Questions From Chart Magazine
Chart, March 2001
Where did the name Gorillaz come from? Do you feel it's representative of your personalities, or just a cool name?
Murdoc: We went through quite a lot of possibilities before plumping for Gorillaz. 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: I liked Meatus, Obalix, and Arsetricks, but Noodle saved us in the nick of time just before our first gig.
Noodle: Gorillaz!
Were Josie and the Pussycats an inspiration?
Murdoc: No, the Devil and Chuck Jones are far more inspirational to us. Have you ever seen that Bugs Bunny cartoon where he goes down to hell and meets Satan? I saw that when I was about nine, and it changed the course of my life.
You played your first gig at the Camden Brownhouse. How does it compare to the Roundhouse? Or the Bull and Gate, for that matter?
Murdoc: It's far more... I dunno... Brown.
I understand Chris and Tina from Tom Tom Club worked with you on the album in Jamaica. After all the problems they had with the Happy Mondays there recording Yes Please, did you have to reassure them at all? Were there any tense moments?
Murdoc: Funny you should mention the Mondays, I made off with most of their equipment after one of their Hacienda gigs, Bez even helped me load out, good old Bez.
The collaboration with Ibrahim Ferrer is an unlikely one. Even he doesn't seem to know what's going on - he keeps singing "Que Pasa?" How did "Latin Simone" come about?
Murdoc: We invited him over, gave him some J-B, and off he went.
It's hard enough for pop stars to retain privacy at the best of times, so how does it feel to have countless strangers exploring your rooms and rifling through your computer files on the web?
2D: Nobody on our website is a stranger, apart from those two weirdoes who hang around outside the toilets.
Speaking of the website: "The truth is irrelevant." The ramblings of a disembodied moose head, or a group philosophy? Or both?
Murdoc: That moose seems to believe that it’s the reincarnation of William Burroughs, and although I believe the man to be a visionary genious, I’m much more inclined to align my personal philosophy with the voice of Russel’s Telly Savalas poster. Come to think of it, William Burroughs would probably have been inclined to side with Telly too.
Damon Albarn told me the band wants to do more live work and "got into the music business to be holograms, eventually" because "it's tough to break out of being a cartoon." Is this true? If so, how's that process coming along?
2D: I’d love to be a hologram like the ones that R2D2 makes. Oh! I’ve never noticed that my name is in the middle of his before, which must mean something.
Murdoc: Yeah, it means that you are yet another dribbly Star Wars bore.
Russel: We’re playing a gig at the Scala club in Kings Cross on March 22, we have a strict door policy; no holograms allowed.
With lyrics like "She made me kill myself," "I'm useless," and "Can't stop the loneliness," you seem to be reaching out to disenfranchised youth. Do you feel a particularly strong connection to your young fans?
Murdoc: You can’t take those lyrics out of context, “I’m useless...” is followed by “...but not for long” and it’s “I can't stand your loneliness,” know what I mean?
2D: I bunked off school when I was a kid to watch American Werewolf In London, a Fang Face cartoon, and Zombies Dawn of the Dead on my mate's Betamax. I was so scared that I rode my bike home, crying all the way.
2D
Your friend Damon mentioned you've been collaborating with 3D in Massive Attack. How's the track coming along?
2D: I've just been in the studio with Massive Attack writing a song with 3D for Horace Andy.
Murdoc: Isn’t 3D a bit deep for you, brain-ache?
2D: No, but he stays up too late for me.
Murdoc
It seems like you've been holding back on your Sabbath enthusiasm, although I understand there's a hard-rockin' tune or two on the LP. Would you like Gorillaz to explore more heavy riffage in the future?
Murdoc: I don’t ever hold back on the Sabbath mate, being heavy ain’t just about riffs you know. If it was up to me it would all be Death Metal, but I do love a bit of dub too, if you know what I mean. Which makes me wonder what would have happened if two of my heroes ever got together, you see apparently Lee Scratch Perry has three trained frogs that hop around after him, and I’m sure that Ozzy would have had their heads off in seconds.
Russel
I understand there's a rapper named Del living in your head. Would you consider him to be a visitor, or is he a full-fledged flatmate?
Russel: Del ain’t about to get exorcised if that’s what you’re saying. He’s the genie and I’m the bottle and like Christina Aguilera said, you’d better not rub me up the wrong way buddy, you get me?
Noodle
Pokemon, Digimon, or Graham Coxon?
Noodle: Graham Coxon, I choose you!
