30 November 2025 – Crowbar, Brisbane – words and pictures by Bec Harbour
I think you either get GWAR or you don’t. GWAR have a massive worldwide cult following of people who do get it. It’s the first time in a long time that I have seen a line go down Ann Street for this venue, and people were excited to get in and up close. If you are looking for straight metal played by some guys in costumes, you are not going to get that. If you are looking for punk played by guys in costumes, you are not going to get that either. What you are going to get is a metal soundtrack with a punk ethos running through it – not an entirely new concept but I am pretty sure that there are no other bands who also have a narrative of being space aliens from the arse end of the galaxy who have come to save earth.
The spectacular opened with DREGG – a multi-genre band who combine metal, hardcore and rap into their act. They are energetic and never stop moving with plenty of people on the barrier enjoying what they had to offer. They whipped through a quick set with the final two songs, ‘Dress Down’ and ‘Dog Cunts’ being highlights.
DREGG – Crowbar – photos by Bec Harbour
Considering that GWAR are renowned for ‘GWAR GORE’ (spraying the crowd with various liquids), it was interesting that a lot of people on the barrier were wearing white – I had my cameras wrapped up like I was shooting in a storm, and the venue manager came around with a stack of ponchos which I grabbed one of. The foldbacks were wrapped, the sound desk was wrapped and even the security guys were poncho’d up. After chatting to a few people in the front row, the white shirt getting covered in whatever it is, is a badge of honour that other GWAR attendees would recognise, other people you encounter on your way home might just think what the hell happened here…
The lights dimmed and a figure came out, a train conductor to introduce what was about to happen, a train wreck (which is part of the Gor Gor lore) and this introduced ‘Circus Train Disaster’ with the rest of the band entering and the conductor bobbing about the stage until Blöthar the Berserker rips his head off revealing some insect type being. ‘Filthy Flow’ came next and then the insect conductor then brought out an Elon Musk figure that was promptly decapitated and sprayed the crowd with blood. White shirts turned red and photographers in the pit (where I was) ducked and weaved but you could see the sheer joy that everyone was having at being immersed into GWAR’s world so early.
GWAR – Crowbar – photos by Bec Harbour
The show went on with ‘Saddam A Go-Go’ and then ‘A Crack In The Egg’ and Gor Gor is born (now GWAR have a pet dinosaur) and into ‘Bring Back The Bomb’.
Considering the political climate in the US right now and the fodder rich antics of the current government, do you think they left Donald Trump alone? Of course not, during ‘El Presidente’ they brought him out and then went into ‘Fuck This Place’ (a sentiment many United States residents must be thinking right now) and ‘Mother Fucking Liar’ (another sentiment about the current US administration) and then into ‘Lot Lizard’.
GWAR – Crowbar – photos by Bec Harbour
‘Bad Bad Men’ morphed into ’Tyrant King’ where they cut Trumps throat and then went into a crowd favourite ‘America Must Be Destroyed’. By this stage I was needing to remove the plastic from camera and self as the Brisbane heat and the number of bodies were defeating the Crowbar’s air-conditioning. As I made my way out, they did an encore of three songs that at least one of was “Sick of You’.
GWAR – Crowbar – photos by Bec Harbour
I found GWAR in my teens, and after seeing the band in its many incarnations, I’ve come to appreciate the deeper meaning beneath the absurd lore and shock-driven theatrics. I interviewed Blöthar the Berserker a few months ago and he would not be drawn into speculating about any meanings within the music. With the US slowly imploding under the weight of its own imperialism right now, maybe GWAR can save at least that bit of Earth from eating itself.
