GWAR Dying Fetus All That Remains Review

GWAR Dying Fetus All That Remains HOB 11/11/04 Reviewer: Karma E. Omowale Photos: Erika Kristen Watt

"GWAR Descends Upon The Chicago HOB With Their Awesome Stage Show!"

About the nicest and most P.C. thing that can be said about tonight’s show is that it was, “extreme”! If you are easily offended, you probably should not be on this site in first place but consider this a warning to your sensitive eyes and ears if you still possess them!! If you are into morality, sensibility, and uphold the Bible, and other good shite, again this review or a GWAR show would not be for your liking. Regardless how gross the events were tonight; it goes down in history of one of the best shows we have ever attended.

There will not be a review for Dying Fetus because as luck would have it, time got away from us after the interview with Dave Brockie a.k.a. Oderus Ungurus. Perhaps we were caught in an alien time warp of sorts; however, once we returned to earth or shall I say the House of Blues, we stumbled upon Dying Fetus. We stuck around for 3+ songs in attempt to formulate an honest opinion. Our consensus, honestly, is disembowelment by GWAR’s Beefcake The Mighty or one of their “slaves” on stage in front of the masses would be a much better option than to describe their set in full detail. Will this piss a lot of Dying Fetus fans off? Probably! You'd do better to find another review elsewhere or formulate your own. As stated above, if you are easily offended, this site is not for you! Now, are you ready for the rest of the review?

Lineup: Phil LaBonte - Vocals; Oli Herbert - Acoustic & Electric guitar; Mike Martin - Guitar; Matt Deis - Bass; Michael Bartlett - Drums

All That Remains gets the crowd ready for Dying Fetus and GWAR's theatrical display. Singer, Phil Labonte and company may have released their album, This Darkened Heart back in February but they won't do another anytime soon. Neither would they let the somewhat quiet crowd deter them from putting on another fabulous set. Phil is always pacing the stage like a dictator while Oli and Mike showing great musicianship that is matched by very few.

Before they played "Deepest Grey", Phil let the crowd know exactly what he thought of their silence by telling them to suck his dick. [Yes tonight was crazier than hell, LaBonte asked a guy in the front of the stage who was just blankly staring at the band whether or not he was there to see GWAR. “Yes”, replied the guy. Phil quickly retorts, “Suck my cock!” Before the conclusion of their set, Phil pointed at the same person and said, “If you want to suck my cock after the set, I’ll be in the back stage area!” -- KEO] In Phil’s interview, he professed how the band just wants to continue to tour and gain as much exposure as possible even if it is because he was the former lead singer of Shadows Fall. Make it a point to catch them when you can! -- by Sharita Lumpkin

Setlist: Focus Shall Not Fail, For Salvation, And Death In My Arms, Tattered on My Sleeve, Passion, This Darkened Heart, Deepest Grey.

If you are looking for live photos of the band, click here

Lineup: Oderus Ungurus - Dave Brockie / Vocals; Balsac the Jaws of Death - Mike Derks / Guitars; Jizmak The Gusha - Brad Roberts / Drums; Flattus Maximus - Cory Smoot / Guitar; Beefcake The Mighty - Todd Evans / Bass
 

GWAR is like Mardi Gras, lots of fanfare, drama, fluids, ghastly sights, sexuality, exploitation and imagination. It all boils down to one word tasteless. They possess no tact and are mighty goddamn proud of it so much so they wear it like the red badge of courage. This being my first GWAR show, I always heard how vile, disgusting, messy, coarse, vulgar, crass, tasteless, loud, and a lot of fun…this band is all of that and more. Not only did their reputation precede them but again, they far surpassed all second-hand reports. I knew I was in for some shit when we arrived at the HOB and saw the outside of the rafters (a.k.a. the opera boxes) were covered in thick, painter’s drop-cloth plastic from the very beginning. Before GWAR took stage, the HOB stage had been transformed into a laboratory for the criminally insane. Fake blood was splattered about with their name inscribed in it. Skulls, medieval torture devices… There was a long layover, the band didn’t go on for a good while as a performance this elaborate takes a lot of time to prepare for.

A fowl colored fog filled the stage as the half-clad minion of “slaves” started to file about on stage followed by the main characters as this bizarre spaced aged gore fest was about to commence. The crowd was going NUTS. It was hysterical to see the security crew in raingear and shower caps. So were the photographers actually. Then appeared the grotesque space cretin, Oderus Ungurus, speaking of nuts, Oderus comes equipped with a 10’’ mangled, rubber dildo with balls. It is quite the sight. The pit erupted in response to the band’s.

The following tasteless and tactless skits were performed, not necessarily in order: Laci Peterson (including a scene where he unborn fetus was ripped from her stomach). She was later beheaded, Michael Jackson was disemboweled (well this was rather amusing), “Mock The Vote”, an Arnold Scwartzenegger satire, Paris Hilton was made a mockery of (rightfully so), Osama Bin Laden got murdered (on stage of course…do not get me started on this theory), “the Regantor”… George W. got the axe too! Most mainstream folks do not have a stomach for their Dave’s sick and twisted ass humor but hey, fuck ‘em, they wouldn’t be caught dead at this show anyway. Let’s be honest about it, okay!

You may be asking yourself, why I have not commented on their music yet? GWAR plays music. You’re bullshitting! They do? I thought it was all about their stage shows. They do and can play but I think it is more along the lines of a side bar than anything else. Not that I am taking anything away from them musically, they are definitely accomplished musicians, it’s just that their fine musicianship is overshadowed by their over-the-top ostentatious theatrical performance.

The aftermath: These kids amongst the hordes of others who masochistically lined up on the rails to have a first hand, up close and in person experience of the alien kind loved every minute of being drenched in alien emanations of guts, blood, cum, snot…and all other kinds of unmentionables. GWAR is like Mardi Gras, gotta at least experience it once in your life. This was one hell of an experience I will soon not EVER forget!

HAIL TO THE ALL MIGHTY GWAR!!!!!!!!!!!!

Click here for more photos of the band during Sounds of the Underground

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