Take your pick. Either Gwar are extra-terrestrial war gods from the dawn of time itself exiled to Earth for their cosmic crimes… or they’re a bunch of nerds from Richmond Virginia who formed the band out of the remains of other hardcore groups and nicknamed themselves things like Sexecutioner and Techno Destructo.
Personally, war gods from the dawn of time has a nice ring to it, but believe it or not, the truth is even better. The band came together from an idea that eventual lead singer Dave Brockie had. He was the frontman of Death Piggy, a hardcore band who were starting to get some serious recognition for their outrageous antics in concert, and his band struck up a friendship with Hunter Jackson.
Jackson was making props for both Death Piggy and a film he was trying to get made called Scumdogs of the Universe. However, the film was going nowhere and Brockie suggested that they use the props made for it, which were just going spare at the time, to create a new band to support Death Piggy. They called this new band Gwaaarrrgghhlllgh, but they shortened it to Gwar when the idea proved so successful that people were coming to see Death Piggy and leaving directly after the newly formed Gwar’s set.
Of course, this all sounds like the start of an outrageously fun but ultimately pointless summer project for some bored but imaginative hardcore kids. Not so for Gwar. Twenty years and an utterly astonishing 820,000 records sold over 13 studio albums in the United States alone, Gwar are still going strong even after Dave Brockie’s death in 2014. They are true legends of their genre, and a message that if a crazy idea might just work, with enough effort and hard work, it can.
GWAR is not for the squeamish. Their hellbound style of thrash and hardcore punk is loud and straight to the point.
Front man Oderous Urungus (recently deceased Dave Brockie) started the band in the late 80's. They quickly rose to infamy for their vulgar lyrics and even more vulgar live shows.The band typically plays smaller to medium sized venues.
The concert I saw was in a bar/venue conversion that held a few hundred people. The members of the band dress in full demonic costumes, covered with spikes and adorned with weaponry such as axes and swords.
During their set you will be shocked as they crucify nuns, abort fake fetus', and murder pop icons on stage, spewing fake blood (red corn syrup) over the crowd for the duration of their set. The band claims to be a band of interplanetary warriors and blasts favorites from their albums such as Ragnarok, Carnival of CHaos, and Scumdogs of the Universe. The shows are vehemently filled with political satire, pop culture, and relevant media icons -- typically being brutalized and murdered on stage for the enjoyment of the crowd.
The music is loud and crass, and the deep crunchy guitars will obliterate your soul with their screeches of death. GWAR has to be one of the most iconic bands on the planet, and if you can stomach the crude lyrics, loud guitars, and outrageous on-stage antics then go see GWAR next time they come to town.