Phase 1 (Gorillaz debut – 2001)

It all starts back on August 15th 1997,  a bass playing Satanist called Murdoc Niccals, with a very abusive childhood, had always dreamt of creating the world’s most famous band. But he didn’t quite know where to start. So, he decided to crash his car into a music shop and steal some instruments. As his car went flying in through the window to rob the music shop, his car hits a young and pretty young British man, called Stuart Pot, right in his eye. Causing his eye to be pushed all the way to the back of his head, making his left eye completely black and him going to a coma. Instead of Murdoc being put in jail for this, he has to do community work by looking after Stuart in his coma. Which for some reason is okay even though he is always drugged and incredibly reckless. One day, Murdoc was showing off to some girls in his car with Stuart in the back, still unconscious. While he was driving, he got distracted by the babes and crashed into a pole, causing Stuart to fly out the windshield, knocking out his other eye but waking him up from his coma. Murdoc describes that experience saying, “When he stood up… wow.. What an image. Tall, pretty, blue spiky hair… No eyeballs, I knew he had to be front man,”. Even though Murdoc almost killed him twice, he asks Stuart to be the lead singer for his band and he agrees. Murdoc decides to start calling him 2D because of the two dents in his head. (2D ends up being severely brain damaged after that and previous accidents he’s had before, so he’s a little silly in the head). 

Murdoc just needed a drummer and a guitarist, so he kidnapped this guy named Russel Hobbs who was possessed by the spirits of his friends who died from a shoot-out. So, he moved to London to work at a record shop, where he was kidnapped. At this point, Murdoc made their studio, “Kong Studios”, in an abandoned graveyard. Lastly they needed a guitarist and 2D’s girlfriend at the time, Paula Cracker, happened to play the guitar. But Paula decided she wanted some of that Murdoc action. So, Murdoc and Paula had an affair in the Kong Studio toilets, but Russel caught them and was furious at them and beat up Murdoc (causing Murdoc’s nose to be messed up). They kicked Paula from the band and 2D was very sad. Since they still needed a guitarist, they put an ad in the newspaper and a couple days later a Fed-Ex crate arrived with a 10 year old Japanese guitarist! They didn’t know where she came from and she didn’t speak English, but the first word she said was, “Noodle!!!”, so they decided to just call her that. 

That’s how the band came to be but eventually they made their first album, Gorillaz,  and went on tour. They tried to make a movie but when they were planning for it, 2D and Murdoc had an argument and Murdoc almost choked him to death, so the band decided to go their separate ways. (Things like this occur a lot between 2D and Murdoc, Murdoc being his abuser basically)

Phase 2 (Demon Days – 2005)

Everyone is doing their own thing at this point with 2D working at his dad’s fun fair, Russel gets the spirits inside him exorcized by the Grim Reaper, Murdoc gets arrested in Mexico but escapes, and Noodle goes back to Japan to figure out who she is. Originally she was a super soldier government experiment. She decides she doesn’t like this, so to cope with it, she goes back to Kong Studios to make like 90% of an album. The rest of the band comes back to Kong Studios to finish making their second album, Demon Days. Noodle decides to take a little break from the band for a bit and Murdoc wanted to take out a guy who was a threat to Gorillaz. Together, they decided to just fake Noodles death so she could take a break and Murdoc could kill that guy he wanted to kill for some reason. Noodle was living on this floating windmill island and was going to crash it and just parachute away, but before that, which was not a part of the plan, these helicopters started shooting and attacking the island. The island crashed, leaving Noodles fate uncertain and everyone thought she was dead, causing Gorillaz to disband again. (also Murdoc at some point makes a deal with the devil, exchanging his soul for Gorillaz to become the most famous band ever. Also why Murdoc’s middle name was changed from Alphonce to Faust).

