Let’s talk GWAR shall we, more specifically the “Scumdogs 30th Anniversary Tour.” This tour (slaughter) celebrates the historic release of the band’s second album, Scumdogs of the Universe. I was especially excited as it had been 30 years since I had seen GWAR on the original Scumdogs tour. So the evening had a certain sense of nostalgia for me and excitement!
Concert attendees formed a line around the block in Worcester, Massachusetts with a temperature just above 40 degrees Fahrenheit. The pre-Halloween Friday night had a very old school vibe to it with everyone in a good mood and positive vibes abound it was setting up to be a hell of a night. People were sharing stories of previous concerts and voicing wishes that the doors would open soon. We had joined the line somewhat later than we usually do, but once security started letting people in, it moved quickly.
The Palladium has been my East Coast home for shows since moving from the Midwest many years ago. This being my first, late-pandemic metal show and first pit since we last saw GWAR in Denver, Colorado in 2019. I enjoyed the euphoric feeling as I walked down the steps to the floor and circled the area in front of the stage where the pit would erupt later in the evening.
We secured a spot dead center stage in what became the second row once the crush started. I had Veronica Lyn in front of me as the evening's chaos began. EYEHATEGOD and Napalm Death opened the show. The crowd was rather raucous and cheering in anticipation when EYEHATEGOD walked onstage. The pit area was packed and ready to unleash some pent up aggression. Both EYEHATEGOD and Napalm Death amped up the energy in the venue as people pressed closer to the stage. As usual between sets, the floor space opened up a bit. When the headliner took the stage the crowd pressed together into a writhing mass with a single goal - to get as close to the stage as possible..
For those of you that have never seen GWAR live (and shame on you), I would have a hard time explaining the spectacle that is GWAR. Fans crush to the front for the best view of the stage and to be drenched in stage blood We maintained our grip on dead center of the stage and were pushed by the tide of people to the front. Now I’m fortunate to stand 6’3”, I see over most people and I tend to get covered in fluids quite easily, it also means my head is an inadvertent target for crowd surfing bodies and limbs, though no crying here folks, “bring it on.” And they did, with brief moments of reprieve for the entire show, reaching upwards to support people who drifted on the sea of hands pushing them toward the front barrier where they were supported down by security.
This was my 34th time seeing our overlords and it never gets old hearing the crowd sing Black Sabbath’s “War Pigs” to welcome the almighty GWAR to the stage. This tour we enjoyed something different with the return of GWAR arch-nemesis, Techno Destructo (Hunter Jackson). Twenty years had passed since Techno Destructro graced the stage and it was a welcomed return. In celebration, after the show, I bought the Techno Destructo shirt!
Speaking of the merchandising table, the line appeared to wrap around the inside of the building all night. The team behind the counter was heavily put to work by fans. The two in the booth, each seemed to have their own style of organization and frequently asked the other, “where is the container with this shirt size” or “have you seen where that design is?” With the fans clamoring for all different sizes and styles along with posters, the staff remained friendly and professional the entire time. I was able to score one of the limited edition tour posters, a new hoodie and the aforementioned Techno shirt. I enjoyed having an early stop on the tour as the booth was fully stocked with tour merch.
Back to the show, the night’s setlist was primarily songs from Scumdogs of the Universe, two from Blood of Gods and a nice melody of Mike Bishop-era Beefcake songs thrown in. I always get a little excited when GWAR starts a new tour as there is always some random old school song in the mix. The familiar sounds of the opening song from Scumdogs “Salaminizer” started the blood spewing evening and the pent-up anticipation of the crowd exploded immediately. “Sick of You” was next and with that the pleasure of being part of a GWAR experience rained down upon everyone. Crowd surfing, check. Mosh pit swirling, check. A mass of 500 people trying to get to the front of the stage, check, Blood, check. GWAR, check. What more could we want?
Let's talk about the audience for a moment. Every GWAR show I’ve attended, the pit has been the the most fun and the safest of mosh pits in my experience. The fans that go to a GWAR show and dance in the pits have a sense of safety in mind. This could be a result of recognizing the inherent danger of sliding and falling onto the unforgiving concrete floor from the liquid being spewed out. Safety requires two things, fans who watch out for each other and the security staff who position themselves to ensure that crowd surfers are safely taken from the crowd and that situations are quickly addressed. Veronica had to duck her head behind the barricade and one of the staff checked to make sure she wasn’t injured when one of the crowd surfers came down on top of her. I find being in the front requires more stamina from the constant onslaught of people trying to get closer to the action on stage. It is not for the faint of heart.
This show was very early in the tour and from the reports that I have seen online the tour was a smashing success from the central and eastern sweep, to the Pacific Northwest, the mountain region and returning to the East Coast. The crowd appeared to be evenly split between seasoned fans and fresh fledglings with a new generation of Bohabs discovering our galactic overlords. The year 2022 provides a new opportunity for us to experience GWAR, which is scheduled to decimate Europe with shows scheduled at the Wacken Open Air in Germany and the UK’s Bloodstock Open Air Festivals in August.
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