ODERUS URUNGUS - "There Would Not Be SLIPKNOT Without GWAR"
October 18, 2012, 12 years ago
GWAR frontman Oderus Urungus recently spoke with Matt Preira at the Broward Palm Beach New Times. An excerpt from the interview is available below:
Q: These days, GWAR isn't regarded as "shocking" as you used to be. You were featured on Jerry Springer as a "shock rock" band. But it doesn't seem like you would fit into that category anymore.
Oderus: "Springer had it all wrong. Did you see that kid they brought out that they said was a 'GWAR fan' with the black lipstick? That kid would have gotten his ass kicked at a GWAR show. A lot of bands have tried to do what GWAR does, but no band has ever taken it as far as GWAR has. No one has ever out-sicked us. You think these Walmart behemoths of the music industry like MARILYN MANSON or ROB ZOMBIE are really scary people? That they have any kind of revolutionary agenda? All they care about is making money, and hanging out with their director buddies as they throw gala award ceremonies to circle jerk each other into a frenzy. GWAR is where GWAR should be: In the drawer marked filth.
There would not be SLIPKNOT without GWAR. I have a direct quote from Rob Zombie about Gwar when he was figuring out what he wanted to do with his career. They asked him, 'Hey what do you think of them?' and he said, 'The first time I saw GWAR, I thought 'I want to be that, but I want to make money.'' That to me says a lot about Rob Zombie as an artist. It says that he isn't one.
I give Manson a little more credit. He has a strand of pure obnoxiousness in him. I heard a story, some girl tried to get his signature and he hocked a huge bloody loogie. 'There's my signature.'
Rob Zombie is a tired, G-Rated, mishmash of other people's styles. When I see Slipknot I see lots of pentagrams and cow skulls. Really familiar imagery. What I do like about Sliptknot is there music. Their drummer is fucking amazing. But when I get to Marilyn Manson, he's a little harder to peg. A little ALICE COOPER, a little DAVID BOWIE, a little JOHNNY ROTTEN.
GWAR has done similar things. We've borrowed liberally from other shit. But no one has gone further than GWAR has gone."
Go to this location for the complete interview.
In the footage below, GWAR sends off Undercover with a bone-shaking performance of KANSAS' 1976 smash hit, 'Carry On Wayward Son':
GWAR tour dates:
October
19 - Ybor City, FL - The Ritz Ybor20 - Ft. Lauderdale, FL - Revolution
22 - Charlotte, NC - Amos' Southend
24 - New Orleans, LA - House of Blues
25 - Austin, TX - Emo's
26 - Dallas, TX - House of Blues
27 - Houston, TX - House of Blues
31 - Denver, CO - Summit Music Hall
November
1 - Albuquerque, NM - Sunshine Theater2 - Tempe, AZ - The Marquee
3 - Santa Ana, CA - The Observatory
4 - West Hollywood, CA - House of Blues
5 - Santa Cruz, CA - The Catalyst
6 - Sacramento, CA - Ace of Spades
8 - Boise, ID - Knitting Factory
9 - Portland, OR - Roseland Theater
10 - Seattle, WA - Showbox at the Market
11 - Spokane, WA - Knitting Factory
12 - Vancouver, BC - Vogue Theater
14 - Edmonton, AB - Edmonton Events Centre
15 - Calgary, AB - MacEwan Hall Ballroom
16 - Saskatoon, SK - Odeon Events Centre
17 - Winnipeg, MB - The Garrick Center
18 - Minneapolis, MN - First Avenue
20 - Grand Rapids, MI - The Intersection
21 - Milwaukee, WI - The Rave
23 - Detroit, MI - Harpo's
24 - Toronto, ON - Sound Academy
26 - Millvale, PA - Mr. Smalls Theater
December (with KEPONE, IRON REAGAN)
20 - Washington, DC - 9:30 Club21 - Norfolk, VA - The Norva
Keep up with GWAR at this location.