GWAR

11/09/18

Soundstage

Baltimore, Maryland

 Gwar Set List:  War of GWAR, Womb With A View, I’ll Be Your Monster, Death To Dickie Duncan, Saddam a Go-Go, Crushed By The Cross, Viking Death Machine, Immortal Corrupter, El Presidente, Maggots, The Sordid Soliloquy of Sawborg Destructo, Love Surgery, Beat You to Death, Fuck This Place, ENCORE:  Phantom Limb, Sick of You

 Skipping to the very ending of the Gwar set, an image of Oderus appeared on a screen with “RIP Oderus” which paid homage to the bands fallen frontman.  This was the touching, bitter suit moment of the evening.

 The Scumdogs of the Universe brought their 2018 stage show to Baltimore on a cold November evening and the audience was not let down by the overall blood spillage that is a Gwar performance.

 The band members have changed throughout the years and currently guitarist Balsac the Jaws of Death (Mike Derks) is the longest running member of the band followed closely by Jizmak Da Gusha (Brad Roberts) on drums; both members have been there since the late 80’s.  The bands current lead singer Blothar was the original bassist for Gwar and formerly known as Beefcake The Mighty.  Currently Jamison Land performs as Beefcake the Mighty.  To be honest with you, outside of original singer Dave Brockie aka Oderus, every other member of Gwar is nothing more than a costume that various musicians have worn over the years.

 The current Gwar show adds Donald Trump to the mix and yes, he is beheaded while a Hilary Clinton character has her boobs cut off.  

 Sawborg makes an appearance and spits blood on everyone and “Sick of You” features the meat grinder which grinds up Gwar fans who pay for the VIP package.

 This show was a triumphant return for guitarist Mike Derks aka Balsac who battled a rare form of bone marrow cancer recently.  His hoof like boots were just as interesting as his costume and performance which held the music of Gwar together on this evening.

 The crowd devoured the music, energy, and blood shed by Gwar.  The venue was close to sold out and watching the red and blue dyed audience members leave at the end of the night was as interesting as the onstage insanity.

 Soundstage is a small venue and at times it felt like Gwar’s stage show was limited; the entire building was covered in plastic bags which saved lighting trusses and speakers from being destroyed.  

 Lead guitarist Pustulus Maximus performed some of his guitar solos behind the onstage screens which made him hidden from the crowd due to the limited stage room for props, actors, and blood letting.

 Gwar have always delivered an interesting, bizarre, unique show and this one was no exception.  Despite member changes, the core of Gwar is intact and the primary characters are keeping the Scumdogs legacy alive!