2D (Gorillaz)
Encyclopedia
The fictional character Stuart Pot (born Stuart Tusspot, 23 May 1978), better known by his stage name 2-D, also simply spelled as 2D, is a member of the British virtual band
Gorillaz
. He performs the lead vocals and plays the keyboard for the band.
Stu-Pot attended St. Wilfred's school, where, despite his apparent lack of interest and ambition, he got fairly good grades. For most of his life, Stu-Pot didn't know what he wanted to do when he got older. He first wanted to become a Storm Chaser
and then he wanted to paint (inspired by Banksy
's graffiti works). He developed an interest in machinery when he and his dad customised his Casio VL-1
keyboard. His musical idol is Augustus Pablo
and his favourite is was The Human League
.
At age 19, on 15 August 1997, Murdoc purposefully crashed his Vauxhall Astra
through the wall of Uncle Norm's Keyboard Emporium, where Stu-Pot had been working, in an attempt to ram-raid
it and steal the synths. Murdoc's bumper crashed into Stu-Pot's face, landing him with an eight-ball
fracture in his right eye ball, and putting him into a deep catatonic state
. Murdoc was arrested and sentenced to carry out 30,000 hours of community service as well as care for the vegetated Stu-Pot for 20 hours every week.
One year later, in a poor attempt to impress some women, Murdoc had tried to do a 360 in a car park, but was distracted by a woman who had decided to flash her breasts at him. This in turn sent Stuart flying through the windshield, and hitting his head on the curb. The impact woke him from his coma, but also dented his left eye to match his right one, thus giving him black/gray eyes. Murdoc said, "When he got up, he turned very slowly to look at me, like a zombie in one of those films he watches. When he did, it was a blank stare, just two holes. He was a blue-haired black-eyed god! Except the fact that half of his face was hanging off, all the chicks would dig him for his 'pretty boy' looks."
During the hiatus, 2D went to work on his father's funfair in Eastbourne. He used to collect money for a ride called 'The Switchback Ride', and there he met Shane Lynch
, former member of Boyzone
, and they became good friends. By the time they met, 2D adopted a teddy boy
style and used to stroll the city along with Shane. Apparently, while he wasn't with Shane he was messing around with a bunch of women he didn't know. He didn't really think about Gorillaz until four years later, when he received a text message from Noodle and, with that, he decided to return to Kong with fully restored confidence after he realised he was responsible for the Gorillaz success.
After the El Mañana conspiracy, 2D and Russel were frantic about Noodle's supposed death. It was a hoax, however, and the band has once again gone separate ways but not for long (so promised Murdoc in the autobiography Rise of the Ogre; their biggest project to date is apparently being planned) and the singer was, according to Murdoc, "...poncing off somewhere. He's probably gonna try and become an actor or a model or whatever..."
According to an official mail-out from 31 October 2007, Murdoc says that "2D is away on a vacation at a Jamaican beach." On 13 November, however, the D-Sides text in the G-Shop stated that 2D was currently completing a law degree. Murdoc has revealed that he has kidnapped 2D and is holding him against his will on Plastic Beach, enlisting 2D's vocal talents for use on the third Gorillaz album, Plastic Beach
. It was revealed through various media on the trailer in which this kidnapping was revealed that 2D was in a small flat in Beirut
at the time, for reasons which are currently unknown.
On the Gorillaz website http://gorillaz.com/ it was recently stated by 2D, in the Plastic Beach adventure game, that Murdoc "kindly" had 2D gassed and shipped to Plastic Beach, where he is currently forced to sing for his new demos. His room is located on floor B2. When you enter his room he is found trembling on his bed. When you talk to him he asks who you are, and that he didn't think anyone else was on the island. He states that Murdoc has been gassing various people and forcing them to be on the album.
Throughout a recent interview, Gorillaz - iTunes Session, 2D deliberately insults Murdoc just to spite him for the horrible things he has done to him and actually physically attacked him when Murdoc brought up the Paula Cracker affair, which is obviously a sore subject for 2D.
