Who are Gorillaz? Brit Awards 2018 winners and virtual pop band who released new album Humanz
GORILLAZ released their long-awaited Humanz album last year and toured the UK at the end of 2017.
The band won the award for Best British Group at the BRIT Awards 2018. But what else do we know about them?
Who are Gorillaz?
Gorillaz were formed in 1998 by the Blur frontman and acclaimed solo artist Damon Albarn, and graphic artist Jamie Hewlett.
They had been friends for several years but came up with the idea for the cartoon group when watching MTV after moving into a flat together.
The band features four fictional members, with Hewlett providing the visual effects.
These are: 2D, on vocals and keyboards; Murdoch, on bass guitar and drum machine; Russel Hobbs, on drums and percussion; and Noodle, on guitars, keys and vocals.
A 2000 EP, Tomorrow Comes Today, went largely under the radar, but their debut single, the iconic "Clint Eastwood", launched the band into the spotlight.
Gorillaz' eponymous first album was a global hit, climbing to number six in the UK charts and shifting eight million copies worldwide.
Their next effort, 2005's Demon Days, did even better, taking the number one spot in the UK and outselling their debut both at home and in America.
That record featured the Grammy Award-winning single Feel Good Inc, Dirty Harry and DARE – which gave them their first, and to this date only UK number one single.
The duo's four albums to date – with Plastic Beach released in 2010 and The Fall 2011 – have featured a host of star turns from guest artists.
Musical icons Snoop Dogg, De La Soul, Lou Reed, Shaun Ryder and Mos Def are among the acts to have collaborated on Gorillaz tracks.
How do Gorillaz perform live?
Albarn's various solo commitments and the reforming of Blur, combined with their status as a virtual band, mean live Gorillaz performances are rare, and they have toured just three times.
On their first tour in 2001, the live band played behind a giant projector screen which projected visual effects and images created by Hewlett.
Gorillaz had a four-year hiatus from live shows after the Demon Days Live tour of 2005/6, but returned for their first ever world tour in 2010, which featured headline slots at Glastonbury and Coachella.
Their shows, like their albums, are known for featuring special guest performances, and the live band includes punk legends Mick Jones and Paul Simonon from The Clash.
