LIVE REVIEW + PHOTOS: GWAR in Boston, MA (11.05.24)
Election night in Boston was anything but calm inside Paradise Rock Club, where metal fans gathered for GWAR’s chaotic, politically-charged spectacle. As polls closed across the country, GWAR’s iconic stage presence brought a surreal mix of gore, comedy, and brutal commentary to a rowdy and packed crowd. The band’s message was clear: no one is safe from satire.
I had never seen this band live before, I barely knew any songs, but their legendary live show was something I had to bear witness to, especially on an election night of all nights! I was told that if I were to shoot media for GWAR, there were 2 ways to go about it. Number 1, Either bring a rain suit if getting close to the stage or stay in the back of the crowd and balcony. Number 2, which was most recommended, wear crappy old clothes and come with a white shirt or buy the band’s merch (usually white attire for sale) and then just let it all happen to you. I chose the latter, though I certainly heeded good advice by covering both of my cameras with Ziplock bags. I was pretty stoked for this show and was sure I would see a concert like no other. Oh boy, here we go!
The night kicked off with “El Presidente,” setting the stage with a skit featuring a satirical showdown between Trump and Kamala Harris. The band tore through this political satire with razor-sharp wit, gore effects, and their typical larger-than-life stage antics. The crowd roared as the “candidates” brawled, setting the tone for the rest of the show. As their dialogue was read over a loudspeaker from offstage, Harris pushed Trump to the ground and waved her oversized puppet booty in his face. Then, as the larger-than-life armor clad members of the band took the stage, the ambience changed from some of the last front of house stage lights we would see in the show, to the backlit orange, reds, and blues that would conceal most of the band for the remainder of the show. Trump was hit repeatedly with a giant medieval flail and then his chest ripped off to unveil a grotesque mix of bones and intestines as a small pipe in the middle started shooting blue and red ooze all over the crowd. While doing my best to get shots of the whole ordeal, I was of course hit right in the face and chest with all of this nastiness. The show had begun!
Frontman Blöthar the Berserker rallied the crowd with his over the top absurd humor. The next tracks brought a mix of thrash and punk energy, the band’s unique recipe of primal aggression mixed with hilarity. The audience was drenched in “blood” by the time “Completely Fucked” hit the stage, with fans in the pit reveling in the absolute bedlam.
Songs like “Hail, Genocide!” and “Mother Fucking Liar” felt all the more visceral on election night, amplifying the sense of collective rage and revelry. “Let Us Slay” and “Rise Again” energized the pit, while the thunderous “Berserker Mode” turned the crowd into a maelstrom of metal mayhem. When GWAR hit “Bring Back the Bomb,” their satirical take on modern warfare reverberated as loud as the shredding guitars.
Trump certainly wasn’t the only political figure to be ripped apart. I think they kept a good mix of past presidents on rotation here, next bringing “Obama” on stage and gashed him apart, gushing more fake blood into the crowd. To my memory, we also had appearances from George W Bush (mentioning he was “a part of our nations’ greatest tragedies, 311” which certainly got some laughs), zombie Reagan (chopping off both hands which shot out more gore all over stage and the audience as he walked about as if he was a Terminator with 2 machine guns of blood)… We got visitations from Lincoln, Thomas Jefferson, and possibly a massive George Washington waving an even larger American flag. As the fans were treated to wave after wave of carnage, it was clear that GWAR was giving a satirical middle finger to the political landscape, just as much as they were delivering a wild metal performance. It was mentioned, “Hell, we don’t even like politics. We hate it!” But onward they pressed, and the crowd ate it all up.
Fans left the venue laughing, screaming, and probably a little traumatized, and covered with fake blood and ooze (myself included) – exactly as GWAR intended. It may have taken 2 showers and lots of face scrub to pry these colors from my skin but I am forever engrained with this over the top and extremely fun experience. In an age where so much is taken too seriously, GWAR’s brand of theatrical, no-holds-barred metal was a refreshing way to spend election night. This was more than a concert; it was an unforgettable night of blood, guts, and brutal satire and certainly made this night one for the books.
Photos – GWAR at Paradise Rock Club in Boston, MA on November 5th:
