Dave Brockie

I remember the first time I heard GWAR was on the school bus, on the way to Salem middle school. I was in 8th grade and Eddie Dickerson brought his boom box on the bus and threw in the "Scumdogs of the Universe" cassette tape. Our bus driver was cool, so she let us do shit like this from time to time. I remember asking him what were we listening to, and what did GWAR stand for? Gay. Women. Against. Rape. was the first thing out his mouth as he pushed play (we eventually learned that GWAR wasn't an acronym for anything). The first song I heard was "Slaughterama" I immediately was hooked and went to K-Mart that night and got it. The first time I saw them I was 15 and it was at Peppermint Lounge in Va Beach in May of 1992. with the Melvins. I drank 4 or 5 Milwaukee's Beast and walked in with a group of friends from Richmond. Sometime around when "Maggots" came on, I basically lost my shit and had the time of my life. By the time it was over, my lip was bleeding and I was dosed in so much fake blood and semen, it ruined everything I was wearing, AND I FUCKING LOVED IT! I actually loved it so much I went to the Flood Zone the next night and did it all over again. From "America Must Be Destroyed" to there most recent "Battle Maximus" GWAR released 13 albums and were actually nominated for a grammy in 1993 but lost to Annie Lennox, and again in 1995 but lost to Nine Inch Nails. It was never about awards anyway, it was about the elaborate costumes, the props, and the music. Hearing the news Monday was definitely a shock. Although I didn't listen to GWAR on an everyday basis, I'll still never forget the first time I heard them and the summer of '92 when I experienced them live. Hey what ever happened to Eddie Munster? YOU'RE LOOKING AT HIM! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dbnm-0r3suM - Jimmy