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The Sun
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Inside the weird and wonderfully subversive home of Gorillaz where iconic band are brought to life
GORILLAZ: HOUSE OF KONG ★★★★★ IN a discreet corner of London's Olympic Park, you'll find a vast, dingy looking metal warehouse. The word KONG is picked out in big red capital letters above a menacing statue of Pazuzu, a demon-god entity from ancient Mesopotamia, only this one is unceremoniously covered in stickers. 3 3 Welcome to House Of Kong, the endlessly weird and wonderfully subversive home of Gorillaz. You may think of 2-D, Murdoc Niccals, Russel Hobbs and Noodle as a virtual band — product of the fevered minds of musician Damon Albarn and artist Jamie Hewlett. But this immersive exhibition, which opened its doors yesterday at the Copper Box Arena, is the physical embodiment of their 25-year history. So visitors get the sights, the sounds and, er, the smells that created the legend. Having been given a sneak preview, I was sworn to secrecy about many of the surprises in store, but I can give you a few juicy details. With headphones on, I am invited by a tour guide down a dimly lit, wood-panelled corridor with a sign at the end — again in bold capitals — which implores: 'REJECT FALSE ICONS'. The first room I enter is devoted to what is called the 'miscreation' of Gorillaz, through Hewlett's dazzling drawings. I see how the cartoon band's final line-up was arrived at, how a whole world was built around them and finally how they came to life through animation. I hear the story of their wild ride into the world of music — beginning with the self-titled debut album (2001), then continuing with Demon Days (2005), Plastic Beach (2010) and so on. This part of the exhibition is fascinating but relatively normal. It didn't quite prepare me for the bizarre (secret) scenes about to unfold. Official music video for the track Humility from the Gorillaz's newest album The Now Now Without giving too much away, I get lost in total darkness at one point and have to be rescued by an assistant with a torch. Shocking pink At least a panic attack didn't kick in — and I'm putting it down to a bit of Murdoc Niccals mischief. I can also add that I was very impressed with the large, original model of Plastic Beach, the shocking-pink floating Gorillaz HQ in the South Pacific made of humankind's detritus. And by the time I exited through the gift shop (in time-honoured Banksy-inspired fashion) and emerged blinking in the sunlight, I felt like I was ready for a lie-down (although not in a darkened room!) On the poster, Murdoc describes it as 'an exhibition like no other.' I would add the words, 'and then some'. 3
The Independent
06-07-2025
- Sport
- The Independent
Johnny Fisher reveals why quitting boxing isn't an option after knockout by Dave Allen
Johnny Fisher has no plans to quit boxing after suffering a knockout defeat in a rematch with Dave Allen at the Copper Box Arena in May. Fisher had moments of success in the fight, but he never looked settled and was eventually tracked down by Allen, who unloaded heavy combinations, finishing the fight with a flurry of hooks in the fifth round. Speaking to Sky Sports in his first interview since fight night, Fisher explained that he is ready to make a return and has taken enough time away to analyse the fight and mentally re-energise himself for whatever comes next. Fisher said: 'I know it sounds sort of paradoxical, but I'm in a really good state of mind. I feel free. I feel relaxed. And I'm ready to prove a point because that's the best place to be sometimes.' The Essex man believed he ventured too far from what he excels at in the rematch, which was his eventual downfall, but has learned his lesson, promising he will stay true to who he is and return to being the aggressor. The 'Romford Bull' said: 'In the second fight, you probably overanalyse a bit. You probably go too far the other way. And I went too far away from what I'm good at. I'm a come-forward guy. I'm aggressive." He continued: 'I think about those fights, the [Alen] Babic fights, the Southern Area title fight. The things that got me into this position. I think I went too far away from what I'm good at.' After the first Allen fight, it would have been easy for Fisher to take his controversial victory and move on, continuing his rise through the heavyweight ranks, but he said that this was never an option in his mind. Fisher explained: 'I thought, 'Am I the sort of man that I think I am if I just walk away and don't have the second fight?' Because it was a close fight, and if I'm a man of my word, a man of honour. I've got to go in there and do it. And I'm not one of these people to be worried about ifs, buts and maybes, or if I'm going to lose or not. I want to give people exciting fights.' With the future uncertain for the young Brit, he made it clear that he has no intentions of taking a step back, despite being a man who is fortunate enough to have other options, he intends to charge forward into his next challenge. Fisher told Sky Sports: 'I've got a history degree from the University of Exeter. I can go and do something else. But there's something inside of me, and I know that I can do something in this game, and me doing something in this game could be me winning a British title.'
The Standard
10-06-2025
- Sport
- The Standard
Burgeoning 'Baller League' offers zany remix of Beautiful Game
A general view of players in action during a Baller League match at the Copper Box Arena in London, Britain, May 12, 2025. REUTERS/Streisand Neto/File Photo
The Independent
27-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Who are the ‘Bosh Soldiers' of the ‘Romford Bull Army' led by Big John, the viral supporters of Johnny Fisher?
Johnny Fisher, 13-0 (11), returns to action this evening, facing fellow British heavyweight Dave Allen, 23-7-2 (18), in a rematch that is headlining a night of boxing at the Copper Box Arena. An unbeaten prospect with hopes of becoming a household name for his boxing skills, Fisher is better known for his relation to viral internet sensation, Big John. Big John will be in attendance, leading the Bosh soldiers of the Romford Bull Army. Confused by those terms? Let us explain. Who is Big John? Boxers often have their family in their corner, sometimes literally, and Fisher is no different. Formerly a boxer himself, albeit at an amateur level, John Fisher has travelled to the USA and Saudi Arabia in support of his son. Arguably more well-known than his son, Big John has carved out a niche on social media as an internet sensation. Across various accounts on Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok, Big John has amassed over a million followers Big John has created a following based on his large appetite and trademark saying of 'bosh', leading to his fans being referred to as the 'Bosh Army'. A connoisseur of Chinese takeaways, Big John and Fisher have been spotted sharing some chicken balls to celebrate a win for the Romford Bull in the past. Big John picked up 'bosh' from his friend and fellow Romford personality Tom Skinner. His son has also utilised the term, referring to tonight's venue as the Copper 'Bosh' Arena. Who are the Romford Bull Army? Whilst Big John has his own Bosh Army, his son's supporters are named the 'Romford Bull Army'. There is overlap between the two, with members of the Romford Bull Army labelled 'Bosh Soldiers' by Big John, who has stylised himself as the group's leader. Fisher's supporters named themselves after their favourite fighter's nickname, a term given to the Essex-born heavyweight when he was sparring in Las Vegas. American trainers were impressed with his style, stating that he fought like a bull. Raised in Romford, Fisher added his hometown to the descriptor to create his new moniker. Partly thanks to their viral leader, Big John, the Romford Bull Army have a healthy presence on social media, with 15,000 followers on Instagram. Other famous members include Ethan Payne, a YouTuber better known as Behzinga, who is part of the Sidemen, a group of YouTubers with 22m followers. On their Instagram account, the Romford Bull Army shows plenty of support for their man, selling merchandise and organising watch parties for Fisher's fights. The Romford Bull Army travel well, having supported Fisher out in Las Vegas and Riyadh, but they will not have far to travel to east London this evening. Fisher's supporters were in full voice during Friday's press conference, indicating that he will have quite a few fans in attendance when he faces Dave Allen.
The Independent
27-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Fisher-Allen II: Three other controversial matches that led to return bouts
This Saturday will see a rematch between Johnny Fisher and Dave Allen when the pair meet at the Copper Box Arena in London. After first meeting at the end of last year in Riyadh, the pair went to a ten-round split decision that ended in a win for Fisher. Despite – or, maybe, because of – the victory, controversy rose around the scoring. While one judge thought that Fisher had lost by three points, the two others gave it to him by a single notch each. There was a good argument for Fisher having lost. He was knocked down in the fifth round, went toe-to-toe with Allen for much of the fight, and looked at the end as if every second in the bout had been an arduous one. And now, this weekend, the pair meet again. Judgement is a matter of shades. Controversy within boxing is not unusual. It is far more the rule than the exception, with many fights over the years generating such controversy first time around that a rematch has become immediately imminent. Corrales-Castillo When Diego Corrales and Jose Luis Castillo met in 2005, few were excited by their lightweight unification. Corrales was 39-2 (32) and was coming in after tough fights against Joel Casamayor and Acelino Freitas. Castillo, meanwhile, had also taken a split decision over Casamayor. He had beaten the decent Juan Lazcano, too, and stopped Julio Diaz in ten. But Castillo was most famous for pushing Floyd Mayweather Jr to a decision in 2002 in a bout that many thought he had won. Magic entered the building at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas that night when Corrales and Castillo met. They pair went toe-to-toe for ten rounds until Castillo put Corrales down, twice, on the floor. In pain, Corrales let his gumshield slip from his mouth during the first knockdown. He spat it out deliberately on the second and lost a point. His coach, placing it back into his mouth, said, 'You better ****ing get inside on him now.' Corrales did. Fewer than thirty seconds later, he pitched Castillo against the ropes and punched him until the referee stopped it. The pair of them returned five months later, but Castillo missed the weight limit by 3.5lbs. The fight went ahead anyway, and a weight-drained Corrales was knocked out in the fourth. A third fight between the pair was set to end the controversy, but was cancelled after Castillo missed the weight again, that time by 4.5lbs. Huck-Arslan The pair first met in 2012 in Halle, Germany, where Huck, the WBO cruiserweight champion, won a unanimous decision over former WBA champion Arslan. Despite the wide scorecards, the decision was controversial and the pair rematched fourteen months later in Stuttgart. This time, Huck left no doubt by stopping Arslan in six rounds. Both men are still fighting many years later. Huck, now 40, last appeared in a boxing ring last June in Berlin. Arslan, now 54, last fought in a small show in his gym in Goeppingen, Germany, in October. But while they have not appeared against each other for a third time, they are often pictured together at shows, having seemingly become friends years after their two fights. Abraham-Smith When Liverpool fighter Paul Smith went to Kiel, Germany, in 2014, few expected him to be anything more than a foil for the German super-middleweight Arthur Abraham. Abraham had been fighting in Germany since 2003, only ever lost decisively to elite fighters when on foreign soil, and had been matched carefully by his promoters for years. Smith expected much different of himself. His family and friends spoke of how dedicated he had been in his training, and of how had left no stone unturned. It sounded like hyperbole, the words that all supporters say before a big fight. But then Smith outworked and outmanoeuvred Abraham over twelve, tightly contested rounds. The only thing Smith did not do was outpoint Abraham, losing a unanimous decision. Such was the controversy over the result that the pair met again, five months later in Berlin and in front of a much-bigger crowd. This time, though, Abraham seemed to be better prepared and he took another decision – this one now thought to be much fairer.
