Make a monkey of yourself!

GORILLAZ are set to make their return in 2005 - and you could be joining them.

The animated project – brainchild of Damon Albarn and artist Jamie Hewlett – are launching a worldwide talent contest to find a new member. The winner of the competition will not only be able to collaborate with Gorillaz but they will get time in Kong Studios to showcase their skills.

Guitarist Noodle said: "You are asking your children to aspire to idiots and are sowing the seeds of your own downfall, growing vacuous sickly weeds. These weeds will grow up to strangle you of any oxygen. You may laugh while your empire crumbles but you are putting chemicals in the foodchain… The dark is rising! There is danger!! Disease walks our corridors!! We need fresh talents. I, Noodle, will launch the world's First Global Internet Talent Contest."

Band members Murdoc, 2D, Russel and Noodle will be judging the competition, which kicks off on December 15. Entries can be anything from "animations, musical, sickly off-cuts, brief sketches, film scenes, caught-on-cameras clips, out-takes, voice-overs, bits of unused footage, whether humorous, dark, edgy, juvenile, insightful or thought provoking".

Kong Studios at www.gorillaz.com will host the ‘Search for a Star’ contest. Gorillaz fans will be notified by a series of e-cards sent by Noodle over the next few weeks, and a new improved Kong Studios website will go live from December 8.

As of December 15, submissions will be available for viewing in 'The Auditions Room' section of the website.

There will be a webcast on December 15 at 5pm with Noodle.

Gorillaz will select their favourites each week as they come in. After that the Top Ten entries will then be available for viewing. The online audience can then vote and the winner of each weekly round will go forward into 'The Finals'. There will be 23 weeks of submissions, leading up to 'The Finals', when the viewers will get to vote for the ultimate winners on June 22 2005.

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