Blaster the Rocket Man
| Blaster the Rocket Man | |
|---|---|
| Genres | Surf rock Horror punk |
| Years active | 1994–2002 |
| Labels | Boot to Head Records Jackson Rubio Records |
| Members | |
| Daniel Petersen Brett Sempsrott Ty Sempsrott Dustin Spock |
|
| Past members | |
| Dave Petersen Chrissy Rocket Mikey Rocket Jason Alander John (Grey) Vogel JR Dyche Oxford Don Rusty Sempsrott |
|
Blaster the Rocket Man was a Christian horror punk band from Indianapolis, Indiana. They formed in the early 1990s as Blaster the Rocketboy and signed with Boot to Head Records in 1994. They released two records before signing with Jackson Rubio Records. Their name changed to Blaster the Rocket Man for their 1999 release The Monster Who Ate Jesus. Their final release was The Anatomy of a Monster, a compilation of material from their Boot to Head years plus some bonus material.
Their sound is often compared to that of the Dead Kennedys or Man or Astro-man?, though headman Otto Bot (stagename for Daniel Petersen) denied any direct influence. Other reviews compared their music to the combined sounds of the Rocky Horror Picture Show, werewolf movies, Elvis, and the Sex Pistols (among others), further stating that "this is what CREATIVE Christian music sounds like."[1] Their lyrics use horror and sci-fi themes as Christian allegories; HM describes them as using the characters of evil to communicate biblical truth.[2] The Monster Who Ate Jesus includes a number of songs inspired by C. S. Lewis' Space Trilogy. Many included themes disdaining Secular humanism. Blaster was also well-known for their stage antics, including masks and costumes as well as frequent audience participation. Masks that Otto wore on stage include a werewolf mask worn for the band's werewolf-themed songs (such as American Werewolf and I Like Lycanthropy) as well as a fly mask, which he wore for Human Fly Trap.
They played a reunion show at Cornerstone 2004, and two more at Cornerstone 2008.
Drummer Dave Petersen (aka Heater Hands) went on to join the band Squad Five-0 soon after Blaster unofficially disbanded in the summer of 2000. After a few reunion shows with various friends of the band (the two most prominent being in Indiana in 2002, which was recorded and released as part of their Anatomy of a Monster compilation, and the other mentioned above in mid 2004 at the Cornerstone Festival in Bushnell, Illinois), Otto went on to form the Voice of the Mysterons in his current home of Scotland. Bassist, Mikey Rocket (Michael Schauss), quit the band and over the years became a teacher, teaching History at Benjamin Bosse High School, in Evansville, Indiana.
Since the split of Squad Five-0 Dave Petersen joined Philadelphia indie rockers Marah for a short while. He currently plays in Adam and Dave's Bloodline, another Philadelphia rock band alongside Adam Garbinski (formerly of Speedy Delivery, The Huntingtons, One21, Squad Five-O and Marah).
On 18 May 2011 Otto announced, via his Facebook profile, that Blaster the Rocket Man & Voice Of The Mysterons had released a split EP via Crossroads of America Records and Flannelgraph Records. This was originally released as a limited 100 press 3" CD available in October 2010 via subscription only. His announcement made it clear that the release was now available to the general public as a digi-download via Bandcamp. The release featured four Voice Of The Mysterons songs, two Blaster The Rocket Man songs as well as some spoken word by Otto. It was initially a part of the "Laminar Excursion Monthly" series.[1]
Daniel Petersen wrote and performed a spoken word piece for the gypsy-folk-punk band Insomniac Folklore entitled; "The Homecoming: A Sermon for Certain Serpent-Servants and Sundry Other Unsavory Characters." This piece appeared on their June 2011 release "A Place Where Runaways Are Not Alone." [2] Adrienne Curry of Insomniac Folklore later adapted the piece into a short play that was performed at Fontbonne University on December 11, 2011.[3]
Contents |
[edit] Discography
- Disasteroid (1995, Boot to Head Records)
- Succulent Space Food for Teething Vampires (1997, Boot to Head Records)
- The Monster Who Ate Jesus (1999, Jackson Rubio Records; Reviews: The Phantom TollBooth, HM Magazine[1])
- The Anatomy of a Monster [Compilation] (2004, Boot to Head Records; Review: HM Magazine[2])
- Doctor NoBot and His Anti-Automatons Present: A Macabre Menagerie and Blessed Bestiary — Cunningly and Cussedly Commingled for Your Delighted Dread and Deviant Devotion (Caution: Not Recommended for Listening to Alone or In The Dark) (Laminar Excursion Monthly: Volume 20, October 2010; Crossroads of America Records & Flannelgraph Records)
[edit] Members
[edit] Current
Last show played in July 2008.
- Otto Bot (Daniel Petersen) - vocals/lyrics
- Brett Sempsrott - drums
- Ty Sempsrott - guitar
- Dustin Spock - guitar
- Jason Allender - bass
[edit] Former
- Heater Hands (Dave Petersen) - drums, guitar on most recordings
- Chrissy Rocket - guitar
- Mikey Rocket - bass
- Jason Allender - guitar
- Oxford Don - bass
- John Grey Vogel - bass
- Rusty Sempsrott - guitar
[edit] References
- ^ a b 3 (July/August 1999). "Reviews: / The Monster Who Ate Jesus". HM Magazine (83): 78. ISSN 1066-6923.
- ^ a b Jackson, Melba (May / June 2003). "Reviews / Blaster the Rocket Man / The Anatomy of a Monster". HM Magazine (101): 58. ISSN 1066-6923.
- Powell, Mark Allan (2002). Encyclopedia of Contemporary Christian Music (First printing ed.). Peabody, Massachusetts: Hendrickson Publishers. pp. 90–91. ISBN 1-56563-679-1.
[edit] External links
- Blaster on Myspace
- An account of a Blaster concert
- An account of their Cornerstone 2004 reunion show
- A general review of Cornerstone 2004
- Short history of the band
- Mutinous Wonderflesh Vs The Body Under The Head: A Tribute To Blaster The Rocket Man (Free Legal Download from NoiseTrade)
- Mutinous Wonderflesh info page on Caustic Fallout
- Blaster The Rocket Man & Voice Of The Mysterons Split EP on Bandcamp
