South By Southwest
The Official Gorillaz Fansite, March 2005
I managed to catch up with the group in the wake of the successful album listening party at South By Southwest, and here's what they had to say about it:
What did you all make of the South By Southwest experience and the Demon Days listening party?
2D: South by Southwest? That’s in Texas ain’t it. I hope Albarn brings me back a nice hat.
Err... right. So Damon Albarn was out there then? I heard Dangermouse was also doing a DJ set...
Murdoc: Well the thing about Gorillaz is that so many people involved in it just feel a need to overplay their part. If Damon Albarn and Dangermouse want to swan around Texas around telling people that they made the album, fine. It just highlights their desperate lust for glory really. There’s only four people who are responsible for making that record. Me, Noodle, Russel and er…2D. And to be honest, mate, I’ve even got my suspicions about some of them.
Russel: Both Damon & Dangermouse gave us a lot of support in making this album. There’s no way, despite the devastating skills that Gorillaz have as a band, that this album would have coming out sounding as it does without the work that they did. I feel it’s right for them to talk about their input in its creation. Also Gorillaz have always tried to do as little live TV promotion as possible, in order to keep the mystique, so in a way they’re kinda helping us out.
So the two of them have had a more promotion-based role, then?
Russel: We asked them both to be the ambassadors for the ‘Demon Days’ album. Having had more of a first-hand insight into its creation they are in a perfect position to represent it to the outside world. Also I think Murdoc has already done enough damage by overstating his limited opinions in the press. So in order to keep the campaign fresh we thought it would be good for people to get a new angle on the music from these two, rather than just the usual venomous comments from our bass-player. Both Damon and Dangermouse are real music lovers so I’m sure they can talk about the album with integrity.
I'm sure most of the fans would agree. Finally, any closing thoughts you'd like to share, Noodle?
Noodle: Pah! I am not concerned with talk. My time is more valuable. I am already busy demo-ing for the Third Gorillaz album. Then this trilogy will have its conclusion.
What did you all make of the South By Southwest experience and the Demon Days listening party?
2D: South by Southwest? That’s in Texas ain’t it. I hope Albarn brings me back a nice hat.
Err... right. So Damon Albarn was out there then? I heard Dangermouse was also doing a DJ set...
Murdoc: Well the thing about Gorillaz is that so many people involved in it just feel a need to overplay their part. If Damon Albarn and Dangermouse want to swan around Texas around telling people that they made the album, fine. It just highlights their desperate lust for glory really. There’s only four people who are responsible for making that record. Me, Noodle, Russel and er…2D. And to be honest, mate, I’ve even got my suspicions about some of them.
Russel: Both Damon & Dangermouse gave us a lot of support in making this album. There’s no way, despite the devastating skills that Gorillaz have as a band, that this album would have coming out sounding as it does without the work that they did. I feel it’s right for them to talk about their input in its creation. Also Gorillaz have always tried to do as little live TV promotion as possible, in order to keep the mystique, so in a way they’re kinda helping us out.
So the two of them have had a more promotion-based role, then?
Russel: We asked them both to be the ambassadors for the ‘Demon Days’ album. Having had more of a first-hand insight into its creation they are in a perfect position to represent it to the outside world. Also I think Murdoc has already done enough damage by overstating his limited opinions in the press. So in order to keep the campaign fresh we thought it would be good for people to get a new angle on the music from these two, rather than just the usual venomous comments from our bass-player. Both Damon and Dangermouse are real music lovers so I’m sure they can talk about the album with integrity.
I'm sure most of the fans would agree. Finally, any closing thoughts you'd like to share, Noodle?
Noodle: Pah! I am not concerned with talk. My time is more valuable. I am already busy demo-ing for the Third Gorillaz album. Then this trilogy will have its conclusion.