In it for the monkeys
The List, September 2001
Whisky gulpin’, Albarn baitin’, Mercury Prize stuffin’, America takin’, Zombie hip hop makin’, and finally... live performin’ dub punk toons. Is there no end to the talent bursting forth from Gorillaz?
What can we expect from the Gorillaz live experience?
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. While we’re the live band at the heart of the show, the projections, rap, and DJs have their roots in a more club-orientated tradition, but those are just the parts of the experience, the sum itself is something else. Something much more.
How does it feel to be captured for your own TV special? Will it be more in the spirit of the Elvis '68 Special or The Osmonds?
Russel: It’s just another round of interviews as far as I’m aware, we’re not about to make a The All New Adventures Of... type thing. The '68 Special was a comeback show so that’s hardly necessary, and it was in Aloha From Hawaii that Elvis was looking more than a little worse for wear if I remember correctly. I’m not aware that The Osmonds ever hit the spirits that heavily either, come to think of it. You must be getting them confused with the Partridge Family.
Who would be a quality choice of support act for Gorillaz?
Russel: We were supposed to play on the same bill as Afrika Bambaataa earlier this year, but I think the foot and mouth epidemic put a stop to that; that would have been pretty ideal though.
Murdoc: Balls to them, I’ll only settle for The Clash re-forming or The Specials, a bit of true class or nothing. The stage is my turf, and any DJ Jazzy Jizz. or MC Git Face is gonna get chopped down if they even dream of stepping foot on it.
Russel: We have DJs and rappers, Murdoc.
Murdoc: Oh, do shut up Russel, you’re such a nitpicker. Who cares about the details? I’m just building a vibe for the people, setting the scene and creating an atmosphere, man. Don’t forget that this is my band, my band.
What is zombie hip hop?
Russel: It’s the sound we makes.
Murdoc: ...Yeah, it’s the future.
Russel: Word!
Any chance of a nu metal twist from Gorillaz?
Murdoc: Now you're talking. Hail Satan!
Does the proliferation of manufactured bands like Hear’Say in the pop charts worry you?
Russel: Hardly a new phenomenon, is it? You could pick any chart from any week of any year and there would be any number of marketing-led, record and management company dross in there. What is worrying, as you point out, is their current proliferation. We're here to redress the balance.
Do you get a perverse thrill out of seeing your band nestling among these sinister corporate types in the charts?
Murdoc: Yeah, it’s Wikka man. I love nestling up against Britney or Hear’Say and rubbing them up the wrong way. I mean, who wouldn’t? In Europe it’s the same, we're topping the charts over there. They’re not so bloody bing-banga-bang and housey housey now, are they? Heh!
Are Gorillaz an attempt to subvert the charts/pop music?
Russel: To say that we are just attempting to subvert the charts or pop music would be to say that we are, in some way, not quite managing it, when I think it’s clear that we are dragging this and other areas of popular culture kicking and screaming out of its complacency.
Describe the contents of your average Gorillaz gig rider.
Murdoc: Headache pills for 2D, our walking brain tumour of a frontman, Polaroid film and Yo-yo’s for Noodle, and a couple of chickens; one for Russel to stuff in his face and another for me to sacrifice. Oh, and some sweets.
Any problems with groupies?
Murdoc: I’m sorry, I don’t follow. What could possibly be the problem with having nubile young women whose only wish is to see my sweaty leering face grimacing hideously close to theirs while I drool and wheeze two-week-old ciggy breath into their open, ecstatic mouths?
Russel: I’ve said it before and I'll say it again; I can’t warn all young women strongly enough to stay away from this sick individual.
Murdoc: Hahahahahahaha! No mere mortal can resist the evil of the Niccals.
Have you been hanging out with any celebrity pals?
Murdoc: I stood on stage at Ozzfest a few weeks back with some of the boys from Raging Speedhorn and Slipknot and watched 40,000 sunstroke victims beat the living shit out of each other.
Russel: Well, aren’t you the dashing socialite about town? Ozzfest or The Met Bar, oh the dilemma. I just can’t decide which shoes to wear.
Murdoc: Easy, Cuban-healed ‘Uncle Pete’ style ankle boots every time.
Other bands. What's the verdict on Belle & Sebastian?
Murdoc: Why them in particular? A personal favourite of yours?
Well, yes. What about Travis then? A pile of old shit or the saviours of pop?
