Thursday, August 25, 2011

GG Allin - Carmelita

GG Allin's surprsingly tender take on Warren Zevon's 'Carmelita'.



GG Allin, or Jesus Christ Allin, as he was born, was a.. shit, how do you describe GG?? Calling him a wildman may be a an easy way out, but it's also pretty accurate. He was a true punk rock wild man, defecating, fighting, having sex with men or women, self harming, all on stage. By the end of his life he was barely getting through two or three songs before the show would degenerate into anarchy and either the police would close it down or GG would end up in hospital. He had his arm broken when he was jumped by about 15 fans during one of his last shows. I've actually disabled the links to this video for more sensitive viewers, no one needs to see GG and his one inch penis shitting on stage if they don't choose to see it themselves.

So why the post? Well for one, I think his version of Carmelita is absolutely stunning. A heartfelt take on a heartbreaking song, which could only really be done credit by someone who's lived the lyrics, & if anyone has GG has. Secondly in some weird way I do see some artistic merit to GG's madness. He confronts everything. He makes you feel. Whether that be revulsion, excitement, whatever. One thing that you will not experience with GG is apathy, and that's his lasting artistic legacy in my opinion (he died of a heroin overdose around 1994). Not to say he was misunderstood. He was a genuine mad man, capable of extreme violence and not to be trusted, but there'll always be a place for boundary pushers and he was the most extreme boundary pusher of all.

Enjoy 'Carmelita' it's probably the only chance you'll get to appreciate GG Allin without shit being involved..

No comments: