The Go-Nuts
American novelty band
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Go-Nuts (not to be confused with a 1960s garage rock band of the same name),[1] were a novelty band from San Francisco, California, active in the 1990s and early 2000s, which was composed of members of The Ecco-Fonics, The Phantom Surfers, and The Bomboras. The band's schtick was that they were four superheroes: Kap'n Korn-nut (Mel Bergman), the Donut Prince (Deke Dickerson), the Donut Hole (Jake Cavaliere), and the Korn Dogg (Russell Quan, et al.), who—along with their Go-Go Gorillas sidekicks—attempted to make the world "safe for snacking."[2][3][4][5]
The Go-Nuts | |
|---|---|
| Origin | San Francisco, California, USA |
| Genres | |
| Years active | 1994–2016 |
| Labels | Planet Pimp Records, Lookout! Records, Estrus Records |
| Members | Deke Dickerson, Jake Cavaliere, Mel Bergman, Russell Quan, et al. |
Members of the Go-Nuts all wore spandex bodysuits and helmets or masks adorned with real donuts and other snack food items.[6] Their music (which they dubbed "snak rock") was a mix of rock, bubblegum, and pop punk, with rockabilly and rock n' roll influences. The lyrics to Go-Nuts songs were mostly about junk food, snacking, the Go-Nuts as superheroes, the band's sidekicks the Go-Go Gorillas, and the glorification of overeating and obesity (the band paid homage to Robert Earl Hughes, the heaviest human being recorded during his lifetime, with an eponymous single).[7]
All of The Go-Nuts' recordings featured a rendition (or multiple renditions) of their song "Go-Nuts Theme" which declared repeatedly, "The Go-Nuts are your favorite band."[8] Their second album featured a cover of Van Halen's "Hot for Teacher," restyled as "Hot for Twinkies."[9] At Go-Nuts live shows, audiences were assaulted by airborne food items projected from the stage by various launching devices such as the "Snak Storm" and "Snak Cannon" – often creating major messes at venues and leading to the band being banned from various clubs in California.[10][11]
The Go-Nuts' music was released by Estrus Records, Planet Pimp Records, and Lookout! Records.[12] The band released two full-length albums, three 7" vinyl singles, and appeared on multiple compilations. The Go-Nuts logo and most of the band's merchandise (t-shirts, buttons, coffee mugs, et cetera) were designed or illustrated by the hot rod and pinup artist Coop.[7]
The Go-Nuts were active in the 1990s but have not released any new music since 2000. They periodically re-form to perform one-off appearances at music festivals such as Spain's Funtastic Drácula Carnival,[13] but are not a regular touring live act. In 2013 they performed at a benefit for Norton Records, at Los Angeles venue The Echo.[14] Their most recent documented performance appears to have occurred on August 27, 2016.[15] The Go-Nuts' use of costumes has been cited as an influence on The Aquabats.[16]
As of early 2026, The Go-Nuts' music does not appear to be available on any major streaming platforms, or even on the artist-focused platform Bandcamp; however, selected Go-Nuts tracks have been uploaded to YouTube.
Discography
7" vinyl singles
Full-length albums
Compilation appearances
- Goode Tyme Jhambhoree, Planet Pimp Records, 1995.[22]
- Happy Birthday, Baby Jesus (Volumes 1 & 2), Sympathy For The Record Industry, 1995.[23]
- (You're Only As Good As) The Last Great Thing You Did, Lookout! Records, 1997.[24]
- Tigermask: Trash Au Go-Go, Dionysus Records, 1998.[25]
- Lookout! Freakout Episode 2, Lookout! Records, 2001.[26]
- Greasy Kid Stuff: Songs From Inside The Radio, Confidential Recordings, 2002.[27]