During the Escape to Plastic beach World Tour, 2D wrote his Gorillaz album The Fall
which, apparently Murdoc knew nothing about...
Recently, a new character has appeared on Plastic Beach. His name is Big Rick, and he owns the record shop on the beach. It has been reported that the shop (previously locked) will open in time for The Fall's release.
During the special XFM radio show to promote the Gorillaz's The Singles Collection 2001-2011 on the 27th of November 2011, Murdoc said that the last he'd seen of 2-D was when the whale bit a chunk out of the island. This apparantly included 2-D's room which he was in at the time (Rhinestone Eyes Storyboard Video) and thus he is presumed to have been eaten alive untill rumor chaimed in uncut speech from Murdoc that he didn't and escaped the bunker http://browse.deviantart.com/?order=5&q=Gorillaz#/d4hp522.
. He has also claimed to have played "some divvy panpipes" for "Rock the House
". In most cases, 2D's singing voice is much lower than his warbly speaking voice. His vocal range is very wide, and he has sung everything from Baritone to a falsetto Soprano. All his singing voices are provided by Albarn, including the spoken verses in the 2005 hit Feel Good Inc.
2D apparently has had some influence in the lyric-writing process (as evidenced by the credits on the insert of the Gorillaz debut album
, even though his intelligence is reputedly negligible). Apparently Murdoc has had Damon Albarn
teach 2D from time to time to sing better than he already could, and apparently even sing in some of their songs, as stated in an NME interview with Damon.http://www.nme.com/magazine 2-D was featured on the songs "Squire for Hire" by Nathan Haines
and "Small Time Shot Away" by Massive Attack
.
Despite missing his two front teeth, 2D can sing clearly. His speech, while still mainly clear, has a definite Cockney (or thereabouts) accent: he says "sumfink" instead of "something", and "fing" instead of "thing." As stated in Rise of the Ogre, he lost his tonsils in a food fight that started at the party held in honour of the Gorillaz label signing, when an éclair was pushed into his face. His singing voice has become deeper since the first album.
2-D has had two known relationships, which were ruined by Murdoc, the first of which, Paula Cracker, was ruined when Murdoc had "happenings" with her in a bathroom. The second, Rachel Stevens from s club 7, Murdoc seemed to "scare off". More recently, though, 2D has developed a grudge against Murdoc, for sticking him in a room below sea level, and for (somehow) paying a whale to watch him constantly, because, according to 2D, "Murdoc knows I hate whales." 2D even seems resentful of Murdoc, particularly in the fourth Radio Pirate broadcast.
As for his actual relationships with the other band members, 2D seems to connect with each member in a different way. In Phase 1, 2D and Noodle
were said to have a "Zen Bond". 2D also seemed to be very close to Murdoc. On the most recent XFM Residency Radio Show (16 May 2010), Murdoc seemed to be noticeably friendlier with 2D; he let him out of his underwater room so that he could join him in hosting the show, saying that he and the singer needed to "stick together". He showed no spite or sarcasm to 2-D throughout the session nearly at all. 2D clearly said in the interview though, "Why are you being so nice to me?" As well as Murdoc saying "he's a lovely little fella" during his MTV cribs episode. Also, in the ITunes session interviews, many times, 2D would try to stand up to Murdoc about his bass playing, his effects on him, and Paula incidents. Right after 2D would stand up to Murdoc , he would bully and beat 2D. Though Murdoc is often mean and cruel to 2D he seems to thinks of him as a friend most of the time.
Russel
has both picked on and stood up for 2D. In a similar fashion to his referral to Murdoc as "Muds", Russel often calls 2D simply "D".
As mentioned above, it is revealed by 2D in the Plastic Beach Online Game that he has a severe case of cetaphobia, or fear of Whales. In chapter 3 of the escape to Plastic Beach game when the whale comes to get him you can clearly hear him say that "It's just like the whale that bit me in the tank in Seaworld." Implying that a whale must have bit him sometime in his life. When this event happened is unknown.
Virtual band
In music, a virtual band is any group whose members are not corporeal musicians, but animated characters...
Gorillaz
Gorillaz
Gorillaz is an English musical project created in 1998 by Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett. This project consists of Gorillaz music itself and an extensive fictional universe depicting a "virtual band" of cartoon characters...
. He performs the lead vocals and plays the keyboard for the band.
Biography
2D is a nickname derived from the dent the character has in each eye socket causing them to look pitch black and by accidents with Murdoc's vehicle. His real name is Stuart Tusspot, (in the Rise of The Ogre, his father saying "Actually my original name was originally Tusspot, but having endured a lifetime of ridicule I thought, around the time of Stuart's birth, that I would shorten it to Pot. But deep down both myself and Stu are still Tusspots") most of the time shortened to Stu-Pot as a joke to his typical behaviour which often tends to give the impression of a slight lack of intelligence to others. He was born in Crawley, England, yet raised in Hertfordshire, England. His father, David Pot, worked as a mechanic and owner of the Tusspot's Fairground. His mother, Rachel Pot, was a nurse who supplied Stu-Pot with headache pills. He hit his head when falling from a tree at the age of 11, which caused his hair to fall out. When it grew back it was a light blue.Stu-Pot attended St. Wilfred's school, where, despite his apparent lack of interest and ambition, he got fairly good grades. For most of his life, Stu-Pot didn't know what he wanted to do when he got older. He first wanted to become a Storm Chaser
Storm chaser
Storm chaser can refer to:*Storm chasing, the pursuit of any severe weather condition*Storm Chaser, registered US Service Mark for Warren Faidley confirmed by the US Trademark Office as the first, full-time, professional storm chasing journalist...
and then he wanted to paint (inspired by Banksy
Banksy
Banksy is a pseudonymous England-based graffiti artist, political activist, film director, and painter.His satirical street art and subversive epigrams combine irreverent dark humour with graffiti done in a distinctive stencilling technique...
's graffiti works). He developed an interest in machinery when he and his dad customised his Casio VL-1
Casio VL-1
The VL-1 was the first instrument of Casio's VL-Tone product line, and is sometimes referred to as the VL-Tone. It combined a calculator, synthesizer, and sequencer...
keyboard. His musical idol is Augustus Pablo
Augustus Pablo
Horace Swaby , known as Augustus Pablo, was a Jamaican roots reggae and dub record producer, melodica player and keyboardist, active from the 1970s onwards. He popularized the use of the melodica in reggae music...
and his favourite is was The Human League
The Human League
The Human League are an English electronic New Wave band formed in Sheffield in 1977. They achieved popularity after a key change in line-up in the early 1980s and have continued recording and performing with moderate commercial success throughout the 1980s up to the present day.The only constant...
.
At age 19, on 15 August 1997, Murdoc purposefully crashed his Vauxhall Astra
Vauxhall Astra
Astra is a model name which has been used by Vauxhall, the British subsidiary of General Motors , on their small family car ranges since 1979. Astras are technically essentially identical with similar vehicles offered by GM's German subsidiary Opel in most other European countries...
through the wall of Uncle Norm's Keyboard Emporium, where Stu-Pot had been working, in an attempt to ram-raid
Ram-raiding
Ram-raiding is a variation on burglary in which a van, SUV, car, or other heavy vehicle is driven through the windows or doors of a closed shop, usually a department store or jewellers shop, to allow the perpetrators to loot it....
it and steal the synths. Murdoc's bumper crashed into Stu-Pot's face, landing him with an eight-ball
Hyphema
Hyphema is blood in the front chamber of the eye. It may appear as a reddish tinge, or it may appear as a small pool of blood at the bottom of the iris or in the cornea.-Causes:...
fracture in his right eye ball, and putting him into a deep catatonic state
Catatonia
Catatonia is a state of neurogenic motor immobility, and behavioral abnormality manifested by stupor. It was first described in 1874: Die Katatonie oder das Spannungsirresein ....