Murdoc: Oh, I get it, it’s a Scottish thing. Travis aren’t either of those things really, and I can’t be bothered to come up with a category for them myself.
What’s your poison?
Murdoc: I’ve always thought that would be a good title for a TV game show. Contestants would be shown a medley of physical manifestations from various forms of poisoning, ranging from imbibing household products through the slurry of intoxicants - those available both legally and on the black market - then onto arsenic and the like. From this, they'd then have to guess the identity of the dosed-up celebrity guest behind the screen.
Given your fondness for Winnebagos, is this the band choice of on-tour transportation?
Murdoc: I don’t know how many of your readers will know about my Winnebago. It’s a bit of an internet nerd conspiracy story. I’ve had this old van for years, I always like to have a bed nearby at all times, just in case, y’know? Anyway, as a special gift to the fans and as a way of getting even more ladies passing through my sleeping quarters, I was persuaded to open up its doors online with a free key that came with every album. So, what happened? Some little hacker geek only takes it upon themselves to up and nick it. It’s taken me three months to get it back and in the meantime, the bloody thing has picked up masses of its own fans who regularly crash my e-mail with thousands of stories and drawings about their sad little fantasies involving my shag pad. Sorry, what was the question?
Have you seen 101 Reykjavik?
Murdoc: Isn’t that the bar owned by that scrounging bastard Albarn? I wouldn’t be seen dead in anything he has his name attached to. I’m sick to death with having to deal with questions about him. I only let him do some stuff with my band for the publicity, and now that I’ve got it, he sods off back to his footnote in musical history.
Give us your top five superheroes.
Murdoc: This is Russel’s territory, I can’t stand comics or cartoons - they’re for kids.
Russel: It’s true I like comics, but I’m not really into Superheroes per se. But if you're looking for classic super-powered madness, the Stan Lee-written Marvel titles of the 70s can’t be topped. Roger Ramjet is pretty damn cool too.
Give us your top five cocktails.
Russel: Likewise, this isn’t really my territory. Drunkenness isn’t my thing, ask Murdoc.
Murdoc: Cocktails are for poncey, media, coke-snorting, bullshit prats, aren’t they? I mean, what grown man is going to go out on a Friday night and seriously consider drinking something called a Woo Woo? I’ll stick with the single malt whiskies, if that’s all right with you.
What can we expect from the Gorillaz live experience?
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. While we’re the live band at the heart of the show, the projections, rap, and DJs have their roots in a more club-orientated tradition, but those are just the parts of the experience, the sum itself is something else. Something much more.
How does it feel to be captured for your own TV special? Will it be more in the spirit of the Elvis '68 Special or The Osmonds?
Russel: It’s just another round of interviews as far as I’m aware, we’re not about to make a The All New Adventures Of... type thing. The '68 Special was a comeback show so that’s hardly necessary, and it was in Aloha From Hawaii that Elvis was looking more than a little worse for wear if I remember correctly. I’m not aware that The Osmonds ever hit the spirits that heavily either, come to think of it. You must be getting them confused with the Partridge Family.
Who would be a quality choice of support act for Gorillaz?
Russel: We were supposed to play on the same bill as Afrika Bambaataa earlier this year, but I think the foot and mouth epidemic put a stop to that; that would have been pretty ideal though.
Murdoc: Balls to them, I’ll only settle for The Clash re-forming or The Specials, a bit of true class or nothing. The stage is my turf, and any DJ Jazzy Jizz. or MC Git Face is gonna get chopped down if they even dream of stepping foot on it.
Russel: We have DJs and rappers, Murdoc.
Murdoc: Oh, do shut up Russel, you’re such a nitpicker. Who cares about the details? I’m just building a vibe for the people, setting the scene and creating an atmosphere, man. Don’t forget that this is my band, my band.
What is zombie hip hop?
Russel: It’s the sound we makes.
Murdoc: ...Yeah, it’s the future.
Russel: Word!
Any chance of a nu metal twist from Gorillaz?
Murdoc: Now you're talking. Hail Satan!
Does the proliferation of manufactured bands like Hear’Say in the pop charts worry you?
Russel: Hardly a new phenomenon, is it? You could pick any chart from any week of any year and there would be any number of marketing-led, record and management company dross in there. What is worrying, as you point out, is their current proliferation. We're here to redress the balance.
