Dressing Room

The Dressing Room cartoon depicts what happened to the cartoon Gorillaz while the real life "warm up band" (really the live band) stole the stage from them. As it turns out, the actual band was stuck in the dressing room due to a locked and/or jammed door. Each part served as the animated intro, interlude and outro respectively of each concert during the Escape To Plastic Beach World Tour.

Part 1[]

(It fades in to an extreme closeup of Murdoc as he peeps through the peephole, mumbling and breathing heavily. Eventually, a banjo plays a few notes. He ignores it initially, then it plays again.)

Murdoc: Shh... Shh. Shush. Shush! SHUSH!

(Murdoc rolls his eyes and backs away, revealing 2-D to be the player. Nearby, Cyborg Noodle is charging up.)

Murdoc: Ohhhh... (to 2-D) SHUT UP! Shut up! I'm trying to listen at the door.

(Murdoc returns to the door, only to have the banjo play again. He backs away once more.)

Murdoc: Would you PLEEEEASE stop playing that sodding banjo?!

2-D : But it helps calm my nerves before the show! (He plucks another string.)

Murdoc (Pointing to 2-D) If you strum another bum note on that hillbilly instrument, I'll stick it in your mouth! (Returns to door) Now, where was I? (He leans in) Yeah - Oh there's definitely something going on out there!

(Murdoc jerks at the door, but never bothers to turn the knob)

Murdoc : Uh-- Oh this door's jammed. (He turns to 2-D) Why's the door jammed?

(The sound of a crowd outside becomes more prominent.)

Murdoc: Hang on - What's that? (He leans his ear in at the door) Ah, it sounds like the warm up band is beginning to take stage. (He backs up and puts his fingers together with a devilish grin) Yeah, won't be long now, peeps, won't be long. (He chuckles as he bares his teeth as the screen fades)

Part 2[]

(After some time has passed and it's dark out, Murdoc is staring silently at the door, frowning angrily. Behind him, Cyborg Noodle is plugged in and occasionally twitching with electricity. Finally, Murdoc shuts his eyes and inhales before shouting.)

Murdoc: How much longer are the warmup band gonna hog the stage for?! Sounds like some sort of... Gorillaz tribute band.

(Suddenly, the sound of a toilet flushing grabs his attention. As a reaction to the flushing, Cyborg Noodle's charger malfunctions. She twitches, then dances as more electricity surges into her, then she slumps over, her charger smoking. Murdoc still looks around for the source of the flushing. 2D then enters through a hidden door. Murdoc sees this and shouts, freezing 2D in place.)

Murdoc: Where the bloody hell have you been?!

2-D: (innocently turning his head, still frozen in place) Toilet.

Murdoc: "Toilet"?! What do you mean toilet?! (he walks over to the door and slaps 2D aside) Where the hell did that door come from!? (he pulls on the knob, never bothering to turn it) Oh, it's jammed! Why are all the doors in this dressing room jammed?

(Murdoc grunts as he continues to pull and tug on the door knob. 2D backs away slowly. Murdoc plants his feet on the door and continues to pull at the knob.)

Murdoc: (While grunting) Need-to-get-on-stage-now! Can't-yank-knob-any-HARDER!

(The knob pops off and flies out the window, while Murdoc lands into a bowl of corn puffs and onto the floor. 2-D flinches. Murdoc gets up, corn puffs flying off him and onto Cyborg Noodle.)

Murdoc: RIGHT - That's it! I'm gonna smash that door down with brute force!

(Yelling, Murdoc charges at the door. The screen goes black with a thud.)

Part 3[]

(Murdoc is in a depressed state, playing 2-D's banjo, sitting in a now trashed dressing room. 2-D and Cyborg Noodle are gone, but her wires are still sending electricity.)

Murdoc: (singing) It's broken, our love, broken, our love, it's my band... When did it all go wrong?... It's all gone wrong...

(Sirens can be heard approaching the area and red and blue lights flash outside.)

Murdoc (singing) Our love... broken...!

(With one final strum of the banjo, Murdoc slumps over with a groan. Iris out)