. Murdoc was arrested and sentenced to carry out 30,000 hours of community service as well as care for the vegetated Stu-Pot for 20 hours every week.
One year later, in a poor attempt to impress some women, Murdoc had tried to do a 360 in a car park, but was distracted by a woman who had decided to flash her breasts at him. This in turn sent Stuart flying through the windshield, and hitting his head on the curb. The impact woke him from his coma, but also dented his left eye to match his right one, thus giving him black/gray eyes. Murdoc said, "When he got up, he turned very slowly to look at me, like a zombie in one of those films he watches. When he did, it was a blank stare, just two holes. He was a blue-haired black-eyed god! Except the fact that half of his face was hanging off, all the chicks would dig him for his 'pretty boy' looks."
During the hiatus, 2D went to work on his father's funfair in Eastbourne. He used to collect money for a ride called 'The Switchback Ride', and there he met Shane Lynch
Shane Lynch
Shane Lynch is an Irish singer-songwriter, actor and professional drift driver, best known for his distinctive body art, outlandish sense of style, and as a member of Boyzone...
, former member of Boyzone
Boyzone
Boyzone are an Irish boy band comprising Keith Duffy, Mikey Graham, Ronan Keating,Shane Lynch, and formerly Stephen Gately. Boyzone have 19 singles in the top 40 UK charts and 21 singles in the Ire charts. The group currently have 6 UK number one singles and 9 number one singles in Ireland with 12...
, and they became good friends. By the time they met, 2D adopted a teddy boy
Teddy Boy
The British Teddy Boy subculture is typified by young men wearing clothes that were partly inspired by the styles worn by dandies in the Edwardian period, styles which Savile Row tailors had attempted to re-introduce in Britain after World War II...
style and used to stroll the city along with Shane. Apparently, while he wasn't with Shane he was messing around with a bunch of women he didn't know. He didn't really think about Gorillaz until four years later, when he received a text message from Noodle and, with that, he decided to return to Kong with fully restored confidence after he realised he was responsible for the Gorillaz success.
After the El Mañana conspiracy, 2D and Russel were frantic about Noodle's supposed death. It was a hoax, however, and the band has once again gone separate ways but not for long (so promised Murdoc in the autobiography Rise of the Ogre; their biggest project to date is apparently being planned) and the singer was, according to Murdoc, "...poncing off somewhere. He's probably gonna try and become an actor or a model or whatever..."
According to an official mail-out from 31 October 2007, Murdoc says that "2D is away on a vacation at a Jamaican beach." On 13 November, however, the D-Sides text in the G-Shop stated that 2D was currently completing a law degree. Murdoc has revealed that he has kidnapped 2D and is holding him against his will on Plastic Beach, enlisting 2D's vocal talents for use on the third Gorillaz album, Plastic Beach
Plastic Beach
Plastic Beach is the third studio album by British virtual band and alternative hip hop supergroup Gorillaz, released 3 March 2010 on Parlophone and Virgin Records. Conceived from an unfinished Gorillaz project called Carousel, the album was recorded during June 2008 to November 2009 and produced...
. It was revealed through various media on the trailer in which this kidnapping was revealed that 2D was in a small flat in Beirut
Beirut
Beirut is the capital and largest city of Lebanon, with a population ranging from 1 million to more than 2 million . Located on a peninsula at the midpoint of Lebanon's Mediterranean coastline, it serves as the country's largest and main seaport, and also forms the Beirut Metropolitan...
at the time, for reasons which are currently unknown.
On the Gorillaz website http://gorillaz.com/ it was recently stated by 2D, in the Plastic Beach adventure game, that Murdoc "kindly" had 2D gassed and shipped to Plastic Beach, where he is currently forced to sing for his new demos. His room is located on floor B2. When you enter his room he is found trembling on his bed. When you talk to him he asks who you are, and that he didn't think anyone else was on the island. He states that Murdoc has been gassing various people and forcing them to be on the album.
