Concert Review: GWAR (Ritz Raleigh)

BY MARK DOLEJS

GWAR… well, what can you say about GWAR, other than, holy shit!

Sunday night at the Ritz Raleigh, mayhem and the spewing of (mock) bodily fluids from the stage, all over the crowd, was on the menu for all in attendance.

GWAR brought their The Stoned Age Tour to Raleigh, and boy did they put on a show. I’ve been aware of this band for a long time and they’ve always been on my bucket list to photograph.

The crowd, especially those front and center, seemed to love being drenched in fake blood being spewed from decapitated and butchered bodies on stage.

The night started with their song “El Presidente,” released in 2017 when Trump was in office. At the beginning of the song, life size caricatures of Donald Trump and Kamala Harris were both butchered on stage, spewing blood all over the audience.

The spewing did not end there. Throughout the night, multiple former presidents were chopped and decapitated, including Ronald Reagan, Abraham Lincoln and Barack Obama, among others. Hitler was also the object of GWAR’s butchery on stage.

If you put all the cheesy acting and gore aside, GWAR puts together a pretty decent sound. “Immortal Corrupter” was magnificent and lives up to this extra large sized band’s stage presence. And while “Maggots” wasn’t my favorite song, the constant chanting of maggots, maggots, maggots, was kind of catchy.

The band formed in 1984 in Richmond, VA, and put out their first album in 1988. Fourteen albums later the band is still touring, but with none of the original members. Current lead singer, Michael Bishop, performs as Blöthar the Berserker, while lead guitarist, Tommy Meehan, performs as Grodius Maximus.

The band is rounded out with Mike Derks (Bälsäc the Jaws of Death) on rhythm guitar, Brad Roberts (Jizmak Da Gusha) on drums, and Casey Orr (Beefcake the Mighty) on bass.

Before GWAR took the stage, Cancer Bats got the crowd worked up and ready. “True Zero” rocked and “Sorceress” was introduced as the heaviest song they play. A cover of “Sabotage” whipped the crowd into a frenzy. Squid Pisser opened the night, but they really aren’t worth mentioning.

GWAR is not for the faint of heart. You will either love them or hate them, and they have a pretty loyal cult following that totally digs their shows.

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MARK DOLEJS

Photography is an avenue that Mark Dolejs uses to learn about the people and places that cross his path. After more than 30 years as a photojournalist, Mark enjoys concert, macro, and roadside photography. Follow Mark on Instagram at @solidrockpix.

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