Murdoc Niccals

We spoke with (currently incarcerated) Gorillaz bassist and self-proclaimed 'leader of the band’ Murdoc Niccals to finds out how he felt about teaming up with Converse…

So are Gorillaz all buddies again? we heard you had worked out your differences. How did that come about?

Murdoc: We’re not. We’re not buddies. I don’t think we ever really were. But uhm…yeah, we are now together again, in one way or other. I can’t really tell you where or why….I’ll come to that. But the fallout from the Plastic Beach campaign, and the trauma of that whole conflict; the battles, the burnouts, the exodus from the island….The whole sinking of Plastic Beach. It has kind of thrown us all together again. “Kismet”, they call it…We seem to be inexorably joined at the hip. But this is the first time we’ve been together as a foursome for….well, since the making of Demon Days I think. Still, nice to see Noodle again, and my, hasn’t she grown?

We understand that not all of your collaborations over the years have involved willing participants?

Murdoc: Uhm…Yeah. The current collaboration is particularly underhand. I wanted to work with Andre 3000 from Outkast. Him and James Murphy from LCD Soundsystem. Sounded like a hoot. But I couldn’t get hold of either of them. Maybe they were blanking me. So I thought, “Fuck it. I’ll just break into their studio and take a song that I like”. Just nick it. So yeah, on Christmas Day I lowered myself into Andre’s gaff, dressed in deepest black, and like an evil black-hearted Santa, I helped myself to the goodies…

I flicked through their works in progress and just lifted this wonderful track, a collaboration between Andre and James Murphy. It was perfect! All I had to do was sprinkle a little of my own potent Gorillaz charm into the mix, stick it in the oven for 20 minutes – Gas Mark 5 – and watch as the musical soufflé rose. I think it’s one of the best things we’ve ever done. It seems to encompass every aspect of the Gorillaz oeuvre, almost like it’s got a little ingredient from each period of the Gorillaz back catalogue. It’s hip-hop, it’s funk, it’s rock, it rolls…It’s got it all. It does its, er…‘thing”, y’know!

And, I think Andre 3000 and Mr. James Murphy will thank me for all this in the long run.

But you’re happy to be involved in the 'Three Artists. One Song’ campaign?

Well It’s what we do, Gorillaz. Music. We’re known for it.

I liked their whole 'Three Artists. One Song’ idea and Gorillaz are all about the collaboration, aren’t we, so it seemed like a perfect fit. Like a hairy Cinderella in a set of Size 9’s.

And I do have to thank Converse for helping this all to happen, y’know. There’s not many companies with the courage and creative capacity to - not only support - but actively encourage one artist ‘borrowing’ the music of another. But I guess it’s forward thinking like that - putting the creative goal above all else – that’s what makes them such a fine company.

We take it from the video for 'DoYaThing’ that Gorillaz are living happily together again back in London? Working day jobs and wearing Converse?

Murdoc: Shhh! Shut it! Not London. We’re nowhere near London. I’m in ….er…Hawaii…right? I told you that when we started. I’m nowhere near London.

Tell us more about the collaboration with Converse? Be honest, is it just another money maker?

Murdoc: Nope. I’ll tell you how this track came about. I wanted to put something new together. Fast. A one off … New shoes, new images.  Back last year I met up with the good people over at Converse. We’d been talking about a “Gorillaz / Converse” hook up for a while. Everyone loves Converse, don’t they? And they wanted to see if we, Gorillaz, could help sell their soles. And Russel’s never really out of his, so it seemed ideal.

I think the Gorillaz All Stars need to be worn in a bit, to give them that skuzzy feel, but they look really good. And I got a special pair of shiny leather Cuban-heeled Converse thrown into the deal so everything was looking nice and sparkly.

When can we expect a fully fledged Gorillaz fashion line?

Murdoc: That’s tricky. If I had my way it would just be velvet capes, with a nice, rich, wine-red silk-lining…silver topped canes. Some Size 9 Cuban heeled boots… Some big silver rings… a range of tight black jeans, and a stack ‘inverted cross’ pendants from Claire’s Accessories. Nice n’ dangly….But apparently - according to market researches - no-one wants to dress like that. Other than me…So the clothes line kind of ground to a halt. I’d buy it though. If I didn’t already have all that…