The Go-Nuts

The Go-Nuts
OriginSan Francisco, California, USA
Genres
Years active1994–2016
LabelsPlanet Pimp Records, Lookout! Records, Estrus Records
MembersDeke Dickerson, Jake Cavaliere, Mel Bergman, Russell Quan, et al.

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]

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

  • Go Nuts With... The Go-Nuts!!, Estrus Records,1994.[17]
  • The Donut Prince And The Pauper, Planet Pimp Records, 1995.[18]
  • Robert Earl Hughes, Lookout! Records, 1997.[19]

Full-length albums

  • World's Greatest Super Hero Snak Rock And Gorilla Entertainment Revue, Planet Pimp Records, 1997.[20]
  • Dunk And Cover!, Lookout! Records, 2000.[21]

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]

The Go-Nuts at MusicStack

The Go-Nuts at Discogs

The First Go-Nuts album at DekeDickerson.com

The Second Go-Nuts album at DekeDickerson.com

References

  1. ^ "The Go-Nuts | Garage Hangover". garagehangover.com. Retrieved 2026-02-20.
  2. ^ "Snack 'n' Roll: The Go-Nuts Let The Potato Chips Fall Where They May". Chicago Tribune. April 1, 1996.
  3. ^ Wilkinson, Tony. "This Is My Story: Deke Dickerson". This Is My Story.
  4. ^ "The Go-Nuts - BandToBand.com". bandtoband.com. Retrieved 2026-02-20.
  5. ^ Haben, Amy (2016-02-17). "INTERVIEW WITH JAKE CAVALIERE OF THE LORDS OF ALTAMONT!". PleaseKillMe. Retrieved 2026-02-20.
  6. ^ Lamarr, Mark (April 30, 1997). "The Go-Nuts Interviewed on 'Planet Showbiz,' BBC Channel Four". YouTube.
  7. ^ a b Gomez, Robert W. "The Go-Nuts - World's Greatest Super Hero Snak Rock and Gorilla Entertainment Revue". Robert W. Gomez's Unofficial Tribute to Planet Pimp Records.
  8. ^ "The Go-Nuts live at The Primitive Music and Art Festival, Rotterdam, The Netherlands". YouTube. June 2006.
  9. ^ The Go-Nuts (2000). "Hot For Twinkies". YouTube.
  10. ^ Inoue, Todd S. (January 22, 1998). "Sugar Shock: Go-Nuts wreak havoc at Lookout! party". San Jose Metro News.
  11. ^ "Go Nuts Discography and Albums". MusicStack. Retrieved 2026-02-22.
  12. ^ "The Go-Nuts Songs, Albums, Reviews, Bio & More..." AllMusic. Retrieved 2026-02-20.
  13. ^ "The Go-Nuts at the Funtastic Dracula Carnival VII". YouTube. October 13, 2012.
  14. ^ Live Music Archive (April 13, 2013). "The Go-Nuts - Norton Records Benefit Show at The Echo, Los Angeles, California". YouTube.
  15. ^ "Aug 27, 2016: VenturesMania / Deke Dickerson / Pope Paul & The Illegals / The Go-Nuts at Don the Beachcomber Huntington Beach, California, United States | Concert Archives". www.concertarchives.org. Retrieved 2026-02-20.
  16. ^ Lloyd, Robert (June 15, 2013). "Return of the Aquabats, Interview". Los Angeles Times.
  17. ^ The Go-Nuts - Go Nuts With... The Go-Nuts!!, 1994, retrieved 2026-02-20
  18. ^ The Go Nuts - The Donut Prince And The Pauper, 1995, retrieved 2026-02-20
  19. ^ The Go Nuts - Robert Earl Hughes, 1997, retrieved 2026-02-20
  20. ^ The Go Nuts - World's Greatest Super Hero Snak Rock And Gorilla Entertainment Revue, 1997, retrieved 2026-02-20
  21. ^ The Go-Nuts - Dunk And Cover!, 2000, retrieved 2026-02-20
  22. ^ Various - Goode Tyme Jhambhoree, 1995, retrieved 2026-02-20
  23. ^ Various - Happy Birthday, Baby Jesus - Volumes 1 & 2, 1995, retrieved 2026-02-20
  24. ^ Various - (You're Only As Good As) The Last Great Thing You Did, 1997, retrieved 2026-02-20
  25. ^ Various - Tigermask: Trash Au Go-Go, 1998, retrieved 2026-02-20
  26. ^ Various - Lookout! Freakout Episode 2, 2001, retrieved 2026-02-20
  27. ^ Various - Greasy Kid Stuff: Songs From Inside The Radio, 2002, retrieved 2026-02-20
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