I have to admit that while I respected Gwar and found their social and political satire by way of nudity and gore to be one of the most important things happening at any time in the world of music, I wasn’t a “fan”.  I had seen “Phallus In Wonderland” and “Live From Antarctica” numerous times on VHS and there were a handful of songs I had heard either on college radio or Headbanger’s Ball that I liked.  But I wasn’t a “fan”.  Not until last year, right before Dave Brockie’s death.  Gwar’s last album, “Battle Maximus”, is an absolute masterpiece from stem to stern. Then Dave died.  Heroin overdose.  From a guy I always figured “knew better”.  In the wake of Dave’s passing the universe of Gwar went from dead to weirdly limping along, to firing a singer to finally settling with Blothar the Berserker who was also the first Beefcake the Mighty in the band.  There was also some creepy shit about Dave’s ashes that I don’t want to lend any attention to at all.

 

So I had never before experienced Gwar live and in person.  Never had the privilege of seeing Dave Brockie live.  In a weird way I probably had a much different Gwar experience than 90% of the people in attendance last Thursday night at the Rave in Milwaukee.  Just a word of advice to anyone planning on attending a show there, bring change for the homeless guys and con men.  You’re a mark down there, that’s their territory.  Shove em some change and keep walking, maybe they won’t hassle you 4 hours later on your way back to the car. 

 

I say “much different Gwar experience” because I didn’t have a point of reference on what Gwar was really like live, I’d only seen the VHS releases and, in recent years, YouTube videos.  I’d never been there.  I’m glad I went there. 

 

I wish I could tell you even half of what went on when Gwar finally started, it was overload.  I can say that my first impression was that the shit they sprayed out of vaginas, mutilated boobs, raped baby asses, an utter of dicks, the severed head of a Fox News reporter, the stripped clean skull of Kanye West and an internet “troll” wasn’t all that gross.  I thought it would be full of chunks of shit and garbage, but it was just food coloring and water.  I'm going to assume that the early days of Gwar were much less sanitary.

 

Meat Sandwich, Blood Bath, Crush, Kill, Destroy.  I have to send out kudos to the young people, the kids, for having half the room in a swirling pit for 80 minutes, culminating with Sick Of You. 

 

Battlecross opened and within one song I made my way up near the front because they were heavy and fun.  To see them headline a show would be a Goddamn showtime deal.  The second band had super annoying light gimmicks on each side of the drums and two singers.  I lasted a minute or two. 

 

I fully believe that Gwar will go on long after we’re all dead.  It was a big turnout and a rabid fucking crowd for a Thursday night in Milwaukee.

 

This tour is going on through the end of November so you’ll probably get a shot to see it at some point.