Part Three: GG Allin On Touring

Interviewer's words are in boldface; GG's words are in regular text
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Are there a lot of people here in Tampa, and other people across the country that help you out, help you get shows and stuff?

Yeah, I mean, there are. There are people. You know, a lot of it, like I said, is curiosity. Some people have seen it and believe in it. And it's... you know, you've got to get the shows. You've got to... that's why I do these in-stores, because it's great. You've got to get the records out. I'll sell my records... I mean, if I've got to sell the fuckers for 50 cents, I'll sell 'em. Or a dollar, whatever. I've got to get those records out. I've got to get people to hear 'em. I've got to get this message across. And I've got to make people buy my records and not buy anybody else's, because, you know. We don't make a lot of money, you know. Maybe more now, only because I'm getting more. But still, compared to most bands, I'm making virtually nothing.

So... and our tours are... we never have motel rooms. We never have, like, a van. It's like, you know, I might even still get a 30-day Greyhound pass like I used to. And just get on a Greyhound, go to a city, do a show, go to the next town, do a show, go to the next town, get on the bus. And if you don't have a place to stay, just get on the bus and go from one city to another, just to kill a few hours in between. Sleep on the bus, get off, do another show...

So your tour costs 69 bucks or less, right?

Yeah. Well, you can get a 30-day pass for $350, and do a tour on the Greyhound. But then you've got... you know, I'm still bleeding, and you know, my pants are sticking, and I've got to, like, dig it out. And I'm still bleeding, and the blood poisoning, and all that shit. So it's not comfort, by any means. But it's still... it's got to be there. I mean, rock 'n' roll. That's what it's got to be. It's got to be dangerous. It's got to be threatening. It's got to be... just fucking tearing it all down, ripping it apart, and fucking with people, breaking all barriers, and going beyond what everything... everybody else has ever done.

I mean, nobody's gonna do it except me. I mean, I'm willing to go to the death. I'm willing to go all the way. It's like, there is no compromise, so go. And when you die... as long as you've got everything done that you've set out to do, just keep accelerating and accelerating. Packing those years in, getting that message out, tour, and do this... I mean, I don't really tour. It's like, my life is a tour. It's like, I continuously tour. Somebody calls up, "be here" or "be there". It's just the way it is all the time.

So you're talking about rock 'n' roll, and people selling out. Who are some of the folks who have inspired you? We're listening to Iggy here. Are there some... rockers that you've...

A lot of the old... I mean, when I grew up, I was listening to a lot of that stuff. But Iggy sold out. I mean, the Pistols were a joke. Uh... all those bands, it's like, now doing reunion shows for the money. It's like... I mean, jeez, I can't... I just... fuck, I can't believe what's going on. I mean, nobody is really true to it. Nobody's... you know, nobody's willing to go till the death. And like, just create a complete total war, and just an obstruction of their life for rock 'n' roll. To just bring it all down, and bring it all dangerous.

And, I mean, the amount of times that I've been to jail, and I've been to the hospital, people would think that, you know, that would be enough to make a guy stop. And even prison didn't stop me. It just enhanced me to want to go come out and, like, fuck with 'em even more. You know, tear it down more.

Can you think of anybody that's gone as far as you have?

No. I can't think of anybody now that I even like. I mean, I don't buy records anymore. I can't think of anybody, no. I really can't. It's like, I mean, even some of the so-called underground bands now are playing arenas, and big places, making big money. Got a tour bus. And they're trying to say they're underground, but they're playing that game. Nobody is completely doing what... I mean, just going out there, and just... "so what? You won't book me again? You don't like me? I don't give a shit, I'm gonna knock the shit out of you anyway. Fuck it."

I just don't care about it. I don't care about any of that shit. It's not important to me. The most important thing to me is just going in there and bringing myself, bringing my life, the street, what I go through. Bringing it on that stage, bringing that tension, and knocking the shit out of that audience. And that's it.