Phase 3 (Plastic Beach – 2010)

5 years later, Murdoc decides he wants to have a nice escape on a cruise, but doesn’t have the money, so he burns down Kong Studios for the insurance money. Apparently, Murdoc sold fake guns to these pirates and they get mad at him and tried to shoot him with real guns. So Murdoc escapes to this island made of landfill and trash from the ocean called Plastic Beach. He builds a new studio on the island and wants to make another Gorillaz album. Since he didn’t know if Noodle was alive, he used some of her DNA to create an evil robot version of her called Cyborg Noodle. Murdoc sends this guy called the Boogieman to gas and kidnap 2D. Murdoc, Cyborg Noodle and 2D are driving to Plastic Beach and start getting gunned and chased by Bruce Willis. Cyborg Noodle shoots him away and their car drives off a cliff and turns into a submarine and heads to Plastic Beach. 

2D is held there against his will by an increasingly unstable and aggressive Murdoc, making 2D very depressed and miserable during this whole phase. Murdoc couldn’t find Russel so he just replaced him with a drum machine. Russel hears about this and isn’t happy about it, so he decides to swim all the way there but swallows so much trash, pollution and salt water that he becomes a giant. But going back to when they were traveling in the submarine, you can see in the “On Melancholy Hill” music video, we see the real Noodle again! She is on a cruise ship and the previous pirates who attacked her before, start attacking the ship. She brings out her gun and tries to shoot them down, but escapes on a small rowboat. At this point, Russel is humongous and manages to find Noodle, and they make their way to Plastic Beach. Mentioned before, The Boogieman reoccurs a lot and has a grudge against Murdoc from a deal gone wrong, so he’s out to get the Gorillaz. 

Murdoc keeps 2D locked down in an underwater room and does anything to make sure he doesn’t escape. Murdoc abuses him a lot, causing 2D to be traumatized and severely depressed all the time, also making him have Stockholm Syndrome (in the Plastic Beach game you could go to his room and just find him in a ball trembling on his bed). He just wants to be friends with Murdoc and is always nice to him but he gets pretty salty and done with Murdoc in this phase. So 2D is forced to make music when he doesn’t want to and just wants to leave. The same pirates and The Boogieman, attack Plastic Beach but Russel and Noodle come and save the day. 2D isn’t so lucky though, and since he is trapped in his room, he gets attacked by a whale and gets swallowed by it (which is like his biggest fear, is whales). 

So this whole phase just ends with everyone separated again.

Phase 4 (Humanz – 2017)

Okay so since everyone is doing their own thing, I’ll just go person by person.

2D: He is living inside the whale’s mouth for a while, the whale dies and washes up on a deserted island. He lives there for a year or so but finds out the island isn’t deserted but gets kicked off for stealing friendship bracelets or something. So he decides to go back to London.

Murdoc: Gets thrown into some prison called Dungeon Abbey, but gets released by his record label by the promise that he’ll make another Gorillaz album IMMEDIATELY because the music industry was in shambles and needed some Gorillaz magic. 

Russel: When he was still giant, he got mistaken for a whale or something in North Korea and is used as some attraction there. He turns back to normal size due to malnutrition and they realize he’s not some whale or whatever and they kick him out and he goes back to London.

Noodle: She starts training and stuff with this dude in Japan but accidentally releases an evil spirit called Mazuu and spends like a year hunting it. She finds it and decapitates it, so she ships herself back to London. (old habits die hard)

They reunite again finally after 7 years and live in an apartment together (as seen in DoYaThang music video). At last, they make their next album, Humanz. Which btw is way too over hated. In the Saturnz Barz music video, they stay at this haunted house and get tormented by these weird spirits. In the Strobelite music video, it’s mostly 2D and Noodle wholesomely dancing at this club together (they are literally siblings I swear). But in that same video, Murdoc makes a shady deal with some dude named El Mierda. He gets found out and gets arrested again because it’s normal at this point.

Phase 5 (The Now Now – 2018)

They start right away feeling good about the band again, so they decide to make an album without Murdoc. So, they hire Ace, former Gangreen Gang and enemy of the Powerpuff Girls. (apparently The Powerpuff Girls and Gorillaz live in the same universe) Anywho, they start working on the new album and release a music video for Humility with Jack Black in it. Okay, so this is where it gets confusing but, Murdoc is trying to escape from prison and a bunch of shenanigans happen. He tries to convince Noodle to help him take down El Mierda (who framed him apparently), but she refuses because she doesn’t want to deal with Murdoc’s crap. She notices that at first, 2D has been acting differently and extremely confident, so she thinks he’s been possessed by El Mierda. So, she travels to the Andes to track him and take him down.

