The Locust was formed by Justin Pearson, Bobby Bray, Dylan Scharf, Dave Warshaw, and Dave Astor. After a number of personnel changes, they arrived at their current four-piece lineup in 2001, consisting of Pearson, Bray, Gabe Serbian, and Joey Karam. Originally a powerviolence band with a strong tendency towards synth-based passages, they have more recently stripped down much of their past sound, but retained the heavy distortion, synthesizers, screamed vocals, and intense stage presence. On the band's unique sound and live presentations, singer/bassist Justin Pearson has said, "I wanted to change the way people perceive music, or maybe just destroy it in general." Their music is complex, dynamic and fast-paced, often featuring abrupt and inconsistent time-signature changes. These erratic elements are, according to guitarist Bobby Bray, "a reflection of perhaps how our brains have to function in order to be able to do anything in the Western societies we live in."
The Locust have a unique stage presence: costumed in skin-tight, full body nylon suits (which the band refer to as uniforms), they have at times come across to first-time viewers as frightening. The last 5 different suits were designed and made by Ben Warwas. Unlike most bands, which normally have the drums set up behind the other members, the four members of The Locust are usually all positioned in a line at the front of the stage. The group recommends that in order to get the full impact of the music, one should see them live. The Locust boycotts Clear Channel Communications and refuse to play in any Clear Channel-owned venues. This boycott affected a 2005 tour with Fantômas as well as another tour with Yeah Yeah Yeahs. They also have a policy of only playing all-ages shows. The band's lyrics range from stream-of-consciousness poetry to satirical portrayals of mainstream ideas of sexuality to political commentary and critiques of religion.
Get Off the Cross the Wood Is Needed
The Locust Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The effects of long hours at the tanning salon.
Outgrowing cacti, so on and so forth. Uh huh, yeah.
The Locust's song Get Off the Cross the Wood Is Needed is a prime example of their unique brand of avant-garde powerviolence music. The lyrics of this particular song are incredibly abstract and open to interpretation. However, one possible meaning could be that the first line, "A wolf remains a wolf even if it has eaten your sheep," represents the idea that someone's true nature can't be changed by their actions. In other words, just because someone does something bad doesn't mean they're fundamentally a bad person.
The second line, "The effects of long hours at the tanning salon," is a reference to the dangerous effects of tanning and how it can lead to skin cancer. It may be interpreted as a warning to people to take care of their skin and avoid harmful tanning practices that can cause irreversible damage. The third line, "Outgrowing cacti, so on and so forth," could be seen as the process of growth or change, where one may outgrow certain things or people, and move forward in life.
Line by Line Meaning
A wolf remains a wolf even if it has eaten your sheep.
The true nature of someone or something does not change despite their actions or circumstances.
The effects of long hours at the tanning salon.
The consequences of overindulging in a superficial activity, such as tanning, can have negative consequences.
Outgrowing cacti, so on and so forth. Uh huh, yeah.
Just as one can outgrow a cactus, we must also recognize when it's time to move on from certain situations or relationships, no matter how comfortable they may be.
Contributed by Lily I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Sludge Judy's Splatterhaus
Damn this takes me back to their early shows back in SoCal, thanks for the upload!!!
TBB OneTwoOneSix
you're welcome mate :)
EjectedStomach
Man I wish they played as fast as they did live on their recordings
FMZ101
Haha, remastered!