Gwar is an American satirical thrash metal band from Richmond, Virginia. The group is best known for its science fiction and horror-inspired costumes, for its obscene lyrics and explicitly graphic performances, against a backdrop of moral themes and taboo politics.
Gwar comes from two projects merged into one. Dave Brockie was the singer and bassist of a punk band named Death Piggy. Groups occasionally train at Richmond Dairy, a deserted bottling company previously controlled by hippies. The hippies rent the place to artists and musicians. In Richmond Dairy, Death Piggy meets Hunter Jackson (Techno Destructo) and Chuck Varga (Sexecutioner), both students at Virginia Commonwealth University who launched The Slave Pit, a small production space for a movie they were trying to create, Scumdogs of the Universe .
Brockie introduces the idea to the group to wear costumes created for "Scumdogs of the Universe" , and to appear on stage as a band of barbarians who would play music by sacrificing dummy animals. The group is baptized "Gwaaarrrgghhlllgh" by joke. The members of Death Piggy notice as the popularization of Gwaaarrrgghhlllgh and leave the scene. After some editing in the group's design, Death Piggy gives up his name for Gwar.
The first line-up known to Gwar consists of Ben Eubanks (vocals), Dave Brockie (guitar), Steve Douglas (guitar), Chris Bopst (bass guitar), Sean Sumner (drums) and Hunter Jackson. However, this line-up is only temporary and changes many times, including Ben Eubanks who leaves the group just after one or two evenings and is replaced by Joe Annaruma, the latter who will record several demos with the group. Annaruma eventually leaves the group and is replaced by Dave Brockie. The line-up solidifies and now consists of Hunter Jackson, Don Drakulich, Chuck Varga, Mike Delaney, Mike Bonner, Scott Krahl, Dave Musel and Dave Brockie. Mike Delaney left the group in 1987. Dewey Rowell (Flattus Maximus), Michael Bishop (Beefcake the Mighty) and Rob Mosby (Nippleus Erectus) are engaged in 1987, ditto for Steve Douglas (Balsac the Jaws of Death) who returns in the group after leaving him. Danielle Stampe (aka Slymenstra Hymen) joined them for a while in 1988, and occasionally toured until 2002. The group also recruited, but lost, three other female members: The Temptress (Heather Broome, 1986), Amazina ( Colette Miller, 1986-87) and Gwar Woman (Lisa Harrelson, 1987-88).