While she’s out doing that, Murdoc escapes prison and almost drowns in literal sewage. When Noodle finds El Mierda’s secret lair, it turns out it’s actually some spa resort and El Mierda is a better man. Murdoc says the guy he thought was El Mierda in the Strobelite music video, was actually just some salesman. So, Murdoc just did it for fame and attention. All while this is happening, 2D is continuing on making the album. Though the first couple songs he made were all happy and yippee and stuff, he sort of goes into this sadness. See, now this is where 2D’s stockholm syndrome kicks in and he makes like ¾ of the album all sad and depressing songs. The last song, Souk Eye, is highly speculated to be about Murdoc. (the live performance for Souk Eye having Murdoc on the screen in the back the whole time. Especially when he sings the lyric “I will always think about you”) 2D is going back and forth from feelings of hatred, sadness and admiration for Murdoc while he’s gone. Noodle finds Murdoc and the band all reunites again. Murdoc and Noodle come to the conclusion that 2D was acting differently because Murdoc wasn’t there abusing him. But they are also besties at the same time. Murdoc learns that endangering himself for fame isn’t worth hurting the people he cares about, and promises to be a better person.

Phase 6 (Song Machine – 2020)

Noodle realizes that climate change is destroying the world and says that they should build a machine to see the world before it’s even worse. All while creating music for each place they visit. So, basically the Song Machine makes songs featuring different collaborators. Then, Covid-19 hits and they have to be quarantined. Murdoc wants to make these portals to travel and do his little shenanigans and whatnot. He can’t figure out how to make one, but 2D somehow is able to travel through them and knows how to use them but won’t tell Murdoc. The band goes on a little boat ride and leaves Murdoc behind. Murdoc thinks they left him for good and feels bad and starts sobbing on the couch. Anyways, they come back and 2D and Murdoc go on a motorcycle ride. While 2D is all happy being able to ride with Murdoc (even though he doesn’t have a driver’s license) Murdoc stabs him with a truth serum to know the truth about the portals and causes them to crash. Russel beats Murdoc up again as usual. The band travels to the moon and Murdoc finds the portals finally. 

Okay time for some trauma for 2D and Murdoc again yayyy!!!! The band goes through another portal and their car teleports back to Plastic Beach. It’s all destroyed and skeletons everywhere from people that died from then. We see Cyborg Noodle again in a submarine sinking, looking up at Murdoc with pure hatred. Murdoc sheds a tear remembering all of the bad things he did to 2D and everyone at that time, showing true remorse. Some sea monster comes and destroys Plastic Beach with his laser eyes. As everything is sinking, Murdoc helps his band mates into a portal to escape Plastic Beach. But right before Murdoc can go in, the portal closes leaving Murdoc for death. Murdoc panics and thinks they abandoned him again, but the portal opens again and 2D reaches out with a hand and a smiling face to help Murdoc and pulls him in. 

That honestly is a very important and significant moment for their friendship. 2D has suffered from Murdoc’s abuse in the past and was very hurt and affected by it. 2D used to worship Murdoc and was obsessed with him in the first two phases even though he abused and belittled him. Only during Plastic Beach did 2D start to realize what a sucky person Murdoc is. Ever since phase 5, Murdoc realized how bad he was and tried to make up for his past actions. It all came back to haunt him when they teleport back to Plastic Beach and confronted his worst version of himself. 2D saves him and forgives him and wants new bonds with him.

