I never seen GG Allin discussed here on the Org before, but I was curious about how you guys felt about him. Some of the people I have spoken with in life, really do believe that he was some sort of genius. Some people at another board were discussing this so I decided to look him up on youtube and what do I find to my surprise?

Like really? Fucking really? I mean...he did what he thought best represented his ideas and art...I guess, but is going on stage naked while beating the living shit out of yourself and defecating & throwing feces on stage while managing to run most of your crowd out of the room really genius though? Did I miss something crucial here? The music, itself, sounds just like run of the mill punk rock to me, but to go on stage acting like some kind of self destructive moneky really just some stroke of genius I just can't seem to fathom?

Needless to say that the man was on a fuckton of drugs, so...whenever I see his performances or hear him sing, that is what I think is most at play in this situation. Sure he was a little crazy in his earlier work, but later? Omfg...

Sometimes I think that maybe some people admire things like this, because it's as if they are watching someone living out a desire that they, themselves, are too scared to do so. They feel too trapped by their own lives...so when someone like this comes out it's like...omg he's doing something that is considered socially unacceptable. He must be a GENIUS!

I guess I would be more impressed had it not seem as if he was just a crazy ass drug addict. If he was able to do this stuff sober and clean then...I would rethink my stance, because then someone made a conscious decision to do things socially uacceptable while aware of the consequences that would entail.

Posting an example of what I'm talking about would help out greatly, but I think I would be on the receiving end of the mods' mighty ban.

Here's a news report I found:

I think his intention on doing the stuff he did was definitely to shock and find ways to shock folks. Maybe he did have mental problems but I do believe there was some genius in what he was doing. He was fucked up as all get out but I kinda understand where he was coming from. I gotta find his music though.

both?

Timmy84 said:

I think his intention on doing the stuff he did was definitely to shock and find ways to shock folks. Maybe he did have mental problems but I do believe there was some genius in what he was doing. He was fucked up as all get out but I kinda understand where he was coming from. I gotta find his music though.

But the thing is that he wasn't doing this sort of thing until he started to really mess around really heavy with drugs though if I'm correct. I mean, in earlier works, he used to have his clothes on and not smearing feces all over himself. I mean I know some crazy shit goes on at these concerts (no pun intended), but like...I don't know...

I guess I just see it as some artist is hailed some kind of genius until they are taking narcotics. Even Freud was taking coke and saying some crazy shit half of the time and has been disproven quite a few times.

Sometimes I'm under the impression that when people don't understand something they think it's so 'deep' and 'profound' rather than really seeing for the heap of bullshit it is. I have no issue with GG Allin's performances or how he decided choreograph them. That was how he thought it was best to express himself you know? Not going to argue that. Was it genius though? That would sort of put him up there with other highly regarded geniuses though...

As for the music, 'meh' is a good word for it. GG Allin's performances were, definitely, where his legacy is at though. Though I'm wondering if I'm growing a slight appreciation for "I WANT TO RAAAAAAPE YOU!"

Unholyalliance said:

Timmy84 said:

I think his intention on doing the stuff he did was definitely to shock and find ways to shock folks. Maybe he did have mental problems but I do believe there was some genius in what he was doing. He was fucked up as all get out but I kinda understand where he was coming from. I gotta find his music though.

But the thing is that he wasn't doing this sort of thing until he started to really mess around really heavy with drugs though if I'm correct. I mean, in earlier works, he used to have his clothes on and not smearing feces all over himself. I mean I know some crazy shit goes on at these concerts (no pun intended), but like...I don't know...

I guess I just see it as some artist is hailed some kind of genius until they are taking narcotics. Even Freud was taking coke and saying some crazy shit half of the time and has been disproven quite a few times.

Sometimes I'm under the impression that when people don't understand something they think it's so 'deep' and 'profound' rather than really seeing for the heap of bullshit it is. I have no issue with GG Allin's performances or how he decided choreograph them. That was how he thought it was best to express himself you know? Not going to argue that. Was it genius though? That would sort of put him up there with other highly regarded geniuses though...

As for the music, 'meh' is a good word for it. GG Allin's performances were, definitely, where his legacy is at though. Though I'm wondering if I'm growing a slight appreciation for "I WANT TO RAAAAAAPE YOU!"

The music isn't really much to ride home about, I agree. Standard punk lol

I am judging based just on what I have heard, because honestly I don't want to see someone take a dump on the stage

But I think it's just a silly gimmick, over the top fuck you to any standard of performing. It's pure shock, like performance artists who hammer nails into their dicks or kill animals. I don't see any value in that kind of stuff.

Tom Waits said something along the lines of "you can write about murder without actually killing people."

NDRU said:

I am judging based just on what I have heard, because honestly I don't want to see someone take a dump on the stage

But I think it's just a silly gimmick, over the top fuck you to any standard of performing. It's pure shock, like performance artists who hammer nails into their dicks or kill animals. I don't see any value in that kind of stuff.

Tom Waits said something along the lines of "you can write about murder without actually killing people."

Yeah what GG did was definitely not for everybody. He said something interesting that if he didn't do what he did, he would've been a serial killer or mass murderer and I guess it was alright to sing about that shit than actually do it. I remember how they viewed his last performance - I actually saw it on TV - and dude was plain fucked up that night. He then laid out on something...and never recovered. Friends of his found him the next day dead.

He is a punk legend, but yes i thinkit's obvious he had a lot of issues. He liked to shock people and beat up members of his audience. Dude had really bad issues... and of course he was going to commit suicide on stage... didn't do it. And died of a heroin overdose the same night... crazy shit

Genius? Nah, not to me. Sometimes an asshole is just an asshole.

Gunsnhalen said:

He is a punk legend, but yes i thinkit's obvious he had a lot of issues. He liked to shock people and beat up members of his audience. Dude had really bad issues... and of course he was going to commit suicide on stage... didn't do it. And died of a heroin overdose the same night... crazy shit

He obviously had mental problems so to answer the question, yeah crazy drug addict.

His early songs were quite good. He turned out to be a loser, rapist, child molesting scumbag.

The documentary on him was interesting. lol