In a recent interview with The House Of Masks, the new GWAR guitarist Tommy Meehan said GWAR is not his best project.
Meehan, also known in the band as Grodius Maximus, joined GWAR on February 29 this year. During the recent chat, the guitarist was asked about people’s expectations of him. Meehan said:
“My plan is to just get the f*ck out of this planet, and now that I’m thinking about it, GWAR’s maybe not the best team to join up for that.”
He jokingly added:
“Haven’t they f*cked that up like all their whole career? God, embarrassing. It’s like a heavy metal ‘Gilligan’s Island’ now that I think about it except for instead of Ginger it’s a big fat bass player.”
Meehan Is Excited To Work With GWAR
All jokes aside, Meehan actually seems excited to work with his new band.
In November, GWAR’s guitarist Pustulus Maximus [Brent Purgason] left the band after being with them for 11 years. Though it was a friendly departure, it left a gap in the band’s sound. After Purgason’s departure, the band announced the name of their new member just a few days away from their ‘Age of Befuddlement’ Tour.
During a chat with Guitar World, Meehan expressed his joy about joining the band as a touring guitarist. Although not a permanent member for now, Meehan mentioned that he’s been a fan and friend of the band for many years and that it added to his excitement:
“I go way back with GWAR; I was friends with Dave Brockie. We had Dave in an animated cartoon associated with an old project of mine, and I stayed in touch with all the GWAR guys over the years. But I hadn’t talked to them since before COVID, and I’d started a band called Cancer Christ, and one of my main goals was to tour with GWAR. I actually said that out loud.”
He then explained how he got the gig:
“About two years later I got an email about opening for GWAR on an East Coast tour. We did a whole month. Brent and I were hanging out a bunch, talking about guitars, and he said, ‘This is gonna be my last tour with GWAR.’ It was a huge decision for him. That’s when he started pushing for me to give it a go and talk to the guys about trying it. Brent got me up on stage one night in Pennsylvania, and that was the first time I played music with GWAR. I got to know them from there. We started talking more and went through an audition process. I’ve been going above and beyond to let them know I really want to play with them.”
You can watch the interview below.