By: Michael Drukarsh
It takes a lot of talent to make it to the top in the music industry, just ask AC/DC (iykyk). To be fair, a lot of luck doesn’t hurt either. There are so many talented artists and musicians, all vying for a spot at the top but there is only room for a chosen few. What separates the almost-successful from the successful is a gimmick, a little something that allows the musician, artist or band to stand out from the rest.
Screamin' Jay Hawkins is often cited as the innovator of “shock rock” with his over the top performance of “I put a Spell on You” in 1956. Alice Cooper took the baton and ran with it throughout his career creating a character on stage that would relish in the evils of all men and then, in the end, be judged and condemned to death for his sins. Kiss got their inspiration from Alice and The New York Dolls and brought the shock rock theatrics to the stage for most of the 70s and then again in the 2000s.
Taking the idea of shock/horror themed rock to the next level though has to be two bands that step on stage in costumes that make Kiss look like they are wearing tutus. Both GWAR and Lordi perform in full body costumes complete with articulated heads and arms that must make playing an instrument and moving on stage incredibly difficult.
GWAR was formed in 1984 by a collective known as Slave Pit Inc. a group of musicians, artists, and filmmakers led by front man Dave “Oderus Urungus” Brockie. Taking their inspiration from science-fiction, the band members present themselves as barbaric interplanetary warriors who bring to light all the sex, violence and total debauchery of humankind during every performance.
Lordi is a Finnish band formed in 1992 by lead singer, songwriter and costume maker Tomi “Mr. Lordi” Pettteri Putaansuu. Started as solo project by Mr. Lordi, the band formed after soon-to-be members met on a Kiss Cruise organized by Putaansuu for the Finnish Kiss Army. As a major Kiss fan, Mr, Lordi has stated that “without Kiss, Lordi probably would not exist”.
Both bands rely heavily on horror themed stage antics as well as pyrotechnics and shock value for their concerts. While Lordi takes on a more PG rated stage show more in the realm of Kiss or Twisted Sister with a haunted house feel. GWAR’s rated R stage show consists of blood, simulated sex acts and violence, nudity and just all out chaos.
The fact that both bands play with such intricate costumes is really incredible. As far as details and design are concerned it is really difficult to say who wears it better. GWAR was the originator and despite Lordi claiming not to have taken anything from GWAR, it’s hard to believe that there wasn’t a little inspiration. Both bands design and create (or at least did create at first) their own costumes and each member is an accomplished musician who is able to play in costumes that can weigh upwards of 30 pounds.
GWAR and Lordi have gone through many lineup changes, and both have lost members. Lordi’s drummer passed away at the age of 38 after an illness while founding member and lead singer of GWAR, Dave “Orderus Urungus” Brockie, died of a heroin overdose at the age of 50. Despite this, both bands carried on and continue to bring their horror themed shock rock to the masses. Lordi has announced a new album with a possible release date in early 2025 while GWAR just wrapped up their “Age of Entitlement" tour back in September in support of their new album “New Dark Ages”.
In an interview back in 2006, Alice Cooper stated, “Fantasy used to be a lot more effective than reality. You cannot shock an audience anymore. Audiences are shocked and I’m shocked by CNN. When you’re seeing a real guy get his real head cut off by a real terrorist on television and then you see Alice Cooper get his cut off in a guillotine that’s an obvious trick, well, it’s not very shocking.” This holds true even more so in 2024 where the world seems to be falling apart around us. GWAR and Lordi allow their fans to escape from the real horrors of the world and immerse themselves in the fantasy/sci-fi world of galactic warriors or horror movie monsters.
Though they may differ in stage antics and costume design, there is no denying that the world needs bands like GWAR and Lordi to carry on the traditions set before them by the masters of shock rock.
Happy Halloween!
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