Gwar
Agora
Clevelnad Ohio
November 01, 2024
By Andrew Latshaw
November 1st wasn’t just a ordinary Friday night at the Agora Theater in Cleveland, GWAR once again proved why they’re one of the most legendary, outlandish, and utterly chaotic bands in the metal scene. My first concert as a teenager, without parental supervision, was when I saw GWAR in 1991 at a smaller club in Cincinnati, Ohio. It has been over 30yrs ago, so it is a bit hazy. I remember walking into the venue with some newly acquired friends from my new high school.
As we were walking in one of the guys turned to me and said: “Dude, have you ever been in a mosh pit? Trust me when I say to stay away from the big guys! They have no center of gravity and they will fall on you!” I remember that clearly because that night losing my proverbial mosh pit cherry, I did have a bigger guy fall on me, and I cracked four ribs at that show, I am still laughing about that to this day! Fast forward 33yrs and the difference in the pit from 1991 to 2024 is night and day different!
That night in 1991 was my first taste of GWAR, and I can say I was hooked from that night on! As a long-time fan, sadly I have to admit that I have seen GWAR live only two times. I have seen every video they have put out, every documentary I can find online whether they are spoof or not, but this show still found ways to take things to a whole new level. With everything from outlandish theatrics to brutal riffs, they reminded the Cleveland crowd why they’re still at the top of their game, even after decades of shocking audiences around the world.
Just a reminder, this was November 1st, the election had not happened yet, and so in true to GWAR form, they wanted to allow “We the People” (in the audience) a recap of who was running for the most powerful office in the land. Over the house speakers, we hear a gameshow like voice of the announcer introducing the two candidates. What ensued was a fight to the death between the candidates. As they were locked in hand-to-hand combat, Bonesnapper saw his opportunity and took it! He wielded his mighty weapon and started to slice and dice them both!
As the corpses of the candidates lay there spraying the fake blood all over the crowd and us photographers, they exposed that with both candidates out of the race, that they would turn on their time machine to bring back Obama! That is what happened! They flipped the switch, and Obama walked out on stage, greeted the crowd and apparently this did not please Bonesnapper too much! He bit into the neck of the former president and then tore the rest of his head off his shoulders, and we now had a 3rd sacrifice spraying the crowd! Balsac, Beefcake, and Grodius all scolded Bonesnapper for killing Obama and that is when they flipped the switch again and that is when George W. came out on to the stage and he too was quickly cut down and spraying the crowd as his corpse was added to the pile.
On a side note, Blöthar would not be able to make an appearance this night… thanks to a member of the audience that I know personally, he sent me an article the next day explaining that Blöthar had sustained a groin injury prior to the show. This is why the guys made jokes about their absent member. The rest of the night the guys made jokes to excuse and or cover for his absence, saying that he was, and I quote: “stuck on the toilet dropping a massive shit starting earlier that day, and well into the night!”
They commented that this is because he eats nothing but pizza! I want to give the guys of GWAR a loud and solid shout out for making it through the show without their front man! They still gave us a hell of a show, and an unforgettable experience!
The stage was a blood-soaked battlefield, and from the second the band stormed on, it was clear we were in for one hell of a show. Bonesnapper led the charge with his larger-than-life presence, growling and roaring through the set with an intensity that only GWAR can deliver. The setlist for the evening had an array of nuclear tracks that took us through a their library and nostalgia for the times, they opened with a cover of “Never Gonna Give You Up,” “Gangnam Style,” and I was tickled to hear them close with “Hit Me Baby One More Time” and then “War Pigs,” each song packing a punch and inciting pits that turned the entire floor into a swirling sea of chaos.
True to form, GWAR didn’t just play music; they created a spectacle. The grotesque costumes, monstrous props, and unhinged storylines kept the audience’s eyes glued to the stage, waiting for what twisted antics would come next. And the fake blood? Let’s just say no one left the Agora Theater clean. The amount of splatter was insane, drenching fans in the first several rows – the “splash zone” veterans knew what they were getting into. People left covered in red, blue, and green goo, grinning ear-to-ear. It’s a GWAR rite of passage.
What impressed me most as a fan was how tight and refined they sounded musically. Behind the shock and gore, GWAR has always been a band of talented musicians. The guitar solos ripped, the bass thundered, and the drums set a relentless pace, filling the theater with an unholy energy that was downright cathartic.