Throughout a recent interview, Gorillaz - iTunes Session, 2D deliberately insults Murdoc just to spite him for the horrible things he has done to him and actually physically attacked him when Murdoc brought up the Paula Cracker affair, which is obviously a sore subject for 2D.
During the Escape to Plastic beach World Tour, 2D wrote his Gorillaz album The Fall
The Fall (Gorillaz album)
-Additional personnel:* Guitar on track 3 by Mick Jones* Additional keyboards on track 6 by Jesse Hackett* Bass on track 12 by Paul Simonon* Qanun on track 12 by James R Grippo* Vocals, guitar and additional songwriting on track 13 by Bobby Womack...
which, apparently Murdoc knew nothing about...
Recently, a new character has appeared on Plastic Beach. His name is Big Rick, and he owns the record shop on the beach. It has been reported that the shop (previously locked) will open in time for The Fall's release.
During the special XFM radio show to promote the Gorillaz's The Singles Collection 2001-2011 on the 27th of November 2011, Murdoc said that the last he'd seen of 2-D was when the whale bit a chunk out of the island. This apparantly included 2-D's room which he was in at the time (Rhinestone Eyes Storyboard Video) and thus he is presumed to have been eaten alive untill rumor chaimed in uncut speech from Murdoc that he didn't and escaped the bunker http://browse.deviantart.com/?order=5&q=Gorillaz#/d4hp522.
Role as musician
2D has a twofold role in Gorillaz: he sings and plays keyboard. He can play guitar, as well as Murdoc, but both leave it to NoodleNoodle (Gorillaz)
Noodle is a musician and member of the virtual band Gorillaz. She provides the guitar and keyboard, as well as some main and backing vocals for the band. She, like all other Gorillaz members, was created by Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett...
. He has also claimed to have played "some divvy panpipes" for "Rock the House
Rock the House
"Rock the House" is a song from the Gorillaz self-titled debut album, Gorillaz. It was released as the third single from the album in October 2001. It peaked at #18 on the UK Singles Chart. The song is one of the more hip hop-oriented songs on the album, along with "Clint Eastwood"...
". In most cases, 2D's singing voice is much lower than his warbly speaking voice. His vocal range is very wide, and he has sung everything from Baritone to a falsetto Soprano. All his singing voices are provided by Albarn, including the spoken verses in the 2005 hit Feel Good Inc.
Feel Good Inc.
"Feel Good Inc." is a song by Gorillaz, on their album Demon Days, featuring De La Soul. The song was released as the lead single from the album on 9 May 2005 in the United Kingdom . "Feel Good Inc." peaked at #2 in the United Kingdom and #14 in the United States, at the time the band's highest...
2D apparently has had some influence in the lyric-writing process (as evidenced by the credits on the insert of the Gorillaz debut album
Gorillaz (album)
Gorillaz is the debut album by the British virtual band Gorillaz, released in March 2001. It includes the singles "Clint Eastwood", "19-2000", "Rock the House" and "Tomorrow Comes Today"...
, even though his intelligence is reputedly negligible). Apparently Murdoc has had Damon Albarn
Damon Albarn
Damon Albarn is an English singer-songwriter and record producer who has been involved in many high profile projects, coming to prominence as the frontman and primary songwriter of Britpop band Blur...
teach 2D from time to time to sing better than he already could, and apparently even sing in some of their songs, as stated in an NME interview with Damon.http://www.nme.com/magazine 2-D was featured on the songs "Squire for Hire" by Nathan Haines
Nathan Haines
Nathan Haines is a New Zealand jazz and adult contemporary saxophonist.-Life and career:Haines was born in 1972. His father, Kevin, played jazz bass, and his brother, Joel, played guitar. Haines played gigs with Joel across New Zealand, before moving to New York in 1991 to study jazz...
and "Small Time Shot Away" by Massive Attack
Massive Attack
Massive Attack are an English DJ and trip hop duo from Bristol, England consisting of Robert "3D" Del Naja and Grant "Daddy G" Marshall. Working with co-producers, as well as various session musicians and guest vocalists, they make records and tour live. The duo are considered to be of the trip...
