God save the warrior queen

>> GWAR's Slymenstra Hymen joins the Torture King for some masochistic mayhem

by LORRAINE CARPENTER

"I'm really good at fire theatrics like fire-breathing and fire baton-twirling and I do an act that's more on the burlesque side called Cannibal Stripper, which is an old-fashioned strip show with these big, humongous fake boobs. It's really comical."

Strangely, Slymenstra Hymen's Girly Freak Show (GFS) was never invited to the Lilith Fair. However, the act did come into being at a (relatively) mainstream music fest, namely Lollapalooza in 1996. Although it was created by Jill Mandelbaum and Amanda Topaz, aka Ula and Sharka the Pain-Proof Rubber Girls, the GFS torch has been passed, quite literally, to GWAR's Slymenstra, usually not known as Danyelle Stampe. Besides wanting to keep Slymenstra's fire alive while GWAR have some time off, Stampe took hold of the GFS reigns to showcase a new little trick.

"Recently I started doing this stunt where I shoot 20-foot lightning bolts out of my fingers," says Stampe. "I'm the only woman in the world to ever do this stunt, so I thought the Girly Freak Show was the perfect arena for it." Unfortunately, Montrealers won't be treated to this trick because it takes about five grand (American!) to pull off, relegating it strictly to big events. However, between the GFS and co-conspirator the Torture King (aka Tim Cridland, formerly of the Jim Rose Circus Sideshow), there will be no shortage of crazy shit happening on stage.

"Tim's a traditional sideshow performer, I like what he does a lot," says Stampe. "He's a human pin cushion, he puts skewers through the thick of his arm, he lays on sword beds, he walks on glass, eats glass. It's pretty intense and he doesn't bleed."

Despite her name, Slymenstra doesn't bleed either, even though blood and other bodily fluids are an integral part of GWAR's act.

"It'll be a little less violent [than GWAR]," says Stampe. "I'm definitely Slymenstra Hymen in the show, but I use mirror balls and wear big feather head-dresses--it's more glamorous. There are some numbers that are taken directly from GWAR shows like my half-woman, half-snake routine. Basically a lot of what I do is illusionism: sideshow oddities of the natural world, mythical monstrosities, the strange and deranged, evil yet fascinating women."

Most of the music in the GFS is what Stampe describes as "really weird circus music and soundtracks from horror films" but, for all you GWARriors out there, Slymenstra does sing one GWAR song. In fact, Stampe hopes to collaborate with fellow GWAR-sters on original music for the GFS after they're done helping Dave Brockie with his solo album and before the collective records and tours again (the band has just signed another three-album deal with Metal Blade). Although she has every intention of continuing with her band of interplanetary anarchists, Stampe has higher aspirations for her beloved character.

"I'd like to see Slymenstra Hymen grow past GWAR and become her own entity, a horror icon. Who's gonna take Elvira's job? It might as well be me!"

The Zamora Sideshow with the Torture King and the Girly Freak Show at Foufounes Électriques on Wednesday, Nov. 29., 8pm, $9