GG Allin
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One critic describes his legacy as the work of a "relentlessly obnoxious, coarse and lewd extremist who could send even the most generous-minded liberal over the edge. His catalogue is a juggernaut of puerile mania, demented concupiscence and Hustler- level humor."[1] (http://www.trouserpress.com/entry.php?a=gg_allin_and_the_jabbers) At best, Allin had limited success, but he became well-known for his violent, confrontational performances.
He was born Jesus Christ Allin, he was nicknamed GG when his brother could not pronounce his name. His mother renamed him Kevin Michael Allin shortly before he began school. He was raised in a log cabin without heat, electricity, or running water in Lancaster, New Hampshire. His father was insane and abusive, sometimes doing things like lighting the cabin on fire and digging burial plots in the cabin's dirt floor.
Allin fronted many bands throughout his career; including The Jabbers, The Scumfucs, Bulge, The Cedar Street Sluts, Antiseen, and The Murder Junkies. His earliest recordings date from 1980. Allin has a large discography, which is largely out of print and sometimes commands high prices from collectors.
Allin's recordings and performances were typically sloppy, amateurish, and poorly recorded (even by punk rock standards, which sometimes saw these traits as virtues). Audiences often attended Allin's performances less for the music than to witness his regular stage antics, including Allin's performing nude, attacking audience and band members, defecating, urinating, throwing feces at the crowd, and self mutilation. Some have regarded these acts as performance art, and Allin might be seen as the most genuine shock rocker.
Unsurprisingly, given his proclivities, Allin was arrested and jailed many times throughout his 15 year career for his wild stage antics, and performances were often stopped by police after only a few songs.
Allin's notoriety led to appearances on episodes of Geraldo, The Jerry Springer Show, and a memorable episode of the Jane Whitney Show.
It is rumoured that he once raped a female audience member, and Allin bragged of taking a woman hostage with a knife live onstage. He is said to have fellated his brother on-stage. He promised throughout his career that he would commit suicide onstage. Stories of GG's stage shows are legend in the underground music scene, and some have arguable become "urban" legend as well.
Despite his repeated threats (or perhaps promises) of an onstage death, Allin died of a heroin overdose on 28 June 1993, in his New York City apartment.
GG Allin is buried in the Saint Rose Cemetery in Littleton, NH. [2] (http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=11337)
Allin was the subject of Hated, a 1994 documentary by Todd Philips.
External links
- The G.G. Allin Supersite (http://www.geocities.com/ekx001/gghome.html)
- Allin's Obituary (http://www.fed-up.com/images//stuff/gg/ggart2.gif)
- Going, Going, Gone: The Death of GG Allin (http://home.nyc.rr.com/alweisel/spinggallin.htm)
- ggallin.com (http://www.ggallin.com)de:GG Allin
