
No bananas are safe! The GO-GO Rillas have escaped the confines of the zoo and are
aimed to throw a Banana Party! Where’s the Banana Party? Wherever these apes
are! During their time locked away at the zoo, these primates honed their surf and
garage rock chops and now Bingo, Bango, Bongo and Fred are on the loose; forever
on the run from the evil zoo keeper! Grab a banana and let’s GO-GO!
Welcome to Gorilla-land!
Meet Bingo! Bassist and fancy footwear extraordinaire! Bingo was in the original lineup of the Banana Splits but soon left the band due to artistic differences. There has been ongoing legal action against the Banana Splits (or “BS” as Bingo calls them) due to them using Bingos name without his permission. While serving time ‘inside’, Bingo repeatedly reminded the other apes not to touch their butts then smell their fingers. This turned out to be a golden rule once the zoo switched to an all bean-based diet! When Bingo’s not working the bass, or “shreddin’ the gnar” he’s hard at work on his next screen play “Gidget goes Bananas.” Surfs Up!
Since escaping, Bango has maintained various cover jobs: cab driver, casino blackjack dealer, life coach and lastly, a mime. Realizing that mime-ry would not put fruit salad on the table, he hooked up with Bingo after one and a half fitful days of learning how to play the guitar. His life motto is, “Never get caught with your bananas down” and is known to parachute into hairy guitar situations, there’s no stopping his ape energy! Bango once partied with Jane Goodall AND Dian Fossey so he’s got jungle cred!
Where’s that mad jungle boogie coming from? Oh it’s just Bongo on the skins! Say hello to the GO-GO Rillas resident furious face of fuzz! While in captivity, Bongo used the hollow logs and the heads of the others to drum up some of the zoo’s most infamous beats! It was COCO-NUTS! Ya shoulda been there! Well no worries, now’s your chance to see and hear Delaware’s Banana Daquiri King for 2005 and 2011….put your ape mitts together….heeeeere’s BONGO!!
Story has it that this ape was one of the last sent up by NASA for the space program. While in orbit, Fred’s said to have been abducted by aliens, who having determined surf rock to be the highest form of art in the universe, set about teaching Fred to play guitar. At least that’s what Fred says after one too many bananas. Other stories he’s liable to tell include him being Dick Dale “Freaky Fridayed” with an ape or having studied guitar under the tutelage of Koko the gorilla. Strangely all his stories occur in 1988, about the same time Fred’s known to have volunteered for a local university’s neuroscience experiment, which is also when he got the scar he hides under his banana fez.”
About The GO-GO Rillas
The GO-GO Rillas are a surf rock band based in Dallas / Fort Worth, Texas. Formed in 2019, the monkey-four-piece has spent almost a decade carving out a singular sound in the North Texas music scene: reverb-drenched surf guitar, pounding drums, and a go-for-broke live show that’s equal parts rock and roll revival and banana-fueled chaos.
The band features Bingo, Bango, Bongo, and Fred — four apes armed with instruments – dedicated to dang, dirty, rock and roll.
The Sound
Rooted in classic surf rock in the tradition of Los Straitjackets and The Ventures, the GO-GO Rillas layer in garage grit, tiki-lounge exotica, and rockabilly swagger. The result is instrumental-heavy, danceable, and unmistakably their own — a sound that’s earned them a loyal following across Dallas, Fort Worth, Austin, and beyond.
On Stage
The GO-GO Rillas have brought their live show to some of North Texas’ most beloved venues, including the Texas Theatre, Doublewide, Swizzle, and Craft & Growler in Dallas, and Knomad in Austin. Car show crazy, they were the featured performer at The Mile High Mayhem Scooter Rally. They’ve been a fixture at Dallas Tiki Week and made the trip out to Tiki Oasis in San Diego, connecting with the national tiki and surf rock community.
Recognition
Three time winners of Best Avant Garde / Experimental Band by Fort Worth Weekly (2023, 2024 and 2025) — a recognition from one of the region’s most respected alt-weeklies, and a nod to the band’s commitment to doing things their own way.
Discography
The band’s catalog includes the EP Banana Party, the vinyl 45 Gone Ape, Moderne Monkey Exotique, and the holiday release Christmas Night Surf. Full discography and streaming links are available on the discography page.
Book The Apes
Looking to book the GO-GO Rillas for your venue, festival, or private event in Dallas, Fort Worth, or anywhere else? Drop a line at info@thegogorillas.com or hit the Book The Apes page.



