GWAR Lose Kim Dylla, Keep Vulvatron
Update, 5/8/15: Dylla’s firing has led to some serious drama, including accusations that she was let go for drinking too much. Get the latest on the story here.
Sorry to break the fourth wall here, but presumably most of you know this anyway: GWAR has had a lot of members over the years, many of whom have played the same character. For example, I think there have been four different Beefcake the Mightys, not one but TWO of whom are in the band right now (Jamison Land, who has been Beefcake for a few years now, and Michael Bishop, the original Beefcake, who is now the band’s vocalist, Blothar).
I partially shatter GWAR’s illusion because, well, GWAR partially shattered their own illusion earlier today when they announced via Facebook that while they plan to keep using Vulvatron, their most prominent female member since Slymenstra Hymen (né Danielle Stampe), they will no longer be working with musician Kim Dylla, who been the woman behind Vulvatron since last September:
GWAR, the world’s premier shock rock band, today announced that Kim Dylla was released from the band directly following the fall 2014 GWAR Eternal Tour, and will no longer perform with the group. Dylla played the character of Vulvatron, a buxom Scumdog from the distant future, on the band’s last national tour. The group garnered quite a bit of press when it was erroneously reported that Dylla, in the role of Vulvatron was the new lead singer for the band. Brent Purgason, slave of the recently defrosted intergalactic barbarian, Pustulus Maximus, had this to say; “Kim did a great job, but we wanted to go a different direction with the Vulvatron character. You will absolutely see more of Vulvatron in the future, just not portrayed by Kim. There is no ill will, no acrimony, and no drama. We respect Kim’s talent without question, it just isn’t what we needed in the character.”
Not to belittle Dylla, but I think the important thing here is that Vulvatron will return. I know a lot of female metal fans who were very excited to see a woman play a non-Slave role in GWAR; it’s great that the band plans to continue making sure little girls across the planet know that they’re allowed to be totally gross, too.
Meanwhile, no one should worry about Dylla too much: whether GWAR fans realize it or not, she has been an active part of the metal scene for years now via a number of avenues. Two prominent examples: her Kylla clothing line, worn by Arch Enemy’s Alissa White-Gluz in the “War Eternal” video, and her appearance in Arsis’ “Forced to Rock” clip.
