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Artist News
The Monks’ Gary Burger dies
By Andy Malt | Published on Monday 17 March 2014
Frontman of 60s garage rock band The Monks, and mayor of Turtle River, Minnesota, Gary Burger died on Friday, aged 70. He had been suffering from pancreatic cancer.
Formed in 1964 by five American GIs stationed in Germany, The Monks differed from other bands of the time in many ways. In 1965 they changed their name from The 5 Torquays, shaved the tops of their heads and began wearing cassocks with nooses as neckties.
Adopting a sound that relied more on rhythm than melody, the band featured a full time banjo player amongst their line-up and are widely credited as being the first band to use feedback as a musical tool, rather than an unwanted accident. Legend has it that Jimi Hendrix was inspired to start using feedback in his sound after seeing The Monks play live.
Although only together for three years originally, their 1965 album, ‘Black Monk Time’, gained a cult following and went on to influence the likes of The Velvet Underground, Beastie Boys, The Dead Kennedys and The Fall.
The band reformed in 1999 and had periodically performed live since then.
