Wallace McTavish talks about…The Gorillaz

Damon’s come a long way from his Blur “Baggydom” days of playing at places such as The Bull & Gate in Kentish Town, The Cricketers in Kennington and The George Robey in Seven Sisters.

I first saw Seymour (they bacame Blur about 6 months later) in December of 1989 at The George Robey in North London. I think it’s all boarded up now. My mates band was headlining about 11 bands and they were really excellent. But we all saw a band who were…well I can’t really describe it. Different, fresh and they really meant it. OK, I was off my tits at the time but they finished the gig with Damon playing keyboard and the song got faster and faster…until the keyboard was smashed and Damon started laying into Alex (the bass player), and before you say it didn’t happen….well, it did. I checked with other people to make sure, so there. But it really was a case of, not “if” they get signed up, but “when”.

Their next appearance was at The Cricketers at Kennington. This pub was great, I had some wonderful and amazing experiences down there. It had everything…fighting, laughing, kissing…even music happened from time to time. But Food Record company were going to sign Seymour…it was sort of common knowledge. The main band was a wonderful quartet by the name of “Brain of Morbius”, who have only recently split up and have become “The Bert Schaft Orchestra”. These 4 Millwall supporters were a bit special (more about BOM another time).

Once again Seymour were just pop-tastic with a gritty edge. I say pop, but they were playing some of the more distorted songs from what was to become Leisure, their first album.

Anyway, they got signed up, became Blur and the rest is almost history.

Although for years, and I don’t know what it was, but it seemed that as soon as they became a signed band, they just sounded really shit. It’s true, they did. The quality of the songs were, you know, Brit-pop, but it they did lose an edge.

The second album, “Modern Life is Rubbish” is one of my favourite albums. It’s Mod and just has some classics on it. One absolute stonker is a classic called “Oily Water”. But I don’t know if the band was getting on well with each other, or drinking too much, or drugging too much, but the live “thing” was just missing.

Parklife came out and yes, this time, the rest is history. They started to sound good again and of course the material was never in question, but it just seemed to work when seen on stage at a Blur gig.

The Gorillaz…what can one say? It’s obviously not for the money. It’s just, again it’s difficult to describe…and NO I’m not off my tits this time.

I did see them on the TV a short while ago and it looks amazing, sounds amazing and if you go to see them it will be bloody amazing.

Just a tip, go and see The Gorillaz. Even if you are umming and arring about it. Just go…you have to, because who knows what Damons next project will be and if it comes as far as our beautiful land call OZ. I had a chance to go and see The Smiths at The Brixton Academy in South London, and I was sort of busy with something or other and wanted to go but…look…I ummed and arred about it and thought that I’d catch them the next time around. There was no next time, and I missed them, and my friends who went love to always remind me of it.

This may be the only visit we get from The Gorillaz, so make the most of it, and go see ’em.

by Wallace McTavish

AUSTRALIA, NEW ZEALAND AND ASIA DATES