Do you get a perverse thrill out of seeing your band nestling among these sinister corporate types in the charts?
Murdoc: Yeah, it’s Wikka man. I love nestling up against Britney or Hear’Say and rubbing them up the wrong way. I mean, who wouldn’t? In Europe it’s the same, we're topping the charts over there. They’re not so bloody bing-banga-bang and housey housey now, are they? Heh!
Are Gorillaz an attempt to subvert the charts/pop music?
Russel: To say that we are just attempting to subvert the charts or pop music would be to say that we are, in some way, not quite managing it, when I think it’s clear that we are dragging this and other areas of popular culture kicking and screaming out of its complacency.
Describe the contents of your average Gorillaz gig rider.
Murdoc: Headache pills for 2D, our walking brain tumour of a frontman, Polaroid film and Yo-yo’s for Noodle, and a couple of chickens; one for Russel to stuff in his face and another for me to sacrifice. Oh, and some sweets.
Any problems with groupies?
Murdoc: I’m sorry, I don’t follow. What could possibly be the problem with having nubile young women whose only wish is to see my sweaty leering face grimacing hideously close to theirs while I drool and wheeze two-week-old ciggy breath into their open, ecstatic mouths?
Russel: I’ve said it before and I'll say it again; I can’t warn all young women strongly enough to stay away from this sick individual.
Murdoc: Hahahahahahaha! No mere mortal can resist the evil of the Niccals.
Have you been hanging out with any celebrity pals?
Murdoc: I stood on stage at Ozzfest a few weeks back with some of the boys from Raging Speedhorn and Slipknot and watched 40,000 sunstroke victims beat the living shit out of each other.
Russel: Well, aren’t you the dashing socialite about town? Ozzfest or The Met Bar, oh the dilemma. I just can’t decide which shoes to wear.
Murdoc: Easy, Cuban-healed ‘Uncle Pete’ style ankle boots every time.
Other bands. What's the verdict on Belle & Sebastian?
Murdoc: Why them in particular? A personal favourite of yours?
Well, yes. What about Travis then? A pile of old shit or the saviours of pop?
Murdoc: Oh, I get it, it’s a Scottish thing. Travis aren’t either of those things really, and I can’t be bothered to come up with a category for them myself.
What’s your poison?
Murdoc: I’ve always thought that would be a good title for a TV game show. Contestants would be shown a medley of physical manifestations from various forms of poisoning, ranging from imbibing household products through the slurry of intoxicants - those available both legally and on the black market - then onto arsenic and the like. From this, they'd then have to guess the identity of the dosed-up celebrity guest behind the screen.
Given your fondness for Winnebagos, is this the band choice of on-tour transportation?
Murdoc: I don’t know how many of your readers will know about my Winnebago. It’s a bit of an internet nerd conspiracy story. I’ve had this old van for years, I always like to have a bed nearby at all times, just in case, y’know? Anyway, as a special gift to the fans and as a way of getting even more ladies passing through my sleeping quarters, I was persuaded to open up its doors online with a free key that came with every album. So, what happened? Some little hacker geek only takes it upon themselves to up and nick it. It’s taken me three months to get it back and in the meantime, the bloody thing has picked up masses of its own fans who regularly crash my e-mail with thousands of stories and drawings about their sad little fantasies involving my shag pad. Sorry, what was the question?
Have you seen 101 Reykjavik?
Murdoc: Isn’t that the bar owned by that scrounging bastard Albarn? I wouldn’t be seen dead in anything he has his name attached to. I’m sick to death with having to deal with questions about him. I only let him do some stuff with my band for the publicity, and now that I’ve got it, he sods off back to his footnote in musical history.
Give us your top five superheroes.
Murdoc: This is Russel’s territory, I can’t stand comics or cartoons - they’re for kids.
Russel: It’s true I like comics, but I’m not really into Superheroes per se. But if you're looking for classic super-powered madness, the Stan Lee-written Marvel titles of the 70s can’t be topped. Roger Ramjet is pretty damn cool too.
Give us your top five cocktails.
Russel: Likewise, this isn’t really my territory. Drunkenness isn’t my thing, ask Murdoc.
Murdoc: Cocktails are for poncey, media, coke-snorting, bullshit prats, aren’t they? I mean, what grown man is going to go out on a Friday night and seriously consider drinking something called a Woo Woo? I’ll stick with the single malt whiskies, if that’s all right with you.