The intergalactic warlords of Gwar have returned from the depths of space to conquer a new frontier: the neon-soaked pop charts. In their record-breaking seventh appearance for The A.V. Club’s “Undercover” series, the Richmond-based Scumdogs have delivered a crushing heavy metal rendition of Chappell Roan’s viral anthem, Pink Pony Club.
Recorded at Chelsea Studios in New York City, the performance sees Blöthar the Berserker and his band of mutant warriors trade their usual cosmic gore for a surprisingly sincere, yet characteristically loud, tribute to self-reinvention. For a band whose lore is built on being exiled intergalactic outcasts, the lyrics of Pink Pony Club feel unexpectedly at home in their grotesque claws.
The Berzerker Blöthar, lead vocalist of Gwar, explained in a statement:
Pink Pony Club is about embracing exile from a boring, shitty world and remaking yourself into whatever you want—be who you are, be who you aren’t, piss people off, we don’t care!”
The cover transforms the synth-pop original into a thrash metal spectacle, featuring the full lineup of BälSäc the Jaws ‘o Death, Beefcake the Mighty, JiZMak da Gusha, and Grodius Maximus. The visual of intergalactic conquerors in full prosthetic armour performing a song about dancing in West Hollywood is exactly the kind of high-concept performance art that has kept Gwar a fixture of geek culture for four decades.
Danette Chavez, Editor-in-Chief at The A.V. Club, told press:
As we put together the song list for A.V. Undercover season 10, we knew this iconic pairing had to happen. I can’t think of a better way to celebrate this landmark season than seeing GWAR on the stage in their heels hooves, singing Pink Pony Club.”
A Legacy of Geek Culture and Gore
While the mainstream might know Gwar for their blood-soaked stage shows, the geek community has long embraced them as a living, breathing transmedia property. The band’s intricate lore, involving ancient planetary wars and cosmic deities, has naturally bled into tabletop roleplaying and comics.
Fans of the band’s narrative depth can explore their exploits in the GWAR: Orgasmageddon comic series or seek out the various skirmish games and roleplaying supplements that have featured the band over the years. Those looking to bring a touch of the Scumdogs to their own table can find several of the band’s graphic novels and related lore books over at Amazon.
This latest cover adds to Gwar’s impressive portfolio of “Undercover” hits, which includes their viral rendition of Ryan Gosling’s I’m Just Ken and classic takes on Kansas and Cyndi Lauper. It also serves as a preamble to their upcoming “Gor Gor Strikes Back Tour”, where they will be joined by Soulfly and King Parrot.
For those who want to hear Chappell Roan’s The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess in its original form before the Scumdogs got hold of it, the album is available via Apple.