.
Character & personality
2D's looks have changed from Phase 1 to Phase 2. In Phase 1, 2D is seen with very geometric, and almost purple hair at times, unlike in Phase 2, where his hair has seemed to gain a more realistic, lined tone and has turned to an almost teal color. Further, his shape in Phase 1 was almost ruler-straight; in Phase 2, he seemed to gain some tone and shape and wrinkles, making him look more realistic, compared to his Phase 1 appearance. In Phase 3 his appearance is much different he has a little more wrinkles texture to his face but he still looks like a teenager. From various videos, it can be assumed that 2D can see despite having two eight-ball fractures, but whether or not his vision is impaired seems to be unknown. In Stylo, On Melancholy Hill and Rhinestone Eyes video, he wore a red T-shirt and a clown mask. 2D's eyes are white every once in a while, due to him getting nervous, but they will turn black again when it has passed. Noodle stated in an interview in Times once that 2D smells like Butterscotch flavored Angel delight.Despite missing his two front teeth, 2D can sing clearly. His speech, while still mainly clear, has a definite Cockney (or thereabouts) accent: he says "sumfink" instead of "something", and "fing" instead of "thing." As stated in Rise of the Ogre, he lost his tonsils in a food fight that started at the party held in honour of the Gorillaz label signing, when an éclair was pushed into his face. His singing voice has become deeper since the first album.
2-D has had two known relationships, which were ruined by Murdoc, the first of which, Paula Cracker, was ruined when Murdoc had "happenings" with her in a bathroom. The second, Rachel Stevens from s club 7, Murdoc seemed to "scare off". More recently, though, 2D has developed a grudge against Murdoc, for sticking him in a room below sea level, and for (somehow) paying a whale to watch him constantly, because, according to 2D, "Murdoc knows I hate whales." 2D even seems resentful of Murdoc, particularly in the fourth Radio Pirate broadcast.
As for his actual relationships with the other band members, 2D seems to connect with each member in a different way. In Phase 1, 2D and Noodle
Noodle (Gorillaz)
Noodle is a musician and member of the virtual band Gorillaz. She provides the guitar and keyboard, as well as some main and backing vocals for the band. She, like all other Gorillaz members, was created by Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett...
were said to have a "Zen Bond". 2D also seemed to be very close to Murdoc. On the most recent XFM Residency Radio Show (16 May 2010), Murdoc seemed to be noticeably friendlier with 2D; he let him out of his underwater room so that he could join him in hosting the show, saying that he and the singer needed to "stick together". He showed no spite or sarcasm to 2-D throughout the session nearly at all. 2D clearly said in the interview though, "Why are you being so nice to me?" As well as Murdoc saying "he's a lovely little fella" during his MTV cribs episode. Also, in the ITunes session interviews, many times, 2D would try to stand up to Murdoc about his bass playing, his effects on him, and Paula incidents. Right after 2D would stand up to Murdoc , he would bully and beat 2D. Though Murdoc is often mean and cruel to 2D he seems to thinks of him as a friend most of the time.
Russel
Russel
Russel is an alternate spelling of Russell. Russel may refer to:- People :*Russel Arnold , Sri Lankan cricketer*Russel Crouse , American playwright*Russel Farnham , American frontiersman...
has both picked on and stood up for 2D. In a similar fashion to his referral to Murdoc as "Muds", Russel often calls 2D simply "D".
As mentioned above, it is revealed by 2D in the Plastic Beach Online Game that he has a severe case of cetaphobia, or fear of Whales. In chapter 3 of the escape to Plastic Beach game when the whale comes to get him you can clearly hear him say that "It's just like the whale that bit me in the tank in Seaworld." Implying that a whale must have bit him sometime in his life. When this event happened is unknown.