Anyone Been to a GG ALLIN show?

[cognito20]

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Ok: I have read about this guy and seen some footage. Apparently, some lady was kissing him after he ate his own turd.

Questions:

1. Was this all an act? Or did he have artistic integrity? Or, perhaps, was this just a byproduct of his increasing drug usage?

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It was not an act, he really was that twisted. He had no artistic integrity whatsoever, and probably could not have successfully spelled either word, for what it's worth. Remember, we're talking about a guy who released wonderful little ditties such as "Suck My A** It Smells". And yes, I think the drugs -did- have a lot to do with it. [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

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2. What was the atmosphere of the show like? Were people there just to see a freak show, or did they share Allin's "vision" of pure rock-n-roll?

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Think of the biggest, smelliest dive you've ever been in and multiply it by a factor of 5. That about describes most of the venues, especially after GG got done with them. He had a few true believers who actually were deluded into thinking he was some sort of, you know, musician, but it was about 90% to 10% in favor of the freak show.

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3. Why did you go to the show? What things did the audience do, how did they interact with Allin.

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I went to the show because I was into the underground music scene at the time, and for the same reason I went to see bands like Anal C*** and the Meat S***s. Just to see what they'd do. The smart ones in the audience walked out before the show was 10 minutes old, assuming it even got to that point before Allin stumbled away trying to score a fix or something.

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4. Was the show good? Did you like the music.

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At the point of my life, I probably would've gotten into the music a bit if I could have understood one word of what that hopeless addict was saying. Of course, with such timeless opera being performed as "Eat My F**" (with the last word misspelled without the K), "Gimme Some Head", "I'm Gonna Rape You", "Hard Candy [censored]", "Sleeping In My Piss", and "Young Little Meat", that's probably a good thing.

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I am not sure why I am so interested in this, but I guess I have a morbid sense of curiosity. Often times, as time passes, accounts of events get distorted and exaggerated. However, it seems that this guy was the real deal. I just wanted to hear from someone who had first-hand knowledge of his act and why it appealed to them.

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Nah, pretty much anything someone said GG did, he probably did. He never really "appealed" to me as such...he was more of a rite of passage for anyone who was into the punk scene in the 80s and early 90s, but very few people even in the darkest recesses of that scene ever actually took him seriously.

For sheer disgust, the only "artist" I can think of off the top of my head that could match GG would be El Duce and the Mentors, who as bad as they were musically seemed like Mozart compared to GG. He just out-and-out sucked. Bad musician, bad human being. Good riddance.

--Scott

[RainDog]

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1. Was this all an act? Or did he have artistic integrity? Or, perhaps, was this just a byproduct of his increasing drug usage?


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No act, the man was a wild animal. But yes he had artistic integrity. "Some" of the man's lyrics are absolutely brilliant, believe it or not.
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2. What was the atmosphere of the show like? Were people there just to see a freak show, or did they share Allin's "vision" of pure rock-n-roll?


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Unfortunately, I was a wee bit too young and missed his last show (very last) in Knoxville at the Mercury Theatre. I have, however, seen the Murder Junkies sans GG Allin. By no means is it the same, but I've talked to Merle, GG's brother several times and he's a nice fellow (as was GG supposedly).

I disagree with the fellow who believes 90% of people came to see a freakshow. There was and is a genuine "scumfuc" crowd. I've seen plenty of these bands, shows, and hung out with way too many degenerate Southerner, scumfuc, painthuffin, fighting, @#$^in, murdering, molesting, perverted weirdos while growing up to believe it wasn't genuine.
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3. Why did you go to the show? What things did the audience do, how did they interact with Allin.


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I was, at the time, genuinely in to the scene. Call it teen angst I guess. But there is something genuine, carnal, and human to the gutter experience. I've seen band members and audience alike, beat the living #@%# out of eachother, smash bottles over their heads, light washboards on fire and attack people with them, masterbate, have sex in public, do copious amounts of drugs, and tear down a theater.

I still try to enjoy such mayhem when an opportunity arises. Can't say I've completely grown up.
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4. Was the show good? Did you like the music.


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#@%$! Yeah!!!
If you want an accessible intro to GG listen to the 80's jabber stuff, or perhaps the Criminal Quartet "country" stuff on "Carnival of Excess". But do get to the ugly stuff as well (It's by far the best material). Also, the GG Allin documentary "Hated" is a must see even if you can't develop a taste for the music.

Look into Antiseen for some real southern boys that played with GG Allin for a time. They are still practicing their mastery of destructo rock and are almost always on tour.