Virtual and Reality Blur – The Gorillaz

Left to Right:

2D (Stuwart Tusspot a.k.a Stu Pot) - Vocals, Keyboard

Noodle (Japanese import arrived in a FedEx Crate) – Guitar, Backing Vocals

Murdoc Niccals – Satanist, Bassist and Frontman

Russell Hobbs (and various ghostly possessions) – Percussion

A.K.A The Gorillaz

Born from the minds of former Blur front man Damon Albarn and Tank Girl Artist Jamie Hewlett the Gorillaz have risen to epic proportions with at least 48 named contributors. It all began as a project to create a band from scratch to challenge the manufactured MTV Generation artists of the late 90’s. Their first album in 2001 rocked the charts and earned the Gorillaz a place in the Guinness World Record Books as the most successful Virtual Band.

But then comes the question, are the Gorillaz merely characters as portrayed by real people such as Albarn and Hewlett, or have their successes brought about their own self actualization and are they entering ‘our’ reality from fiction?

Technology has brought the likes of Murdoc, 2D, Noodle and Russell to life. Their domain is that of fiction, their home technology. The Gorillaz Website is a portal into this world, allowing the viewer to enter the Illusive Kong Studios where the band dwells and encounter the band in their ‘natural habitat’. MTV expanded on this idea featuring the fictional Kong Studio’s in its popular show ‘MTV Cribs’

Would you like to know more?

Sure do! The extensive backstory of the bands rise to fame and formation is outlined in the book ‘Rise of the Ogre’, the various music video clips are all part of the larger story that IS The Gorillaz. The Clip for El Mañana leads to a huge conspiracy around the possible death of Noodle and her replacement by ‘Cyborg Noodle’.

But hey the Gorillaz are still a fictional band right? It’s not like they will be playing in front of huge crowds with fan’s avidly screaming their names... right? WRONG... the Gorillaz opened for the epic European music festival at Glastonbury this year replacing U2. Is this not the ultimate realisation for a band... being able to get onstage, not to mention opening at one of the biggest music festivals on the planet, but the Gorillaz a ‘virtual band’? It seems to be unprecedented and I raise this question...

Are the artists performing on stage as The Gorillaz merely playing a character? Or are the performers merely tools being used to forward the objectives of the virtual being that is the band Gorillaz?

Either way on December 21^st you can make you mind up for yourself as Murdoc, 2D, Noodle and Russell will be rocking out Vector Arena, check it out!