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.
This Is Radio Surgery
The Locust Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Avoid the hooplah - so place all your bets.
Wounded insects eating their pets,
Dumb down tall sects must cleat all debts.
Face knew nothing of the matter,
Indicators = splatter, splatter!
The Locust's song This Is Radio Surgery is not easy to interpret, but it seems to be a critique of mass media and society's obsession with superficiality. The first two lines encourage the audience to avoid the hoopla, which might mean the noise and distractions of commercial media or the hype of celebrity culture. The lyrics go on to describe wounded insects eating their pets, which could be a metaphor for people who are so caught up in materialism and consumerism that they consume their own possessions. The next line mentions "dumb down tall sects," which could be a reference to religious groups that insist on conformity and mindless obedience to authority. The last line, "face knew nothing of the matter, indicators=splatter, splatter!" seems to suggest that people who are superficial and distracted are ignorant of important issues, and that their lack of attention leads to disastrous consequences.
Overall, the lyrics of This Is Radio Surgery are complex and cryptic, but they seem to convey a sense of frustration with the shallow nature of modern society. The song might be seen as a call for people to wake up and pay attention to the world around them, rather than being consumed by trivial distractions.
Line by Line Meaning
Avoid the hooplah - the lock groove is set.
Don't get caught up in the hype - we're already stuck in a repetitive cycle.
Avoid the hooplah - so place all your bets.
Again, don't get too excited about anything - we're all just taking our chances and hoping for the best.
Wounded insects eating their pets,
This could be interpreted in many ways, but one possibility is that those who are weak or vulnerable often end up hurting those closest to them.
Dumb down tall sects must cleat all debts.
Powerful groups, often relying on the ignorance of their followers, still have to pay the price for their actions.
Face knew nothing of the matter,
Maybe we're better off without all the information - ignorance is bliss, after all.
Indicators = splatter, splatter!
This line is intentionally vague, but it could suggest that all the signs and symbols we use to make sense of the world are really just meaningless noise.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind