Murdoc (biography)

The officially released biography for Gorillaz member, Murdoc Niccals.

The biography has not been officially updated, therefore, do not edit it.

Vol. 1, first promo booklet/Tomorrow Comes Today EP enhanced section/Celebrity Takedown Booklet, November 2000


Born: Stoke-on-Trent, 6.6.66

Age: 44

Influences: Sabbath, Dub, J Andrew Anderson, Dennis Wilson, Satan

Hobby: Punching 2D

The snaggle toothed svengali of Gorillaz, his flop fringe disguises a mind like a rusty steel trap. Self-taught bassist, wannabe frontman, he's the band's warped back seat driver who knows that good tunes aren't enough to succeed. You need good looks - which he hasn't got - and a twisted mind - which he has. Murdoc likes to dominate interviews, a rent-a-quote misogynist who speaks without a taste filter. Ex speed freak. Personal hygiene problem. Kiddie frightener. Shoplifter. Heavy smoker. Max power subscriber. Used to set fire to cats.

Vol. 2, enhanced section of Tomorrow Comes Today single, November 2002


Vital Statistics: 5'9", chronically caucasian, false thumb, green teeth. What a catch! Physique of a man in his nineties. A man so eager for rock star recognition he doesn't even realise that he's made it. Strangely this foul smelling fella has an animal magnetism that girls find irrrrrresistible! Despite having the opportunity to vent his rotten spleen in every magazine worldwide over the last year, he's still brimming with disgruntled venom. Success has proven him right. Good music rules, you're all suckers, and the world belongs to a smelly man from Stoke with a battered bass. With a view on spreading his disease he gave us this: "The first album was just a bunch of my old demos, the second is gonna melt your brain!" Future projects: Completion of his solo death metal album and finally paying his last installment to becoming a card carrying member of the Church of Satan, possibly. "I might try and get the Old Fella to do a guest vocal on my solo album." What next? Murdoc in "Bigger Than Satan" shocker?

Vol. 3, Fire Coming Out Of The Monkey's Head booklet, March 2005


Our charismatic leader and bass-playing lethargio decided to head south to Mexico for a little sun, warm tequila and cheap senoritas. However, when his money ran out, he gets caught red-handed slipping dud cheques to the 'Tijuana Brass' down at the local brothel. Murdoc was thrown in jail. As Murdoc soon learnt... 'YOU NEVER STIFF A WHORE IN MEXICO!' Murdoc bides his time in jail usefully, or so he thinks, by taking a Mexican Open University course in the 'Amateur Administration or of Pharmaceutical Medicines'. Christ! Really? 'Dr.Murdoc'?! 'Legally entitled to experiment on monkeys'!?! No!! However, when some of the inmates took a shine to him, Murdoc has to make some new friends. Fast. Murdoc the 'Mexican Arse-Bandito?' Not a good look. Enter Pedro 'Shitbag' Lapetzo and Carlos Benito. These two greasy bastards not only stopped Murdoc becoming the prison 'bike', they also taught him a little 'Mexican Black Magic'. So he owes them plenty. 'Eh? My Friend!' Whilst languishing in the slammer Murdoc makes a friend of the feathered variety. 'Cortez the Raven' used to bring Murdoc little berries stright to the prison window. (Causing him to suffer the worst prison stomach bug known to man, but whatever). None of the other inmates would even look at the raven, a 'Jailbird' with a chilling reputation. Legend has it that the creature was 'born in the folds of the Grim Reaper's cloack'. And his f**cking squawk sounds like some idiot letting off a fire alarm in a library. TIME'S UP! After eighteen months and eighteen months and some pretty lengthy negotiations held in Murdoc’s new offices… er.. the prison showers, our legendary Gorillaz superstar decided enough was enough. With no sign of parole in sight Murdoc decides to get himself bust out of jail! EMI wants a new album and Murdoc wants his new advance! After one more lightning visit to 'The Chicken Choker', Murdoc was on a plane back to the belly of his beloved Kong Studios! Of course with his Raven and new Mexican pals in tow, ready to shake their stupid maracas all over the new record. With his bad boy credentials now complete, arthritic booze-monkey Murdoc has attained an even higher level of repulsiveness. Look out softies! Murdoc's back... with an even bigger ballsack! Lock your drinks cabinet and hide your daughters! Murdoc’s back, folks… and he’s really thirsty!!’

Jamie Hewlett's comments (source: Q magazine, August 2001 issue)
"He's like a young Keith Richards - a rock 'n' roll hardman with a bit of a mouth on him. He says a lot but he doesn't really know what he's talking about. Damon thought he was a bit too rock so I toned him down a bit, but in the future he'll get into Satanism. Murdoc is a death metal bass player who wants to be the singer but isn't pretty enough."

Unofficial Biography
Born son of Jacob Niccals (1941-1994) [source: official website portrait]. Supposedly went through puberty at 8 and lost his virginity to a dinnerlady when he was nine, which he claims put him in a bad mood that's never left since [source: Dazed & Confused Magazine, December 2000]. The first biography says that he is a 'ex speed freak' but he still took speed in the early days of Gorillaz (sniffing sulphate off a King Tuddy record, recorded in the Dazed&Confused interview] and also during the first NME cover interview [March 2001] though since then talk of his drug habits has diminished. Has a penchant for death metal but also rates the Clash and digs dub and reggae too. Used to hang out with a bunch of rough types (who helped him ram-raid Uncle Norm's Organ Emporium, where 2D worked) but seemingly ditched them on forming Gorillaz, as no more was heard about them after that. A serial womanizer, one of his; 'When the bago's rockin', don't come knockin. Murdoc doesn't believe in taking girls out and spoiling them, groupies and other assorted lovelies can look forward to a night in his famous winnebago, only to be kicked out the door in the morning. [source: Celebrity Take Down DVD. Jo Wiley, UK BBC Radio 1 DJ, had a one-night stand with Murdoc in this manner]. Has a particular penchant for Goth girls [Gorillaz tour rider]. He is the cause of at least two of 2D's relationships breaking down; Rachel Stevens and Paula Cracker (see the 2D biography). Murdoc's winnebago was stolen on the day of release of the debut album, according to Matt Watkins (web site desginer) 'by the first fan who came along [with the website key from the CD]' whom, it was implied, was Dr. Wurzel. He was taunted by the Winnebago thief who drove past in the Winnebago during filming for the "19/2000" music video. The Winnebago was later recovered and returned to Kong Studios in time for the release of the US version of the album. Is heavily into the occult and Satanism, as evidenced in interviews, his familiar cry of 'HAAAIIIIILLL SATAAN!' and his collection of occult artifacts in this winnebago. attended at least one Satanist convention, in Barnsley [source: XFM takeover]. Antagonises 2D at every opportunity, including via violence and verbal abuse. Murdoc had the idea of creating a band to take over the charts, so in a very real sense it is '[his] band' (as he always says it's 'my band') and in his attempt to steal equipment to get it started, encountered 2D (see the Gorillaz band biography). Murdoc returned to Kong Studios in December 2004 when the studios reopened, with a shiny new Winnebago. He has also been seen in a picture within the Winnebago with Neo.