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Oderus Urungus Interview
(GWAR)
They claim to be from the Antarctic, but actually Richmond, Virginia is where
they call home.
GWAR is short for God What A Racket. If we wanted to be mean and sarcastic,
we could say that's a good description of their music. But, we won't say that.
Instead, we'll just say that GWAR has to be one of the strangest, if not the
strangest band around today.
GWAR vocalist Oderus Urungus talked ("Babbled On?") to us about his group.
Q: What do they call you for short - Ode?
A. Well, I've been called many things. Dracula. But, most of my friends just
call me Oder. For short call me The Supreme Master of Elegant Oblivion. (Didn't
I tell you this guy was weird?) Oh no, that's kind of long. Just call me
Fred. I've decided I will be named a human name for this interview.
Q: How do you prevent personal information about your life,
from being discovered by the press?
A: I often am disguised as famous game show hosts, or even a normal human.
You might be at the supermarket checking out and I will be behind the counter,
because it indulges my whim to do so. I can be anyone I feel like at anytime,
you know. Ricardo Montabaln. Burl Ives. It's all the same to me. As far as
any reality, any real kind of connection to the real world, well, I deny that
most viciously. And, I'm indeed not a washed up art student. No, no, that's
not me at all. There's no human relation to GWAR. There's no correlation between
GWAR and the human race. I'm getting upset here.
Q: Why is that?
A: The mere thought that I Oderus Urungus would ever be compared to a human
in any way except being totally supreme and magnificent-well, it fills me
with revulsion and disgust. The human race have occasion to delight me and
titillate my sensibilities, but for the most part I find the humans spineless,
weak, vapid, but now tedious.
Q: Why haven't we heard more about GWAR?
A: The answer is very simple. The government is trying to suppress knowledge
of GWAR. Indeed, many catastrophes that have occurred across the world, which
are directly because of GWAR have been suppressed from your media. Did you
know that we were the house band in Beirut for over eight years?
Q: I didn't know that. Why would the government be against
GWAR?
A: I just don't know. There is a great conspiracy amongst the governments of
the world to suppress knowledge about GWAR to the masses because they know
that if the human race knows of GWAR's existence fully, and knows that indeed
we are real, we are truly going to take over this planet, then they will forsake
all allegiances to all nations, and flock to Antarctica and flock to our shows,
and that would probably mean poor tax collection.
Q: Can we assume that anybody who would name a band GWAR,
would've had some previous experience in the music business?
A: Well indeed, we invented the entire concept of music, for the human race,
just as we invented everything you ever did that was worth credit. Of course,
we let you pretend like you did it.
Q: You're not saying you're bitter or cynical about the music
business are you, with a name like God what A Racket. You've been around,
so you know how it works?
A: I've been around. I've worked my way up from the bottom of the industry,
all the way to the top. Then I went to the bottom. Then I waded about half
way up, and then I went up again. Then I went up again. Then I went to the
bottom and then I went back up. So, I think I've seen it all. I think I've
seen it all from the bottom up, and a little bit of this side as well. I can
honestly say that I don't know what I'm talking about, when I say I don't know
what I'm about to say.
Q: Are you sure you and David Lee Roth aren't one in the same?
A: Diamond Dave and myself have been known to hang out. It's true. We play
golf together. He's one of the few human celebrities I can tolerate.
Q: Could GWAR write a song that would get radio airplay?
A: Well, unfortunately radios explode when GWAR is played on them. So, that
is limiting airplay somewhat. Would we ever change our songs? Yes, we would
be bent and manipulated no end by our manager Sleazy P. Martini, as long
as it meant making more money. We could be on MTV. We could be on the radio
at a whim, at the drop of a severed head, but we don't want to do that.
Q: But, why don't you want to do it?
A: Ahh. I don't know, just because it pleases me. What other reason do I need?
Q: Could you write a commercial song with a hook?
A: Well, as a matter of fact we did write an excellent song with a hook, but
it went right through Martha Quinn's head and that blew the whole thing and
the video went right off the air immediately.
Q: Do you ever get radio airplay?
A: Well, some of the more enterprising and indeed adventurous college radio
stations will actually play the noises that humans call GWAR. And, the radios
will explode. I understand they're playing GWAR a lot on Armed Forces Radio
right now.
Q: I don't believe that.
A: Hmmm... the government won't tell you.
Q: Who came up with the idea to form GWAR? Where did the concept
come from?
A: We were created when the entire universe was born.
Q: GWAR travels around in an old school bus. How do you fit
all the people and gear in that bus?
A: The school bus is used only by the staves of GWAR, you see. They drive around
with all of our equipment. We fly around in a giant bat-shaped helicopter.
We have a giant bat. with a giant helicopter rotor blade sticking out. We used
to fly around on a giant bat, then Sleazy said well, it'll do better if you
ut a helicopter engine in it. That's Sleazy P Martini our manager. So, that
was a good idea. We even went so far as to carve out the stomach, and make
a little lounge, a Jacuzzi down there. That is how we fly around from gig to
gig.
© Gary James All Rights Reserved
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