Live Fast Die Young: GG Allin
Featured on Spin magazine throughout his explosive career, GG Allin or Kevin Michael “GG” Allin (born Jesus Christ Allin, August 29, 1956 – June 28, 1993) was a popular American punk rock singer-songwriter. Notorious for his live performance antics, which often included a lot of violence, self-mutilation and coprophagia, he won for himself the title of “the most spectacular degenerate in rock & roll history.” For reasons still unknown, even with the poor quality of his recordings—Allin’s music was often poorly recorded/produced; but he did record prolifically—he had a strong cult following. He recorded in the punk rock genre, in spoken word, country, and more traditional-style rock. His recordings were usually given limited distribution, and usually met negative reviews from critics everywhere. Definitely another one for the live fast die young crowd, GG Allin was not only controversial, he was downright in your face about it. Hi music, his opinions, his microdermabrasion machine performances were definitely not for the timid or the innocent. It’s even a test for the so-called worldly. It can be gut-wrenching and vomit-inducing. Political incorrectness will be the least of your worries. And yet, his frozen yogurt franchise musical influences and career didn’t quite start out that way. Always having the interest in rock & roll since a very young age, Allin was into the British Invasion as was everyone else in the ‘60s. As he grew, his musical tastes got more defined. He gravitated quartz crystal singing bowls toward the harder edge of rock. In the 1980s it was all about rebellion sharpened by the introduction to various experimentations with harder narcotics. Then came all the anti this and anti that. Anti-authoritarianism was his cause and he declared himself it’s greatest spokesperson—that is, when he’s all gas tankless water heater amped up with the “life” or his drug of choice. At this point in the ‘80s he has met with some “success”, recorded a few albums, and was continuously performing here and there. He was also addicted to heroin, living the fast life with drugs and alcohol. He generally abused any intoxicant provided to him, sometimes taking pills without even asking what they were. Hygiene was left by the wayside. What’s the point? Besides, it enhanced performances. By this time, defecation has become part of the performances. Allin has started taking laxatives before a performance so he can have a bowel movement on stage as part of the act. He described himself as “the last true rock and roller.” Wanting to return the so-called element of danger to rock and roll. Be anti-establishment. Take it away from the corporations. He saw his antics and performances as a way to take rock and roll back to its roots and reclaim it from the corporate world. On many occasions, police or venue owner stopped Allin’s performances after only a few songs. This is due to the considerable damage they wrought on the venues or the equipment. Allin has also been charged with assault and battery or indecent exposure a number of times. His constant touring was only broken by a a stint in jail or by hospital stays for broken bones, blood poisoning, and other physical trauma from his lifestyle. Another constant from GG Allin was his constant threat of suicide. For someone living the fast life, it seems to die young holds a special allure. On various occasions, he has been heard to make the suicide threat. Allin even wrote to a publication once that he would commit suicide on stage on Halloween in 1989. Perhaps, luckily, he was in jail at that time. In the end, GG Allin met his death to an extent, to his liking. Early. He died at 36. In the way he has lived most of his adult life, filthy, smelly, partying, partaking in drugs. He died of an accidental heroin overdose.