GWAR frontman personified rock excess

DAVE BROCKIE (19 63 -2 014)

RICHMOND, VA. — Dave Brockie, who as Oderus Urungus fronted the alien-costumed heavy metal band GWAR during graphic and fakeblood-soaked stageshows for more than three decades, has died.

Brockie, born Aug. 30, 1963, died on March 23 at the age of 50.

Police officers found Brockie dead inside his home on Sunday, Richmond police spokeswoman Dionne Waugh said Monday. Detectives don’t suspect foul play at this time and the medical examiner’s office will determine cause of death, Waugh said.

The band founded in 1984 is known for its comically grotesque costumes, stage antics and vulgar lyrics. GWAR was nominated for a Grammy Award for best long-form music video in 1993 for Phallus in Wonderland but lost to Diva by Annie Lennox. It also was nominated for best metal performance for S.F.W. in 1996 but lost to Happiness In Slavery by Nine Inch Nails.

GWAR released its latest album, Battle Maximus, in September 2013 and recently toured Australia and Japan. Over the summer, the band held its fourth annual GWAR-B-Q at a small water park in Richmond and released its own canned craft beer for the occasion. The band had announced plans for its 5th annual event last week.

Brockie remained a constant in the band that has had a revolving door of members, including lead guitarist Cory Smoot, who was found dead on the band’s tour bus in North Dakota in 2011. He was 34.