Stuart Pot (also known as 2D, Stu-Pot, or Pot) is the lead vocalist and pianist of the Gorillaz.
Background
Stuart Pot was born on May 23, 1978 to David and Rachel Pot. His real name is Stuart Pot (his last name was often thought to be Tusspot, though his father changed his name to "Pot" shortly before Stu was born), but is often shortened to Stu-Pot. He was born in Hertfordshire, England and was raised in Crawley, England and was educated at St. Wilfred's School (the same school that educated the members of The Cure.) His father, David Tusspot, worked as a mechanic and owner of the Tusspot's Fairground. His mother, Rachel Tusspot, was a nurse who supplied Stu-Pot with headache pills from his tree accident. Stu-Pot wasn't a very intelligent boy, he was known as a kind person and had a general love of music. His parents recall a little ten year old bouncing around in his room listening to The Clash, Agustus Pablo, The Human League (this band was his favorite) and many other musicians of the sort. He hit his head when falling from a tree at the age of eleven, which caused his hair to fall out. When it came back it was a deep 'azure blue'.
An old photo of 2D (foreground center) during his days at St. Wilfred's school.
When he was 19, the drama in his life began when hooligan Murdoc Niccals, age 31, purposefully crashed his Vauxhall Astra through the wall of Uncle Norm's Organ Emporium, where Stu-Pot had been working, in an attempt to ramraid it and steal the synths. Murdoc's bumper crashed into Stu-Pot's face, landing him with an 8-ball fracture also known as a hyphema he can still see though. Murdoc was arrested and sentenced to carry out 30,000 hours of community service as well as care for the vegetablized Stu-Pot for 10 hours every week.
One year later, in a poor attempt to impress some women, Murdoc performed a 360 in a Tesco car park in Nottingham with his vehicle. This sent Stu-Pot crashing through the windshield, hitting his head on the curb, fracturing Stuart's other eye. When Stu Pot awoke after what seemed to be him sliding on the cement for about a mile, he turned to look at Murdoc. This is when Murdoc knew he had his front man. "A fractured eyed blue haired god", Murdoc recalls. Murdoc nicknamed Stuart 2D, which stands for the "Two Dents" in his head. Rather amusingly, Stu-Pot adores his new nickname, dropping use of his birth name completely and even signing formal letters with the first name "Two" and surname "D". 2D would appear to have a chronic history of violent blows to the head, coupled with a complete lack of natural intelligence. Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewlett commented on this, saying that he has a blank sheet of paper where a brain should be. Despite this, he serves as Gorillaz's lead vocalist.
Gorillaz Phase 1: 1998-2002
In 1998, 2-D and Murdoc moved into Kong Studios and assembled Russel Hobbs to join them. His girlfriend, Paula Cracker was originally the group's first guitar player but was shortly fired after Russel caught her and Murdoc in the studio toilets making out. 2-D was upset about this and he and Paula broke up. After she was replaced by Noodle and band was named Gorillaz, 2-D began dating Rachel Stevens, former member of S-Club 7 and invited her to the band's first gig at the Camden Brownhouse.
After Gorillaz attended the record label signing party, Rachel broke up with 2-D the next day, after Murdoc spent most of the evening hitting on her to get her attention.
After Gorillaz played their last gig at the Isle of MTV in Portugal, Gorillaz moved to Los Angeles to write a film and tension began to grow between the band members. After suggesting many crazy ideas for the film, Murdoc snapped and attacked 2-D, almost getting himself choked. Luckily, Russel saved him, but after that fight, the band split up.
Post-Phase 1 to Pre-Phase 2: 2003-2004
During the Gorillaz hiatus, 2D stayed in Los Angeles. He spent a couple of nights at Britt Ekland's flat but he left because of her habbit of running around naked and banging on the walls and never getting any sleep. 2-D finally left L.A 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. 2D didn't really think about Gorillaz until a couple 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 realized he was responsible for the Gorillaz success.
Gorillaz Phase 2: 2005-2007
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.
Gorillaz Phase 3: 2008-2012
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 [1] it was recently stated by 2D, in the Plastic Beach adventure game,[1] 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. "I only really joined the band to make music, and now, I'm being held captive by a bastard bass player in an underwater submarine, being attacked by sodding pirates who are trying to take over this rotten piece of broken plastic in the ocean that Gorillaz call 'home'. All this, just to make a video. It's making me want to die!" 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 2D was when the whale bit a chunk out of the island. This apparantly included 2D's room which he was in at the time (Rhinestone Eyes Storyboard Video) and thus he is presumed to have been eaten alive. However, there are various hints that 2D may have possibly escaped from the bunker.
It was later show that 2D was rescued by Russel and Noodle after their arrival on Plastic Beach who then traveled with them to find Murdoc after it was found out he faked his death. The three found him in a ruin down house at 212 Wobble Street, London after finding his new broadcasting location. Although it is not known what happened next the four band members are shown living together again during the "DoYaThing" music video.
Physical Appearance
2D has big hands and long fingers. He is tall and thin, standing at 6'2", and has black eyes. The reason it looks like this is because of his 8-ball fracture, when the iris of the eye filled with blood also called a hyphema. He has natural blue hair resulting from when he fell out of a tree at age eleven, causing all his hair to fall out and grow back a deep azure blue. His hair used to be brown.
Like Noodle, 2D's looks have evolved heavily throughout Phases 1, 2, and 3. In Phase 1, 2D is seen with very geometric, and almost purple hair at times, unlike in phase two, where his hair has seemed to gain a more realistic, lined tone and turned to an almost teal color, In Phase 3, 2D is seen with much more realistic hair, larger eyes, and more tanned skin. Further, his shape in Phase 1 was almost ruler-straight; in Phase 2 and 3, he seemed to gain some tone and shape and wrinkles, giving him more of a 'hippy' look, compared to his Phase 1 appearance. 2D's speaking and singing voice has also deepened from Phases 1 to 3.
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 "summfink" instead of "something", and "fing" instead of "thing." His singing voice has become deeper since the first album. 2D is considered the 'pretty boy' and frontman of Gorillaz.
