Gwar at Irving Plaza

Gwar formed in 1984 from a collective of musicians, artists and filmmakers known as Slave Pit Inc. in Richmond, Virginia. The band members, however, would have you believe that they are descendents of a race of barbaric interplanetary warriors from outer space sent to conquer Earth in prehistoric times. Gwar now stands against humans, who are seen as a parasitical disease that must be eradicated before they suck the planet dry. Gwar also plays heavy metal music and presents a stage show with elaborate stage designs and monsters who slime their audience repeatedly with various colored fluids. No original members remain in Gwar; the current lineup consists of lead vocalist Michael Bishop (as Blothar the Berserker), guitarists Brent Purgason (as Pustulus Maximus) and Mike Derks (as Balsac the Jaws of Death), bassist Jamison Land (as Beefcake the Mighty), drummer Brad Roberts (as Jizmak Da Gusha), and backing vocalists Matt Maguire (as Sawborg Destructo), Bob Gorman (as Bonesnapper) and Don Drakulich (as Sleazy P. Martini). Gwar released its 14th and most recent album, The Blood of Gods, on October 20, 2017.

In recent years, Gwar has been performing annual Halloween concerts at Irving Plaza, with the band's outrageous and  grotesque costumes outshining all of the costumes at the massive Halloween Day Parade four blocks away. There was a storyline to follow as the concert progressed, but many in the audience were more invested in moshing or getting slimed by the Gwar characters who shot copious mystery liquids into the audience. Even at the end of the first song, two characters were decapitated and sprayed gallons of fake blood into the audience, with far more to come as the show progressed. Blazing metal music screeched and wailed, as more over-the-top costumed characters simulated violence and bloodshed. Half of the set revolved around the most recent album, so much of the show was similar to last year's spectacle. True to reputation, the Gwar concert was the ultimate integration of extreme music, adult comedy and shocking visuals, and the Gwar audience wanted it no other way.

Visit Gwar at www.gwar.net.

Setlist:

1. War on GWAR
2. Womb with a View
3. I'll Be Your Monster
4. Death to Dickie Duncan
5. Saddam a Go-Go
6. Crushed by the Cross
7. Viking Death Machine
8. Immortal Corrupter
9. El Presidente
10. Maggots
11. The Sordid Soliloquy of Sawborg Destructo
12. Love Surgery (Instrumental)
13. Beat You to Death
14. Fuck This Place

Encore:

1. Phantom Limb
2. Sexecutioner
3. Sick of You