Dave Brockie has been memorialized again – only this time in a manner that would've made his monstrous alter-ego Oderus Urungus chortle with glee.
The late Gwar frontman was given a Viking funeral at the annual GWAR-B-Q in Richmond, VA on Friday, in a ritual that saw his Oderus costume being laid on a ship and set ablaze in accordance with Norse tradition. The singer, who died of a heroin overdose in March at the age of 50, was eulogized at the event by friend and Lamb of God frontman Randy Blythe, who stated: “Dave is the only motherfucker I know who has to get put away twice. He”s too big for one fucking funeral.” Blythe later posted an image of the burning ship to Instagram along with the message:
“Tonight we sent Oderus home in a fitting manner at the public memorial for Dave Brockie. A blazing Viking ship with Oderus laid out in it, the cuttlefish pointing proudly straight up. Watching my friend Dave”s costume go up in flames in front of a thousand fans was so much more intense for me than the private memorial for friends & family we had April Fool”s Day. I spoke at both of them, as GWAR asked me to, & both times as I spoke I was sad. But watching his alter-ego burn tore me up way more than the first memorial, maybe because there was Dave, the human who was my friend who just “left us”- I never saw his body- & then there was Oderus, who was something entirely else. To watch his stage gear burn was like watching part of my life literally go up in flames. I was sobbing my eyes out as I took this photo. It was just a super-intense moment. Very beautiful, but overwhelming. Fly free, Oderus- you are missed.”
After checking out footage of Blythe's eulogy and the Viking ship being set ablaze below, sound off with your own fond remembrances in the comments.
[via Loudwire]