As a metal fan, it never feels quite like Halloween unless GWAR comes around. With the holiday approaching, it’s good timing that GWAR came to Amos’s Southend with DevilDriver, Cancer Bats, and Legacy of Disorder (whom I did not get to see due to logistical issues). Considering it was a Monday night, and the start of the work week, it was a very good showing early on in the night, with many fans in white shirts to be “cleansed” by whatever liquids GWAR provides the crowd with.
Cancer Bats were the first band I was able to see, and they came out with a high-energy set that has long proceeded this Canadian band. Unfortunately, for all the energy they had, the crowd at Amos’s wasn’t feeling it. Not sure if the crowd was expecting something along the lines of DevilDriver or GWAR, but the minimal response for them was weak (considering GWAR has brought along bands on past tours that have a completely different sound than themselves ie. The Casulties two years ago). Even with a weak response, Cancer Bats hardly let up, and did get the crowd to wake up a bit with their rendition of Beastie Boys classic, “Sabotage.” A good set that was hampered by a weak crowd (and very minimal movement in the pit), Cancer Bats persevered through it and delivered a high-energy set, even if the crowd wasn’t feeling it.
Luckily, that didn’t last long. Whereas Cancer Bats had a very docile crowd before them, that same crowd was awoken by DevilDriver who open up with their opus, “End of the Line.” Lead-singer Dez Fafara play to the metal-congregation as a modern-day evangelist as the crowd never let up during their entire set, a rarity considering that they played a good forty minutes. Playing songs from as far back as their first album, such as “I Could Care Less,” and newer ones such as “Dead to Rights,” DevilDriver play an unrelenting set of tight, precise metal. The band as a whole was right with Dez and play with such a fury, you’d think that a band that’s been around as long as DevilDriver still had something to prove. The pit doesn’t stop and neither does DevilDriver. The crowd is left happy, and wanting more as DevilDriver leaves the stage to make way for the headlining monsters (literally) of the night, GWAR.
On a side note about DevilDriver. I’ve seen them play umpteen amounts of shows, and never once have they played a set that was less than 110%. This was no exception. This is a band that is worth going out of your way to see if they come near you. Never been disappointed in a live show DevilDriver has played.
It was now time for the grandmasters of gore, GWAR. Be forewarned, this is where things can get gross, and depending on the person, offensive. Coming out with a voiceover of “God” telling the audience that he was going to once and for all, “destroy GWAR,“ GWAR take to the stage with “Mitt Romney” in tow, and dissect him in front of the now-rabid Amos’s crowd. Music has never been the selling point of going to see a GWAR show, but when band whip into “Saddam-A-Go-Go,” the crowd is absolutely insane (the video for this song was a centerpiece of Beavis and Butthead for years). This song leads into “Bring Back the Bomb,” for which a priest trying to stop GWAR was taken out by the band and promptly impaled anally for his troubles.
A staple of live shows for GWAR is lead-singer Oderus rants on the topics of today. In this case, Oderus decides to give us his thoughts on both Marilyn Manson, and more notably, Rob Zombie. He calls them both G-rated shock rock, and that they both suck. Throughout the night, Oderus made Zombie his punching bag, which was taken with loud applause and cheers from the Amos’s crowd. Going back to the music, Hitler tries to stop GWAR but dies once again, this time being ripped open, from his mouth to his torso, bleeding onto the crowd.
In a rare (and quick) serious moment, “Metal Metal Land” was dedicated to Cory Smoot (who was “Flattus Maximus” in GWAR, until passing away last year).
Venerable GWAR co-hort “Bonesnapper” comes out to help GWAR in their battle against “God” by bringing out his only son, “Jesus Christ.” He was then re-crucified by GWAR during their song “Immortal Corruptor,” and the blood of “Christ” was splattered onto the crowd. It’s just a sight to see how much the crowd loves getting sprayed by fake blood and semen coming out of different orifices. Being that it was all part of his master plan to have his son killed, “God” then resurrects “Jesus” as “Cyborg Jesus.” GWAR does battle with “Cyborg Jesus” and rips his limbs to pieces, and is destroyed by Oderus and co. with spears and jagged swords. Vowing to show GWAR his material form, “God” was set to appear when Oderus announced that “God” wasn’t real. In all honesty, I was hoping to see what GWAR’s image of “God” would be, but alas, not this time.
While gearing up for an encore, “Barrack Obama” appeared on stage, and whilst saying racial offenses to the crowd, he was quickly shown the same courtesy that “Romney” was shown earlier in the night. If nothing else, GWAR is a true, equal-opportunity offender. The one-two punch of GWAR’s cover of Kansas’s “Carry On My Wayward Son” and their classic “Sick of You,” sent the crowd at Amos’s home more than satisfied with having blood, semen, and any other fluid sprayed upon them from the many orifices that were opened up on stage from the enemies of GWAR.
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