Interview With The Gorillaz
Figures.Com, April 2002
A Figures.com Exclusive Interview with the group itself!
Meeting the animated characters for one-on-one question and answer session was physically impossible. Talking to them over the phone was also out of the question. But chatting with cartoon rock stars Gorillaz via e-mail was completely feasible. With the help of band publicist Lisbeth Cassaday (Hi, Lisbeth!), the following discussion took place in cyberspace. Gorillaz vocalist 2D, bass guitarist Murdoc, and drummer Russel (lead guitarist Noodle wasn't available) speak about their forthcoming line of Art Asylum action figures, their movie, and -- of course -- monkeys.
Figures.Com: You have your first line of action figures coming out this year. Will they have any special features, like kung-fu grips or rocket launchers?
Murdoc: I've been avoiding talking about this like the black plague, if I can be perfectly honest with you. I mean, it's hardly very rock 'n' roll, is it? You never heard Motley Crue banging on about their toys, did you? I'll come clean, though, I've got a few dolls, y'know. The KISS ones (by McFarlane Toys) were alright, I even had a little wheelchair made for my little plastic Peter Criss so that he could make it to his (drum) kit easier. I've got this other doll that has loads of "Special Features," it can please me with its satisfying penetrating suction mouth of love, sensuous soft luscious lips, quivering velvet-touch tongue or inviting deep throat! It also has a special vibrating love grip pleasure hand.
Figs: If your action figures and a bunch of "Star Wars" action figures got in a fight, who would win?
2D: It depends who owned them. If the person with the 'Star Wars' figures had a sledgehammer, some petrol, and matches or something, then they'd win, I can tell you this much!
Murdoc: A'right, Einstein, we get the point!
Russel: My figure ain't about fighting! Such toys teach children to accept a militarised world. They teach children that people who look or think differently should be defeated and that war and killing are acceptable ways of dealing with conflict. They create the impression that might is right, and in doing so, denigrate kindness, conciliation, co-operation, skill, and thoughtfulness toward others.
Murdoc: Too right, your figure isn't about fighting! You're a big man, but you're out of shape! You feeling a bit right on today, Russ? I don't envy the interviewer's job. There's nothing worse than Russel with a political correctness beef in his bonnet. Makes for a good laugh from my point of view, though. Nothing funnier than an over educated Hip Hopper laying down the law.
Figs: Do you collect toys or any sort of memorabilia?
2D: I bought the complete set of the 'Seven Samurai' action figures when we played in New York. I've also got a jar full of my old toenails; it really stinks.
Figs: If human entertainers are eventually replaced by cartoons, what do you foresee replacing cartoons? Monkeys?
2D: What do monkeys have to do with anything?
Murdoc: Oh I dunno, about as much as toenails at a guess.
Figs: Will the world eventually be taken over by monkeys, like in "Planet of the Apes"? If so, is that a good or bad thing? Discuss.
Russel: I'm afraid you're missing the point! It's already happened, after the extinction of dinosaurs the planet was indeed taken over by apes: Us. (Pierre Boulle's original French novel) LA PLANETE DES SINGES has more in common with the social commentary of Jonathan Swift and the scientific pessimism of H. G. Wells than any of the other science fiction published in the early '60s. Boulle's themes deal with the human pretension of believing that we are at the centre of the universe and with the nature of intelligence. The apes in the book are simply humans in disguise, with human foibles and fears. It's also an amazingly chilling satire: At the same time as you're laughing at the apes' pompous statements that they are the only creatures with souls, you realise that we've heard these statements before from our own theologians and philosophers.
Murdoc: Told you. Go on Russ, lets see who else you can bore!
Figs: Supposedly if you put 100 monkeys at 100 typewriters for 100 years, one of them will type a Shakespeare play. Do you blame the current state of popular music on monkeys secretly being employed to write songs? Or are the problems associated with "Nu metal" and teen pop actually due to "Lack Of Monkeys"?
Russel: It's an infinite amount of monkeys at an infinite amount of typewriters and the play they'd come up with is Hamlet . Like Douglas Adams wrote in his book The Hitchhikers' Guide to the Galaxy , "There's an infinite number of monkeys outside who want to talk to us about this script for Hamlet they've worked out." This joke is no more ridiculous than the initial concept itself as the universe is not infinite, but what this underlines is that Shakespeare's work could not come into creation without the intervention of the artist's intelligence. This has lead some people to come to the conclusion that as Shakespeare's birth within a finite universe is just as unlikely and random a possibility, then this itself is proof for a creative intelligence behind the universe. As to your second point, I blame the current state of world affairs on the monkeys that we have put in charge. In contrast with this madness, "Nu Metal" and pop pale in comparison.
