Lately in alt.music.gwar, we have had the distinct privilege of a demigod in our presence. I am speaking of none other than BalSac, the Jaws Of Death. I have taken the opportunity to ask him about some insignificant trivia from days of yesteryear....
From: huntermc@gmail.com (huntermc)
Newsgroups: alt.music.gwar
Subject: Question for Balsac regarding drummers and old characters from
the days of prehistory....
Date: Sun, 23 Feb 1997
I know I've asked this before, but I don't think I ever got a clear answer on this. I think I've got my facts straight, but I'd like to know fer sure...
We all know that the dearly departed Sean Sumner was the drummer for Death Piggy, and I would presume that he carried over into GWAR as the first drummer Hans Sphincter. After his departure he was replaced by Nippleus (Rob Mosby), who played on Hell-o!
According to Mind Control Monthly #8, the next drummer was Lee Beato. Was this his character name, or was this his real name? This was the guy with the skeletal wings that was in the infamous MTV Week In Rock clip from the 1989 New Music Seminar, right? Also, by my mind-bungling powers of deduction, I am guessing that Beato was the drummer on the Dr. Grusome Movie Morgue videos for Death Pod and Cool Place To Park. (For those Bohabs out there that aren't familiar with these clips, get off your shit encrusted ass and order a copy of The Next Mutation from Slave Pit)
Next drummer was Hans Orifice, the Necro-Voo-Doo-Doo-Doo priest. Was this a returning Sean Sumner, back for another brief try before our beloved Jizmak took over the skin bashing seat for good?
Another question that I'm fairly sure of but would like confirmation of: Joe Anaroma was the original singer's real name, Joey Slutman was his character name, right?
And while I'm nitpicking over inconsequential trivia from the early days, here's a few more questions:
We know that Death Piggy's Steve Douglas was the original Balsac, and played on Hell-o! Was DP's Russ Bahorsky the other original guitar player? I know from the old comics that there were the brothers Hans and Stephen Sphincter, so I'm guessing that Russ was Stephen Shincter, right? Or was that Steve Douglas?
I also know that although Dave did the vocals and bass in Death Piggy, he originally did just the bass in GWAR. There has been some confusion in this group over whether or not Dave was the Oderus character at this time, or if Joe was, but my guess is that Dave has always been Oderus, right? We know that after Joe's departure, Dave/Oderus assumed his rightful position as singer, but then who took over the bass? I've seen an ancient video from these early days (Shimmy Disc Video Comp) and the guy that is playing Beefcake is obviously not Mike Bishop (not heavy enough)... I also read somewhere that you, Mr. Derks, were the original Beefacke, is this right?
Also, in the very cool "GWAR Dictionary" that you posted here a couple of months ago, you mentioned that Sleazy had a brother named Sluggo, was this the guy with the beard and the mohawk that's in the GWAR Must Be Destoyed film, in the part where Techno mentions that they'd been "influenced by capitalist swine" or whatever?
And last... how's Smallsac doing?
thanks
BalSac Replies:
From: gwar@richmond.infi.net (BalSac)
Newsgroups: alt.music.gwar
Subject: Re: Question for Balsac regarding drummers and old characters
from the days of prehistory....
Date: Mon, 24 Feb 97
Organization: GWAR
The early days of GWAR (or the Dim Time, as we refer to them as) are a
muddled period in GWAR's history. It is hard to keep track of all of the
early Scumdogs, who have faded into oblivion. Let me start by saying
that your drummer timeline is riddled with errors (as is the one in both
versions of FUQ). Lets see if I still have enough healthy brain cells to
recall the first days after our thawing.
The very first GWAR show was at PB Kellys in Richmond, opening for Death Piggy. The members of DP (Brockie, Sumners, and Russ Bahorsky (GWAR stage name: Mr. Magico)) donned paper maiche costumes and Joey Slutman (Anaroma) joined them on vocals (Oderus (Brockie played bass)) and GWAR was born. After this show (and possibly 1 other with this line up (at the 9:30 club in DC,a show that got GWAR banned from DC for 3 years)
Mr. Magico and Sumners were replaced by a loosely assembled group of Scumdogs. For a few shows the core group of musicians were the band The Alter-Natives, a jazz/hard core band from Richmond (look for their albums on SST) and a few additional musicians. The new scumdogs were:
This line-up (with a couple additions for some of the shows) played between 3 and 6 shows in 1987. Then GWAR got an oppurtunity to record an album with Shimmy Disc Records, so a band was put together so they could record and maybe tour (the Alter-Natives had tours of thier own lined up).
This line-up recorded Hell-O and did maybe a dozen shows on the east coast. No one got along with BalSac back then, so I was forced to go through another personality change, and became the lovable goat legged monster that I am today (guitar, Michael Derks,1988-present). We toured the US twice and then Nippleus dissolved doing Hydrocloric Acid (was fired/quit), so Hans Orrifice (Jim Thompson) re-joined the band for a tour (US first Cardinal Syn tour). After that tour, we defrosted another Scumdog to play drums, Lee Beato (Pete ? (last name unknown). Lee Beato play the new music seminar and 5 other shows on the east coast, before he went insane (this is true, Pete had a nervous breakdown and quit), so he was replaced by Jizmak the Gusha (Brad Roberts).
That is the drummer time-line to the best of my knowledge.
BalSac
From: huntermc@gmail.com (huntermc)
Newsgroups: alt.music.gwar
Subject: Unidentified Enemies of GWAR
Date: Sat, 22 Mar 1997
Oh most vile lord Balsac, it is I your humble servant Christian, once again requesting your assistance with some trivial GWAR lore from the Dim Time....
There are a few enemies I have seen in some of your shows and videos that I haven't been able to identify:
Back in '88/'89 after you guys did the Toilet Summoning, in some shows strange creatures came out on the stage. One version of it had it as a large shapeless blob with a big eye stalk that protruded out, and another was a fat green beastie with tentacles, horns, and a beard, and the slaves kept shoving toilet paper into it's rectal orifice. As B.J. pointed out to me, in the GWAR Dictionary and in Slave Pit Funnies, it mentions that the toilet summoning was to contact the "plane of fudge." Do these wierd creatures have a name, or are they just fudgies?
[BalSac responds]
The blob with the eye stalk was one of the Fudgies (there were 2, Mr. and
Mrs.
Fudgie). The green guy was Log Suckoff (he was modeled after El Duce from
the
Mentors)
In the 1988 Time For Death video that is on the Shimmy Disc Video Compilation, among many other wierd early costume variations (like Cardinal Syn with an engine block for a body and sawblades on his arms, and Flattus with Sleazy's hair) there is a short scene that shows a fat guy in black with a pack of dynamite strapped to his back carrying a TNT plunger, and his fat face mask kind of reminds me of the fat Cenobite from Hellraiser. Who was this? Also, who is the guy in the Beefcake costume in this video? He's too thin to be Mike Bishop.
The fat guy was either Stubbles(the GWAR fan) or Sluggo P. Martini(Sleazy's brother). The guy with the Beefcake helmet was Stephen Sphincter.
On last fall's Wrestling Tour you brought out the Cheyrnobyl Cockroach and his partner was some other enemy that I've only seen in a picture from Mind Control Monthly. What was his name and his charcter's story?
Goatie (or the Radioactive Ram)
And while I'm trivializing, I was wondering what the name of the Minotaur was that's in the old comics and the old shows? Did he play a similar role to what Sexy later did, and who played him?
That sounds like Goatie again.
Thanks much,
Chris