Phase 7 (Cracker Island – 2023)

Okay yayyyy this is the most recent phase and has a crap ton of stuff, so im gonna try not to do too much. I’m doing this on the school computer and I mostly remember the whole story, but i was researching for those. It won’t let me double check what the story was, so it’s just from memory, so I’m sorry if it’s incorrect. Murdoc receives a prophecy that he needs to start a cult to find The Tomorrow. Murdoc felt recently like he doesn’t have as much power as he used to either. So he forces his bandmates to join his cult called The Last Cult. Murdoc is The Great Leader, Noodle is The Scholarist, 2D is The Chosen One, and Russel is The Researcher. Also, Murdoc makes his own scent thing made out of wine, his bath water, cheese etc. called Essence of Murdoc. (it’s important later)

 Right now, the Gorillaz are living in this giant mansion in Silver Lake, Los Angeles. Murdoc spies on his neighbor, who also has their own cult called The Forever Cult. Murdoc wants to impress them (the cult leader, Moonflower, who he has a crush on), so he makes 2D build this giant, pink obelisk (along with other ridiculous things). Russel searches The Static Channel for a message about how to get to The Tomorrow. He literally just mindlessly stares at a static channel everyday 24/7. Russel thinks that The Rupture was going to happen on New Years. He went there that night but nothing happened. One day, as 2D is recording his podcast, there’s a knock from Moonflower at the door. She tells 2D to tell Murdoc to stop spying and looking over at her property. Eventually, she invites 2D to come over and have some tea. She tries to convince 2D to join her cult and that she won’t make him do all these jobs that Murdoc is making him do. Little does 2D know that the tea he is drinking is drugged. He keeps coming back for more and eventually he doesn’t come back home. Noodle thinks that they kidnapped him and they should go save him, but Murdoc refuses to go because he thinks 2D is staying to rub it in that Moonflower likes 2D and not him. He thinks that 2D will just come crawling back eventually. 

Time goes by and Murdoc finally believes that they probably kidnapped 2D. We find out that Moonflower and her anonymous cult members are gonna sacrifice 2D to this demon thing. The band sneak in with disguises, (as seen in Silent Running music video) but get caught as The Forever Cult is trying to sacrifice 2D on a wheel. But Noodle and Russel start kicking ass. As they are lowering him, 2D looks back up at Moonflower, crying. She feels bad all of a sudden and doesn’t wanna do it and tries to pull him up. Murdoc runs over to help her, but looks back and rizz’s her up and winks and smirks at her. She gets grossed out and lets go of the rope, making Murdoc fly forward with the rope. He gets slammed right in the balls from a pole which was super funny.  Now at this point 2D’s falling to his death towards the monster. As Murdoc hits it though, his Essence of Murdoc flies out and falls into the monster’s mouth, causing it to explode. 2D explodes out, Moonflower passes out (cause  apparently she’s like 100s years old) and the cops show up. Murdoc wants to help Moonflower but doesn’t wanna get taken by the cops, so he just runs away. But 2D, Noodle and Russel get taken to the hospital and get questioned. 

Since 2D is all drugged, he keeps hallucinating, Russel is still looking for clues in the static and all that fun stuff. Murdoc shows up finally and Moonflower appears after appearing as a ghost. She ages randomly like 60 years and Murdoc finally gets a smooch from her. Anyways, Russel finally takes a nice escape and break and relaxes, realizing that the tomorrow is today. 2D starts to recover and knows he can forgive and forget. Noodle’s just kind of there. And Murdoc finally goes on a date with Moonflower, even though her true age finally catches up and she turns to dust. (he claims it was the best date he’s been on). All in all, Moonflower used to be some Hollywood film actress in the early 1900s. She started The Forever Cult, always making sacrifices every 25 years, as a way for her and her cult to stay young. 

In between phases?? (2024)

The LAPD issue a search warrant for the band, leaving no choice but for them to flee to New York. They get fake passports, each member using a different name (Matlock Knuckles, Stuart D. Potato, Nödel, and Rusty) and they travel to Mumbai, living in a hotel room. 

CONCLUSION

OKAY. so that’s a hell of a lot of lore for a virtual British cartoon band. It’s been going for like 23-24 years now so no wonder. This was supposed to be a simplified version but I feel like that’s impossible to do, so uh this is just a full version. Thank you for reading and if you made it this far, you’re a real one and you get a fruit snack. They shouldddd be releasing an album next year hopefully.