The crowd was a true metal family – old-school fans, new blood, even a few shocked first-timers. Everyone was there to let loose, bang their heads, and celebrate metal mayhem. GWAR’s interaction with the audience was spot on, blending their brutal sound with dark, twisted humor. Between songs, Bonesnapper and crew taunted, insulted, and mocked, drawing cheers and laughter in equal measure. There were moments when it felt more like a twisted horror-comedy play than a concert, and that’s exactly what makes a GWAR show unforgettable.
In a world where so many bands take themselves too seriously, GWAR stands as a beacon of ridiculousness, unapologetically brutal and shamelessly bizarre. They don’t just give a concert; they provide an experience – one that longtime fans like me relish and newcomers will never forget. For anyone who missed this night, you have my sympathy – but for those who were there, we witnessed something insane, grotesque, and glorious.
As I got home from the show, I get this pic in my DM from Erik, a friend who was at the show, in the front row of the show. He got home, and he said: I hope your cameras were OK! Needless to say, he was covered in the stage spew from the opening to close!
Erik is a local musician playing in a couple of local bands SYRINGE and Emerald Rage, and I just had to give him a quick shout-out and thanks for the pic because I do not think that words alone do true justice for those who have never been to a GWAR concert.
While I have spent time singing the praises of GWAR, for obvious reasons, I have not yet touched on the openers who were nothing shy of phenomenal!
Squid Pisser – Unhinged Experimental Onslaught kicked off the evening, a band whose sound feels like a relentless fever dream. This experimental grindcore outfit took the stage with a mix of thrashing riffs, chaotic effects, and piercing screams, pushing the limits of noise and structure. From the first note, Squid Pisser’s performance felt like a raw, unpredictable attack. They’re a band not for the faint of heart, but for those who can embrace the pure insanity and unpredictability of their music.
They started their set off, it was one of the most uncanny openings I have ever seen. This band, until this show, I had never heard of, the drummer came to the front of the stage, wearing ragged shorts, no shirt, and a mangled hood or mask over his face, and the words in big bold print on his stomach: HELP ME.
He stood there a few moments, staring into the crowd, and twitching his head in an erratic and spastic way. It was extremely unsettling! Out of nowhere, he let out this bone-chilling scream into the crowd, and while at the core, you know it is theatrics… at the moment, it was obvious that it did not sit well with a few in the audience.
After the unsettling display, he ran to his kit and got seated and ready to play! The rest of the band slinked out onto the stage in the most augmented and inhumane postures possible. All of them wearing masks that I could not make out what they were, or were supposed to be, and again, adding to the psychological toll they wanted to bestow upon us in the audience. Squid Pisser started playing, and it was brutal from start to finish! They were about halfway through their second song, and the vocalist ran off stage and came back out holding a pitcher of what I thought was beer. That is when he held it up high and yelled: “This is all the sperm we were able to collect today!” Then he slung it out onto the crowd!
As the music played, the fans in the pit were immediately caught up in the mayhem, as the band conjured a whirlwind of dissonance and energy. Their set was short, but the impact was visceral – they were the perfect opener to prepare the crowd for what was to come.
Dark Funeral was there in direct support, and if I were asked to sum them up I would have to say that a live show from Dark Funeral is “Melodic and Merciless”!
Following Squid Pisser’s experimental chaos, Dark Funeral brought a more structured yet no less intense vibe. The Swedish black metal legends enveloped the stage in darkness, literally and figuratively, with blast beats, tremolo-picked riffs, and the chilling shrieks of their vocalist Heljarmadr. Cloaked in black with corpse paint and a mesmerizing light display, Dark Funeral plunged the crowd into a cavernous world of melodic yet brutal darkness. Songs like “Nail Them to the Cross” and “Unchain My Soul” sent the audience into a headbanging frenzy, each song building layers of atmosphere that intensified with each breakdown. Dark Funeral’s sound was relentless, punishing, and yet masterfully delivered, providing a powerful contrast to the experimental style of Squid Pisser.
I have been listening to Dark Funeral for years, and this was the first time I have not only been able to see them but photograph them. It was well worth the wait, and the show was extraordinary! I can honestly say that I was warmed up and ready for GWAR by the time Dark Funeral and Squid Pisser had finished their sets, I was already worn out for the night! These guys’ performances were unlike anything I have ever seen, and I hope that when they make their way back I will be there again to cover another night of insanity!
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