Former lead singer of the popular 80’s death metal band Hostage Negotiator, Bobby Muscles, will be making his only Philadelphia appearance this November at a location to be determined.
Arriving from England in 1984, Hostage Negotiator became a huge hit. The band sold out stadiums throughout North America during its Head Banger’s Deluxe Tour.
However, the success did not last.
Muscles, whose real name is Dexter Malley O’Bromowitz, hasn’t performed in Philadelphia since the famous ‘Nudegate’ scandal of 1986. To this day, he still does not like to talk about the incident.
“Hey man – it was a wardrobe malfunction,” he claims. “I was supposed to be raised to the stage by this cable, see. You know, like a phoenix. It was the scene for our opening song ‘Metal Bird’. Then suddenly, the dang cable wraps around me bloody leg. I panicked a little. Next thing I know, I am naked. But the show needed to on, bloke.”
Subsequently, Muscles was arrested after performing his entire 75-minute set in the buff. He was sentenced to 60 days community service speaking to local public school children about the dangers of performing naked.
The entire incident left him despondent and shortly afterwards Hostage Negotiator disbanded. For the rest of the decade through early last year, Muscles remained in hiding.
“Things got real bad financially,” Muscles remembers. “I took a job begging for change in Pittsburgh. Today, I realize it wasn’t a real job but at the time, in my mind, it was. A facade to deal with the pain. Some people use drugs, I subjected myself to Pittsburgh.”
Things turned for the worse in 2008. While chasing down an unsuspecting businessman for money, Muscles was struck and seriously injured by the Oscar Meyer Weiner promotional truck. He was rushed to Pittsburgh General Hospital for emergency surgery to save his legs which had been crushed under the massive weight of the weiner-mobile.
Ironically, the doctor performing the surgery was former friend and band mate, Harold Pudding. Dr. Pudding (better known in the 80’s as Dude Fire) successfully reattached both legs and assisted Muscles in all aspects of his therapy. It was a miracle.
“That’s when it happened,” said Muscles. “No offense to my old mate, but as I laid there I realized that if a bloody idiot like Harold Pudding could become a doctor, I could write music again. I had been blessed. The heavy metal gods were speaking to me telling me to ‘get up, get up’. So I did.”
For the last two years, Muscles had been busy at work in his studio in Glen Mill, PA. His recently released, surprise hit, ‘Love Jug’ has reached #7 on the hard rock charts and he is looking forward to touring again. His self-reflective, solo concept album, ‘Weiner Experience’, has also charted in Billboards Hard Rock category.
“I am going to tour with a new band backing me. This time, I will be calling the creative shots,” says Muscles. “Plus, I will be sure to wear a belt”.