Murdoc Niccals is a mess. Honestly, if you followed Gorillaz back in 2005, you knew that the bassist wasn't exactly winning any "Citizen of the Year" awards, but Phase 2—the Demon Days era—was where his chaos truly peaked. It’s the era of the green skin, the winnebago, and the sheer audacity of a man who thought he could outrun a 30-year prison sentence in Mexico just by getting a fake medical degree.
Most people remember the music. They remember the haunting baseline of "Feel Good Inc." and the gospel choir on "Dirty Harry." But the lore? That’s where things get weirdly specific and surprisingly dark.
The Great Mexican Jailbreak
After Phase 1 ended with the band splintering, Murdoc didn't go to some luxury retreat. He went to Mexico. Specifically, he ended up in La Mesa State Prison. Why? He was caught passing off bad checks at a brothel called The Chicken Choker. Classic Murdoc. He was looking at three decades behind bars, which is a long time for a guy who’s already a walking health hazard.
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While he was there, he didn't just sit around and rot. He spent his time learning black magic from his cellmates—Pedro “Ears” Lapetzo and Carlos “Three-faced” Benito. He also managed to pass an Open University course in "Amateur Administration of Pharmaceutical Medicines." This is how he started calling himself Dr. Niccals.
He broke out in early 2004. He didn't just leave, though; he brought his pet raven, Cortez, and a bottle of tequila. By the time he got back to the UK, he was ready to rebuild the band, mostly because he needed the advance money from EMI to keep his lifestyle afloat.
Why Murdoc Niccals Phase 2 Hit Different
There's a specific "menace" to Murdoc’s design in Phase 2 that fans still obsess over. He wasn't the neon-green highlighter he became in later years. He was a subtle, sickly olive color. His teeth were yellowing. He wore those Cuban heels that added a few inches to his 5'4" frame.
The Kong Studios Revamp
When the band reunited at Kong Studios, the vibe was miserable. Murdoc had essentially spent his prison break money on taxidermy and a massive satellite dish. He spent most of this era hiding out in the studio's bunkers, dodging the various demons he'd summoned or angered over the years.
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You’ve gotta remember that this was the peak of his "Satanist-Chic" look. He was constantly flaunting the inverted cross, but in a way that felt like he was trying too hard to stay relevant. It worked. Demon Days became a massive success, and Murdoc took 100% of the credit, despite Noodle basically writing the entire album while he was busy "researching" in his winnebago.
The El Mañana Conspiracy
The biggest talking point of Phase 2 is always the "El Mañana" video. For a long time, people actually thought Murdoc had allowed Noodle to be killed off to save his own skin. The windmill island being shot down by helicopters was a trauma for the fanbase.
The truth was a bit more calculated. Murdoc had staged the whole thing. He needed to get rid of a man named Jimmy Manson—a disgruntled fan who wanted to join the band and kill Murdoc. Murdoc convinced Jimmy to hide in the windmill, promising him he’d be the new guitarist once Noodle "died." Instead, Murdoc let the helicopters do their work, getting rid of a rival and letting Noodle slip away into a planned "hiatus" (which actually ended with her in a different kind of hell, but that's a Phase 3 problem).
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Dealing with the Demon Grandpa Legacy
Looking back from 2026, it's easy to see Phase 2 as the foundation of everything that makes Murdoc... well, Murdoc. He was at his most devious. He was abusive to 2-D, dismissive of Russel, and oddly protective of Noodle in a way that only a sociopath can be.
He wasn't "reformed" yet. He hadn't gone through the prison-redemption arc of The Now Now or the cult-leader delusions of Cracker Island. He was just a guy from Stoke-on-Trent who sold his soul to the devil and was surprised when the bill came due.
Actionable Lore Tips for Fans
If you're trying to piece together the full Murdoc timeline, you can't just watch the videos. You need to dive into the Rise of the Ogre book. It’s the holy grail of Gorillaz history. Most of the gritty details about his time in Mexico and the specific ways he broke 2-D’s nose (multiple times) are tucked away in those pages.
Also, keep an eye on the old Kong Studios website archives. Even though the original Flash site is long gone, fans have preserved the "Cribs" episode where Murdoc shows off his room. It tells you more about his character than any interview ever could. Basically, if you want to understand the modern, slightly-softer Murdoc, you have to understand the monster he was during the Demon Days sessions.
Next Step for the Lore-Hunter: To truly see the shift in his personality, compare his Phase 2 interviews with the "pirate radio" broadcasts he did during Phase 3. The descent into madness is pretty much a straight line.