Lee “Scratch” Perry Launches Kickstarter to Bring Giant Inflatable Gorilla From 'Super Ape' to Life

Lee "Scratch" Perry's 1976 classic Super Ape was a smoker's delight—think King Kong meets Cheech and Chong. A giant gorilla holds a fat joint in one hand and an uprooted tree in another as he trounces across a hurricane-ravaged Caribbean island with a belly full of roast fish and cornbread. It made little sense, but was pretty fucking awesome regardless (much like the mystical reggae pioneer's interviews, if we're going to be honest).

Many dub connoisseurs consider Super Ape the finest easy skanking record in the land. On the eve of its 40 anniversary, Perry will bring a stage show of the entire album to the US for the fifth annual Dub Champions Festival. It will be the first time the album has been performed live in its entirety.

For the full Super Ape experience, the soldiers of Jah behind Dub Champions have launched a Kickstarter campaign to raise $3,200 for an inflatable gorilla straight off the album cover, as well as animation of the artwork and travel support for the full backing vocal and horn section. Rewards range from a five-dollar fist bump to the hairy beast himself—yours to take home at the end of the tour with autographs from the band members, which will set you back 2,500 clams.

Here's what the man himself had to say, straight from the Black Ark Studio in Jamaica: "This is Lee 'Scratch' Perry and the Super Ape coming to USA, yeah mon, September and October, yeah mon, to Dub Champions Festival to dub dub dub you crazy, to love you crazy, and to hug you crazy!"

While for legal reasons there is no advertised reward that includes making an offering to the chalice (that's a bong for all you non-Rastafarians out there) with Mr. Perry, it could probably be arranged at the Seattle show. Thanks Ballot Initiative 502!