[gtranslate]
News

GWAR accused of stealing ashes of their late frontman

The father of late GWAR lead singer Dave Brockie is planning to sue his son’s bandmates for breaches of contract, unauthorised use of Brockie’s image, and stealing a variety of assets, seeking $1 million in damages. The elder Brockie, William, is specifically accusing the band of nabbing Dave Brockie’s bass guitars, gold record, artwork, and most extraordinarily, his ashes.

gwar a

Dave Brockie, otherwise known as Oderus Urungus when performing with GWAR, died last year at the age of 50 from a heroin overdose. GWAR are an American heavy metal band that combined comedy and an absurdly grotesque and graphic stage presence, set in a fictional sci-fi narrative of barbaric interplanetary aliens, to waves of criticisms and praise. Before Brockie’s untimely death, they were receiving a lot of press for graphically sacrificing likenesses of political leaders during their shows.

According to the lawsuit, filed in the US state of Virginia, when William Brockie went to retrieve his son’s ashes, he was denied access to the investment property on which they were kept. He then apparently received a small amount of his son’s ashes, given to him in a plastic bag. The suit maintains that the band and their manager “retain the vast majority of Dave Brockie’s remains”.

The band hit back, unsurprisingly dismissing the allegations as false. GWAR released a statement to counter all the allegations, saying in part that “in the weeks following his death, we developed a plan for a memorial fund that would raise money to honour Dave’s memory with a statue in Hollywood Cemetery and work to continue his passionate support of the arts. We felt strongly that a portion of his remains should live at the site of his proposed monument in Hollywood Cemetery”.

The band, however, admit they haven’t fully studied the lawsuit just yet, so don’t expect this odd saga to blow over just yet.