We’re always learning new things about concert fan emotions and how live music plays a major role in helping us cope with loss, grief and trauma.
That said, it again saddens me to share news about another artist who has died this year.
GWAR guitarist guitarist Cory Smoot (aka Flattus Maximus) was found dead in the band’s tour bus and the cause of death is not yet known.
In the midst of this tragic news, I read this MSN story and nonetheless discovered something interesting and positive about how the band had their fans emotions in mind when considering whether or not to continue touring:
In a statement released on Friday, frontman Dave Brockie, aka Oderus Urungus, says, “After a lot of consideration, we have decided to carry on with the tour. Although the great temptation would be to return home, curl into a foetal position, and mourn, we can’t do that. First off, Cory wouldn’t want that. He would want us to go on and would be p**sed if we didn’t. Plus we know the fans don’t want us to quit. They are going to want a chance to come to grips with their loss, and there is no better place to do that than at a GWAR show.”
Brockie admits he’ll never forget the feeling he had when he found his friend unresponsive in his tourbus bunk: “It quickly was clear that he was dead. It was without a doubt the most horrible moment of my life… Within moments, everybody was off the bus, standing in a windswept parking lot in the middle of nowhere, trying to come to grips with the shock of it. First the ambulance arrived, and then the police, but there was nothing that could be done other than fully investigate the scene and remove Cory with care and respect.”
Thank you to GWAR fan Tromafilmfan for sharing the YouTube video above which captures Smoot’s last show at Minneapolis, MN on 11/2.
Our thoughts and prayers go out to Smoot’s family and friends. And like we’ve done before with our ongoing live music mourning exploration, we invite you to share your favorite GWAR concert moments too. Go ahead and post them in the comments below and we’ll feature them in a future episode of Live Fix Radio.