In February of 2023, I managed to bag myself a Waterparks VIP ticket for their run supporting You Me At Six in the UK. I met three of the loveliest people I’ve ever had the pleasure of chatting to.
Or, so I thought.
Because, as it turns out, drummer Otto Woods is a serial killer. At least… According to lead singer Awsten Knight, he is.
Over the years, Knight has cemented himself as a serial yapper. I’ve never seen a lead singer chat as much shit as this man does, and I wish I was joking. He often lands himself in hot water with his own fans, jokingly insulting them on his numerous private and public X accounts.
Typing out the sentence “lead singer is the creator of rumours about his own bandmate being a serial killer” sounds fake, but to anyone who has any knowledge of the band, this is just everyday shit.
So… Who is Otto Wood, and WHY is he being accused of homicide?
Otto Daniel Wood was born in Houston and joined the band Waterparks in 2011. Alongside lead singer Awsten Knight and guitarist Geoff Wigington, they’ve bagged huge festival slots and even supported My Chemical Romance during their last tour.
It’s just so hard to believe he’s been murdering people this entire time….
So…. Is He a Murderer, Or Not?
Except, of course he hasn’t. No matter how many people on TikTok claim to believe it, obviously he’s not been going around murdering people for the past decade. It’s been an inside joke within the fandom for ages, it’s even referenced in songs.
The joke actually comes from a real serial killer of the same name – Otto Wood, born in 1894. There doesn’t seem to be all that much information about him, except for the fact that he lost his left hand as a teenager and escaped from prison four times. The only reason I’ve ever heard of him is because of this godforsaken (affectionate) band.
You have to admit it though, it’s bloody genius marketing. Just off the release of their newest single ‘SOULSUCKER’, right after going independent, Waterparks is now trending on the majority of social media platforms. They’ve been covered by massive publications, with Knight requesting privacy during this “difficult period”. More than anything else, you have to respect the serious commitment to the bit. The marketing here is genius, although maybe the credit should go to Wood’s commitment to killing people as opposed to Knight’s abilities. Because, let’s be honest, this marketing tactic has purely stemmed from having a chronically online frontman. Other bands should take note, because this is the best band controversy I’ve ever seen. And fans should consider themselves lucky that these are the only allegations facing the band. After all, they did play Warped Tour…
