’ Bastard covered!
Who are you looking forward to seeing when you play Creamfileds UK?
Murdoc: Creamfields, I dunno. Who else is playing? The best act this year was Black Sabbath at Oz Fest, no competition. I went to my first festival with my older brother Hannibal, he was a Skin and he took me to Reading to see the UK Subs and Sham 69. What he didn’t tell me was that he’d taken me so that he and all of his mates could give me a kicking because I was a rocker, the bastard. I only got to see Jimmy Percy spitting at a girl before I was knocked unconscious, so I couldn’t give you a review, but I’ll never forget that experience or the lesson it taught me; Never ever trust any fucking skinheads!
Russel: OK keep your wig on, Granddad. I’m sure clubbers up and down the land were hanging on your every word there!
2D: I’m going to find it hard to drag myself out of the Boutique Arena so if we’re late on stage, you know where I’ll be!
What made you choose Creamfields as your first festival gig?
2D: Easy, because it’s going to be wicked. We’ve had great support from the dance community. Seven Magazine have been right there for us, and Dancestar gave us an award for the Clint Eastwood video, so we wanted to give something back to everyone. Nice one, cheers, see you there!