Hail GWAR’s New Guitarist Grodius Maximus and His Human Tommy Meehan
Last November, GWAR guitarist Pustulus Maximus (Brent Purgason) exited the band after 11 years. It was an amicable split that left the band without a key part of their sound. Now, just days out from their previously announced ‘Age of Befuddlement’ Tour, we now know the name of the Scumdog that will take up the axe for our Lords and Masters.
Grodius Maximus is his name and he’s played by Cancer Christ and Squid Pisser guitarist Tommy Meehan. Known for his crazy sounds and incredible talent on the fretboard, Meehan was recently interviewed by Guitar World, where he shared his excitement for joining the band as a touring (but not permanent at the moment) guitarist, having been a fan and friend of the band for many years.
“I go way back with GWAR; I was friends with Dave Brockie [founder and frontman who died in 2014]. 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.
“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.”
According to Meehan, his character will look a lot like Purgason’s Pustulus Maximus character, as the two characters are related. Apparently, the story is that Pustulus “went out for a pack of smokes and never came back.” More details are being fleshed out as far as the storyline is concerned, but that’s what we know for now.
As an active member of both Cancer Christ and Squid Pisser, Meehan/Grodius Maximus seem to be a part-time addition to the band. According to Meehan, that may change in the future but for now, he’s splitting up his time with GWAR and his other projects.
“As far as it stands currently, we’re talking about a permanent situation. We’re both feeling each other out with this upcoming tour. But there are logistics – they live in Richmond, Virginia, and I’m in Los Angeles. We’re figuring out the logistics. But I’ve been sharing a lot of demos with them and bouncing ideas back and forth.”
You can check out GWAR live at any of the dates listed below.
March 03 – Norfolk, VA @ The NorVa *
March 04 – Charlottesville, VA @ Jefferson Theatre *
March 06 – Sayreville, NJ @ Starland Ballroom *
March 07 – Worcester, MA @ The Palladium *
March 08 – Ottawa, ON @ Bronson Centre Theatre *
March 09 – Montréal, QC @ Beanfield Theatre *
March 10 – Quebec City, QC @ Théâtre Capitole *
March 12 – London, ON @ London Music Hall *
March 13 – Grand Rapids, MI @ Intersection *
March 15 – Winnipeg, MB @ Park Theatre ^
March 16 – Saskatoon, SK @ Coors Event Centre ^
March 17 – Edmonton, AB @ Midway Music Hall ^
March 18 – Calgary, AB @ The Back Alley ^
March 20 – Vancouver, BC @ The Vogue Theatre ^
March 21 – Spokane, WA @ Knitting Factory FM ^
March 24 – Lawrence, KS @ Granada Theater FM ^
March 26 – Davenport, IA @ The Capitol Theater ^
March 27 – Pontiac, MI @ The Crofoot ^
March 28 – Columbus, OH @ Newport Music Hall ^
March 29 – Charlotte, NC @ The Underground ^
March 30 – Baltimore, MD @ Baltimore Soundstage ^