Murdoc: I'd give up with the funnies if I were you. Nobody's listening to either of you.
2D: Yeah, and the monkeys. I really don't know what anyone's going on about now.
Figs: Will the members of Gorillaz ever pursue solo careers? If so, what would each of you like to do outside of the band?
Murdoc: I of course am the only person in the band who stands a fart's chance in hell of making it on the outside. Be it in metal, rock or new jack swing, the world is my instrument waiting for me to be ready to play. I'm not blowing my own trumpet, as there's an orderly queue waiting to do that for me.
Figs: Are you folks going to do a movie? And if you had to cast humans to portray you, who would each of you choose?
Murdoc: Yep, we've started work on a script. It's got the working title of "The Celebrity Harvest." There's no one out there who could play me unless of course we did it like our live show with the actors behind the screen. Then I guess Gene Hackman would fit the bill, or Pacino.
Figs: Will you ever release Gorillaz comic books? Please?
Murdoc: When it's time to flog us like a dead horse who knows what level of dross we'll authorise? Until then, we'll keep on with the records. Oh, and the movie, not forgetting the toys, of course.
Figs: When will you be back on tour in America?
Russel: We don't have any plans to at the moment but as soon as we do we won't be keeping it secret. We're thinking about playing Russia next.
Figs: I really enjoyed your concert here in Seattle. Got any fond memories of Seattle?
Russel: I think it was in Seattle that an interviewer remarked to me that neither Napoleon nor (the German synthesizer band) Kraftwerk ever pretended to be monkeys. What is it with you guys and simians?
Murdoc: He's off again. Who rattled your cage, Kong boy?
Figs: Finally, is there any credo or manifesto which guides the band?
2D: I've got the first edition Greedo figure. That's the sort of thing you're interested in, isn't it? Oh and monkeys, I nearly forgot. Well, I've got a one of (Monkees guitarist) Mike Nesmith's original green woolly hats, too. Cool or what!?
Meeting the animated characters for one-on-one question and answer session was physically impossible. Talking to them over the phone was also out of the question. But chatting with cartoon rock stars Gorillaz via e-mail was completely feasible. With the help of band publicist Lisbeth Cassaday (Hi, Lisbeth!), the following discussion took place in cyberspace. Gorillaz vocalist 2D, bass guitarist Murdoc, and drummer Russel (lead guitarist Noodle wasn't available) speak about their forthcoming line of Art Asylum action figures, their movie, and -- of course -- monkeys.
Figures.Com: You have your first line of action figures coming out this year. Will they have any special features, like kung-fu grips or rocket launchers?
Murdoc: I've been avoiding talking about this like the black plague, if I can be perfectly honest with you. I mean, it's hardly very rock 'n' roll, is it? You never heard Motley Crue banging on about their toys, did you? I'll come clean, though, I've got a few dolls, y'know. The KISS ones (by McFarlane Toys) were alright, I even had a little wheelchair made for my little plastic Peter Criss so that he could make it to his (drum) kit easier. I've got this other doll that has loads of "Special Features," it can please me with its satisfying penetrating suction mouth of love, sensuous soft luscious lips, quivering velvet-touch tongue or inviting deep throat! It also has a special vibrating love grip pleasure hand.
Figs: If your action figures and a bunch of "Star Wars" action figures got in a fight, who would win?
2D: It depends who owned them. If the person with the 'Star Wars' figures had a sledgehammer, some petrol, and matches or something, then they'd win, I can tell you this much!
Murdoc: A'right, Einstein, we get the point!
Russel: My figure ain't about fighting! Such toys teach children to accept a militarised world. They teach children that people who look or think differently should be defeated and that war and killing are acceptable ways of dealing with conflict. They create the impression that might is right, and in doing so, denigrate kindness, conciliation, co-operation, skill, and thoughtfulness toward others.
Murdoc: Too right, your figure isn't about fighting! You're a big man, but you're out of shape! You feeling a bit right on today, Russ? I don't envy the interviewer's job. There's nothing worse than Russel with a political correctness beef in his bonnet. Makes for a good laugh from my point of view, though. Nothing funnier than an over educated Hip Hopper laying down the law.
Figs: Do you collect toys or any sort of memorabilia?
2D: I bought the complete set of the 'Seven Samurai' action figures when we played in New York. I've also got a jar full of my old toenails; it really stinks.
Figs: If human entertainers are eventually replaced by cartoons, what do you foresee replacing cartoons? Monkeys?
2D: What do monkeys have to do with anything?
Murdoc: Oh I dunno, about as much as toenails at a guess.
Figs: Will the world eventually be taken over by monkeys, like in "Planet of the Apes"? If so, is that a good or bad thing? Discuss.
Russel: I'm afraid you're missing the point! It's already happened, after the extinction of dinosaurs the planet was indeed taken over by apes: Us. (Pierre Boulle's original French novel) LA PLANETE DES SINGES has more in common with the social commentary of Jonathan Swift and the scientific pessimism of H. G. Wells than any of the other science fiction published in the early '60s. Boulle's themes deal with the human pretension of believing that we are at the centre of the universe and with the nature of intelligence. The apes in the book are simply humans in disguise, with human foibles and fears. It's also an amazingly chilling satire: At the same time as you're laughing at the apes' pompous statements that they are the only creatures with souls, you realise that we've heard these statements before from our own theologians and philosophers.
Murdoc: Told you. Go on Russ, lets see who else you can bore!
Figs: Supposedly if you put 100 monkeys at 100 typewriters for 100 years, one of them will type a Shakespeare play. Do you blame the current state of popular music on monkeys secretly being employed to write songs? Or are the problems associated with "Nu metal" and teen pop actually due to "Lack Of Monkeys"?
Russel: It's an infinite amount of monkeys at an infinite amount of typewriters and the play they'd come up with is Hamlet . Like Douglas Adams wrote in his book The Hitchhikers' Guide to the Galaxy , "There's an infinite number of monkeys outside who want to talk to us about this script for Hamlet they've worked out." This joke is no more ridiculous than the initial concept itself as the universe is not infinite, but what this underlines is that Shakespeare's work could not come into creation without the intervention of the artist's intelligence. This has lead some people to come to the conclusion that as Shakespeare's birth within a finite universe is just as unlikely and random a possibility, then this itself is proof for a creative intelligence behind the universe. As to your second point, I blame the current state of world affairs on the monkeys that we have put in charge. In contrast with this madness, "Nu Metal" and pop pale in comparison.
Murdoc: I'd give up with the funnies if I were you. Nobody's listening to either of you.
2D: Yeah, and the monkeys. I really don't know what anyone's going on about now.
Figs: Will the members of Gorillaz ever pursue solo careers? If so, what would each of you like to do outside of the band?
Murdoc: I of course am the only person in the band who stands a fart's chance in hell of making it on the outside. Be it in metal, rock or new jack swing, the world is my instrument waiting for me to be ready to play. I'm not blowing my own trumpet, as there's an orderly queue waiting to do that for me.
Figs: Are you folks going to do a movie? And if you had to cast humans to portray you, who would each of you choose?
Murdoc: Yep, we've started work on a script. It's got the working title of "The Celebrity Harvest." There's no one out there who could play me unless of course we did it like our live show with the actors behind the screen. Then I guess Gene Hackman would fit the bill, or Pacino.
Figs: Will you ever release Gorillaz comic books? Please?
Murdoc: When it's time to flog us like a dead horse who knows what level of dross we'll authorise? Until then, we'll keep on with the records. Oh, and the movie, not forgetting the toys, of course.
Figs: When will you be back on tour in America?
Russel: We don't have any plans to at the moment but as soon as we do we won't be keeping it secret. We're thinking about playing Russia next.
Figs: I really enjoyed your concert here in Seattle. Got any fond memories of Seattle?
Russel: I think it was in Seattle that an interviewer remarked to me that neither Napoleon nor (the German synthesizer band) Kraftwerk ever pretended to be monkeys. What is it with you guys and simians?
Murdoc: He's off again. Who rattled your cage, Kong boy?
Figs: Finally, is there any credo or manifesto which guides the band?
2D: I've got the first edition Greedo figure. That's the sort of thing you're interested in, isn't it? Oh and monkeys, I nearly forgot. Well, I've got a one of (Monkees guitarist) Mike Nesmith's original green woolly hats, too. Cool or what!?