Finally, for the band: If tomorrow comes today, what comes tomorrow?
Today
Murdoc: We went through quite a lot of possibilities before plumping for Gorillaz. 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: I liked Meatus, Obalix, and Arsetricks, but Noodle saved us in the nick of time just before our first gig.
Noodle: Gorillaz!
Were Josie and the Pussycats an inspiration?
Murdoc: No, the Devil and Chuck Jones are far more inspirational to us. Have you ever seen that Bugs Bunny cartoon where he goes down to hell and meets Satan? I saw that when I was about nine, and it changed the course of my life.
You played your first gig at the Camden Brownhouse. How does it compare to the Roundhouse? Or the Bull and Gate, for that matter?
Murdoc: It's far more... I dunno... Brown.
I understand Chris and Tina from Tom Tom Club worked with you on the album in Jamaica. After all the problems they had with the Happy Mondays there recording Yes Please, did you have to reassure them at all? Were there any tense moments?
Murdoc: Funny you should mention the Mondays, I made off with most of their equipment after one of their Hacienda gigs, Bez even helped me load out, good old Bez.
The collaboration with Ibrahim Ferrer is an unlikely one. Even he doesn't seem to know what's going on - he keeps singing "Que Pasa?" How did "Latin Simone" come about?
Murdoc: We invited him over, gave him some J-B, and off he went.
It's hard enough for pop stars to retain privacy at the best of times, so how does it feel to have countless strangers exploring your rooms and rifling through your computer files on the web?
2D: Nobody on our website is a stranger, apart from those two weirdoes who hang around outside the toilets.
Speaking of the website: "The truth is irrelevant." The ramblings of a disembodied moose head, or a group philosophy? Or both?
Murdoc: That moose seems to believe that it’s the reincarnation of William Burroughs, and although I believe the man to be a visionary genious, I’m much more inclined to align my personal philosophy with the voice of Russel’s Telly Savalas poster. Come to think of it, William Burroughs would probably have been inclined to side with Telly too.
Damon Albarn told me the band wants to do more live work and "got into the music business to be holograms, eventually" because "it's tough to break out of being a cartoon." Is this true? If so, how's that process coming along?
2D: I’d love to be a hologram like the ones that R2D2 makes. Oh! I’ve never noticed that my name is in the middle of his before, which must mean something.
Murdoc: Yeah, it means that you are yet another dribbly Star Wars bore.
Russel: We’re playing a gig at the Scala club in Kings Cross on March 22, we have a strict door policy; no holograms allowed.
With lyrics like "She made me kill myself," "I'm useless," and "Can't stop the loneliness," you seem to be reaching out to disenfranchised youth. Do you feel a particularly strong connection to your young fans?
Murdoc: You can’t take those lyrics out of context, “I’m useless...” is followed by “...but not for long” and it’s “I can't stand your loneliness,” know what I mean?
2D: I bunked off school when I was a kid to watch American Werewolf In London, a Fang Face cartoon, and Zombies Dawn of the Dead on my mate's Betamax. I was so scared that I rode my bike home, crying all the way.
2D
Your friend Damon mentioned you've been collaborating with 3D in Massive Attack. How's the track coming along?
2D: I've just been in the studio with Massive Attack writing a song with 3D for Horace Andy.
Murdoc: Isn’t 3D a bit deep for you, brain-ache?
2D: No, but he stays up too late for me.
Murdoc
It seems like you've been holding back on your Sabbath enthusiasm, although I understand there's a hard-rockin' tune or two on the LP. Would you like Gorillaz to explore more heavy riffage in the future?
Murdoc: I don’t ever hold back on the Sabbath mate, being heavy ain’t just about riffs you know. If it was up to me it would all be Death Metal, but I do love a bit of dub too, if you know what I mean. Which makes me wonder what would have happened if two of my heroes ever got together, you see apparently Lee Scratch Perry has three trained frogs that hop around after him, and I’m sure that Ozzy would have had their heads off in seconds.
Russel
I understand there's a rapper named Del living in your head. Would you consider him to be a visitor, or is he a full-fledged flatmate?
Russel: Del ain’t about to get exorcised if that’s what you’re saying. He’s the genie and I’m the bottle and like Christina Aguilera said, you’d better not rub me up the wrong way buddy, you get me?
Noodle
Pokemon, Digimon, or Graham Coxon?
Noodle: Graham Coxon, I choose you!
Finally, for the band: If tomorrow comes today, what comes tomorrow?
Today