GWAR replaced founding member (and only constant member) Oderus Urungus with, depending on your definition, a lady. If your definition allows for blood and pus spewing forth from gigantic (prosthetic) breasts to coat adoring audience members and not crossing your legs at the ankle, then yes – lady. Vulvatron is your newest Scumdog, and she’s co-fronting the band with Blothar.
In the band’s near 30 year history, they have toured with women in the cast. But none have ever been credited as “band member,” not even Slymenstra Hymen (which I am naming my firstborn, by the way). All the Scumdog women have certainly been integral parts of the performance but have played the role of dancer, backup singer, electricity conductor – never before has a woman taken center stage in this capacity.
Vulvatron is played by Kim Dylla, a clothing designer and musician. She debuted with the band at this year’s Riotfest.
While this casting is in fact a Big Deal because representation is, in fact, wildly important, I struggle to picture many GWAR fans giving more thought than “dude, GWAR’s new singer squirts blood from her boobies, awesome.” And it’s not, in fact, about the boobies. Thirty years ago a bunch of art nerds formed this performance act, and since then their shows have been gatherings for more art nerds to get together with FX enthusiasts, gore and horror fans, metal heads, comedy nerds, punk kids, and everyone in between, to have some beers and watch a hilarious and energetic show. Those not on the level can certainly find offense with the band, but misogyny would not be on a list of faults. Everyone’s ass hangs out of the primordial torture ensembles, and if a member of GWAR slaughters a woman, it’s ’cause she’s a skinhead. Duh. The loyalty of GWAR’s minions is what led me to assume most only have a passing glance at Vulvatron’s gender. They’re so involved and appreciative of the GWAR mythos that it will be her contributions that matter, and nothing else.
I wish this weren’t a Big Deal. I wish that in 2014, a band casting a woman as a front-person were more about said person’s abilities than which part of the baby making process they provide. But metal still seems to be a wildly cis-male dominated genre. I always joke that the best part of going to a metal show is never having to wait in line in the ladies’ room. I do, however, always report that I’m most respected at shows where bands are the scariest. I’m very short, and dudes always let me stand in front of them, or get me out of the way when they see my face if the pit expands to far. I also acknowledge that there’s always that one turd who thinks it’s funny to pull a girl’s top down or sling her into the pit when she’s not ready, and now maybe that girl can look up, see Vulvatron, and then head butt that son of a bitch into submission.*
*kmc1138’s stance on headbutting is not representative of the views of Big Shiny Robot.