The Radioactive Chicken Heads are a "Genetically Modified Punk Rock" band formed in 1993 in Orange, California. Operating anonymously under the guise of mutant chickens and vegetables and playing a mix of punk rock, heavy metal and ska punk, they established a cult following within the Orange County punk and ska scene for their over-the-top theatrical stage shows utilizing a wide variety of props and costumed characters, all of which tie into an elaborate fictional mythology which serves as the basis for many of the band's songs and videos. They have produced various multi-media projects revolving around their mythology. If Gwar would be TV-MA, the Radioactive Chicken Heads would be TV-Y7.
Discography:
(as Joe and the Chicken Heads):
- El Pollo Loco (self-released demo tape, 1994)
- Vomitzvah: Music to Puke By (self-released demo tape, 1994)
- Divine Indigestion (self-released demo tape,1995)
- Bird Brains (self-released demo tape, 1996)
- Joe and the Chicken Heads (self-released demo tape, 1998)
- Family Album (EP, 2000)
- Keep on Cluckin' (LP, 2002)
(as The Radioactive Chicken Heads):
- Growing Mold (LP, 2005)
- Music for Mutants (LP, 2008)
- Poultry Uprising (rarities compilation, 2009)
- Tales from the Coop (LP, 2017)
Tropes in this work:
- Anonymous Band: The Radioactive Chicken Heads have never made their out-of-character identities known, and rarely, if ever, do interviews outside their personas.
- Bragging Theme Tune: "Cluck You!" from Music for Mutants serves as one, mixed with Theme Tune Roll Call; "RCH Fight Song" from Tales From the Coop is a straighter example.
- Captain Ersatz: "Chucky Cheese", the main antagonist of "Pest Control".
- Cover Version: Quite a few of them. "I Eat Kids", "I Looked Into the Mirror", "I Wanna Be a Dog", and "I Didn't Mean To" by Barry Louis Polisar, the last of which is a duet with Polisar himself; "Boris the Spider" by The Who, "Institutionalized" by Suicidal Tendencies, "Radioactive" by Imagine Dragons, "We Are Never Getting Back Together" by Taylor Swift, "Call Me Maybe" by Carly Rae Jepsen, "We Are Number One" from LazyTown, "Energy" by Drake, "Surfin' Bird" by the Trashmen, "The Thing That Only Eats Hippies" by The Dead Milkmen, "Somebody's Watching Me" by Rockwell, and a medley cover of "Six Little Chickens/It's Your Birthday" from Willy's Wonderland. "
- Early-Installment Weirdness: Originally the band went under the Non-Indicative Name of Joe and the Chicken Heads, and their releases under this name show a much more abrasive sound rooted in Hardcore Punk and Thrash Metal; some of the early songs also display a preoccupation with Toilet Humor, and Carrot Topp's singing style is far raspier and stereotypically punk rather than the more melodic, Jello Biafra-influenced style he's known for.
- Hair-Raising Hare: Badd Bunny in the song of the same name.
- Kayfabe Music: As the introduction to this page says, they're a "genetically modified punk band" consisting of chickens and vegetables.
- Our Werebeasts Are Different: "Cluck at the Moon" involves, you guessed it, a werechicken.
- People in Rubber Suits: The various characters/band member personas fall into the "not necessarily rubber" category of this trope.
- Punny Name: Carrot Topp, Sgt. Psyclopps, Bird Brain, Punky Rooster, Pastafarian...really, the whole band qualifies.
- Revolving Door Band: Their lineups change frequently, with lead singer Carrot Topp being the sole constant.
- Stylistic Suck: The characters' costumes certainly count.
- Wicked Witch: "Wiccan Chicken", both the song and the character involved, are based all around this, Wiccan Chicken herself having the pointed hat, messy hair, and stirring a brew with malicious intent.
