The Untold Truth Of Gorillaz

Publish date: 2024-05-05

Most bands are made up of old friends who know each other and become thick as thieves as they practice to master a sound of their own. As ever, though, Gorillaz was different. Originally, the two brains behind the virtual band didn't even like each other.

Damon Albarn was already a big name in music back in the late 90s. His band, Blur, were a Britpop phenomenon, with a string of hits including "Parklife" and "Song 2" and a series of albums that had topped the British charts. Meanwhile, Jamie Hewlett was a celebrated cult artist, whose Tank Girl comic strip had a devoting following. It was while working for Deadline magazine that Hewlett first came into contact with Albarn, after being commissioned to interview Blur back in 1990. 

However, as Hewlett later told Q magazine, the interview was a disaster. Certain members of the band were drunk, and Albarn gave off a confrontational vibe. "He was arsey, a wanker," Hewlett recalled. The situation was further complicated when Hewlett began a relationship with the ex-girlfriend of Graham Coxon, Blur's guitarist. While the other members of Blur began to turn against Hewlett, the pop artist found his friendship with Albarn growing, until the two eventually ended up as flatmates in the trendy Notting Hill area of London.

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