Pictured L to R: SEBASTIAN THOMSON, MICHELLE MAE, IAN SVENONIUS, ALEX MINOFF
Influences
WEIRD WAR is a rock 'n' roll band. Intended for the World's
Fair as the United States entry, WEIRD WAR was meant to
celebrate the use of Rock 'n' Roll in subduing the world to the
global imperial system peaceably. WEiRD WAR would therefore
have to represent Rock 'n' roll's attributes in their acme:
1. They would profess no creed except secularism and desire; the
twin pillars of capitalism, 2. They would be a group with an
incorporated name in order to heroically reflect the company titles
of the boss class, and 3. They would expo the latest gizmos and
gadgets in a celebration of technology and scientific
advancement. To impress the high brow Europeans at the fair
however, people of unusual intellect would have to
be chosen to inhabit the WEIRD WAR trademark. An
assortment of musicians were drafted from across the eastern
seaboard for this extraordinary collaboration.
At first, everything went according to plan; the songs were short
and salable with the blues structure intact. The press releases
reflected perfectly the rock n roll rebellion which had thus far
enchanted the globe. "There are days I dream of an eraser to rub
out human filth" WEIRD WAR would sneer, and the scribes
would dutifully write their hyperbole. The group concocted the
usual publicity stunts; fist fights with clergy, Auto racing with
Paul Newman, the ritual burial of a baboon, and the world
cheered. "Void, naked, . . . baffling" said Le Monde . . . "A medium
of action has been shown" gushed the New York Times . . . and even
Pravda declared them "The American parallel to the Wagnerian
leitmotifs.. WEIRD WAR have taken their place next to Walt
Disney and Hitler."
These raves however, were not enough. The US committee had
instructed them explicitly : "Your presentation must attract
attention by some avant garde 'strangeness' and create a scandal;
otherwise it's impact will be that of a ball of cotton."
WEIRD WAR went back to the drawing board; resenting the
scoldings of their superiors, they drafted an electronic poem in 36
and 1/2 parts which betrayed evey rule of rock n roll.
Where rock was rousing, they were subdued; where an invocation
of a colonized black or folk music should have been inserted, they
classicized. The results were a crisis; insubordination at a critical
juncture. the members were all either banished or executed, or
are on tour somewhere; we don't know which. All we have, released at
great risk by the Drag City Corporation, are the documents
"I SUCK ON THAT EMOTION
(LP/CD), "IF YOU CAN'T BEAT 'EM, BITE 'EM" (LP/CD), "AK-47"
(7" Single), and "ILLUMINATED BY THE LIGHT" (LP/CD),
an enduring testament to the spirit of freedom and heroism.
<<>>
Muddy Waters said:
"The blues had a baby, and they called it rock 'n' roll."
But what happened then?
Well, rock 'n' roll was fecund and had many children of its own.
These would be the grandchildren of the blues.
Most of them were the secret exponents of American imperialism aka "globalism"
and travelled through the world, either as touring missionaries of US capitalism
or transmuted in the form of mass produced propaganda aka "records," "CDs," or radio-waves.
Others in the litter went into the advertising industry to promulgate and promote various commodities,
like Coke/Pepsi/ Mountain Dew, shoe-wear or automobiles.
But one of them was different.
It was called Weird War and it attempted to subvert the culture's official narrative
through the only beloved tool available to it: rock 'n' roll music.
For more see: www.WEIRDWARWORLD.com
Ian, I was reading Henry Rollins' latest offering, "FANATIC! Vol. 2," the other night and the "HOT ANIMAL MACHINE" himself offers you heartfelt accolades and "mad props...in the parlance of our times. " Congratulations, oh highly exalted one! You may not be the "walrus," but you will always be the "El Gato!" (was the "the" preceding "El Gato" entirely necessary? The question will haunt my dreams)
