My Wild, Weird GWAR-BQ Weekend
By Melissa Marie (Executive Editor - D&S Midwest)
Photos by Alex Watt
Video by Jorge Reyes
Welcome to Richmond, Virginia aka home of all things metal inducing the annual Gwar B-Q. For those unaware, this is an event that shock rock/thrash metal band Gwar has been doing for the past six years. This year, Gwar celebrates their 30th anniversary and this Gwar B-Q promised to be best so far with a killer lineup. Doomed & Stoned Midwest made the 1400+ mile round trip car ride to document the most disgusting party in Virginia.
Located at Lake Hadad, metal isn’t the only thing to enjoy. Thousands of metal heads joined under an August summer for a day of swimming, merch tents as far as the eye can see, food and drinks and of course three different stages with nonstop live heavy metal. It was difficult deciding which bands to see and which ones to miss. It’s a hard life sometimes. All the bands were great, and many still stick out in my memory as highlights of the day.
The first band I was pumped to see was Virginia rockers Valkyrie. They had just finished their Midwest tour at the end of July and after a couple weeks off were ready to hit the stage again. I had noticed many people were unfamiliar with Valkyrie, but it didn’t take long to get those horns in the air. A few months previous Valkyrie had released their third record “Shadows”. This was a brilliant recording and is easily their best work so far less. The boys had been riding the success and were flying high on stage! Sweet toned guitars were ferociously riffing away side by side as Jake Adams and Peter Adams (you may know him as a member of Baroness) put on one hell of a performance. If Valkyrie is a new name to you, check out their newest record “Shadows,” it’s out now!
Energy was flying high, as hardcore titans Ringworm overtook the stage. I’ve seen A LOT of bands, but I still stand by my statement that Ringworm has one of the craziest mosh pits I’ve ever seen. James "Human Furnace” Bulloch’s colossal scream demand movement as a circle pit immediately erupted - a storm of dirt and heavy metal brotherhood. The entire crowd continued to rage as Ringworm unleashed their hardcore anthems as their fury matched that of the crowd.
After grabbing a bite to eat and vandalizing the Gwar Van, it was time to catch some New Orleans extreme metal. I saw Goatwhore one time before but I wasn’t quite sold on their live performance yet. Their most recent record “Constricting Rage of the Merciless” (2014) is binding documentation of what a developed heavy metal band should be. Goatwhore shared this same confidence as they dedicated their set to Gwar. Glorious hair, leather and metal studs consumed the stage and eyes were instantly on frontman Ben Falgoust. First off, the dude has RIDICULOUS vocal range. He can go from a creepy blood gurgling low to high pitched terror shrieks at the drop of a pin. Additionally Ben is one of the greatest instigators in modern metal. The dude was ripped and looking great, his very existence ignited movement in the crowd. Fueled by this was guitarist Sammy Duet who is also famously known and admired for his work with Crowbar and Acid Bath. Ben and Sammy create a potent union, and one that will continue to grow and develop as Goatwhore does the same.
The heat was getting intense at this point in the afternoon, but we refreshed ourselves with delicious smoothies from Maui Wowi and free bottled “Gwater”. It was at this time that Alex got to meet up with Gwar for a few moments. His short interview with Beefcake the Mighty was rather entertaining as he was wearing a banana suit. Hey, if you’re gonna interview Gwar you better go all out.
After the interview, we had a few unexpected words with Ben Falgoust. After wishing him good luck on the road, we got our asses back to the Scumdog Stage and caught the last few songs from Down. Everyone in the crowd was captivated by singer Phil Anselmo’s swank, as he knew he owned that stage. Down played songs that still hold up as well as when they were written twenty years ago with southern blues heavily intertwined. It was difficult to ignore how much everyone was enjoying the NOLA boys, even young kids were dancing to these timeless classics. Closing with their beloved “Bury Me In Smoke”, Down graciously gave the Gwar-B-Que all they had leaving the crowd stunned and ready for more.
So, what is next? A quick look at the schedule had us running back to the Slaughterama Stage to see Clutch! This was something special for me. I have been on a hunt to see clutch for the past 15 years, but never got the chance. At this point, I’ve missed Clutch over 25 separate times without seeing them once, and it took a 1400+ mile round trip drive to make it happen. The Clutch pit caught me by surprise as the crowd wasted no time! Neil Fallon was full of smiles and seemed just as happy to see us as we were to see him! Opening with “Gravel Road” from “Robot Hive/Exodus” (2005).
Clutch played a varied, nearly 15 track set. Most memorable for me was “The House that Peterbilt” and “Pure Rock Fury” as I’m a bit partial to their earlier recordings. Naturally, Clutch played quite a bit from their newest album “Earth Rocker” (2013). Certainly not my favorite Clutch record, but these songs I may skip over at home or in the car were suddenly full of life and purpose! In fact I was rather surprised as I found myself singing along to "DC Sound Attack” and “Crucial Velocity”. If that wasn’t enough, Neil introduced us to a few new tracks from their upcoming album “Psychic Warfare”, with a little help from his harmonica. Clutch proved to be one of my favorite live bands, and I’m definitely gonna see them again back home with Corrosion of Conformity and The Shrine later on in the year. Simply put: if you don’t like Clutch, then you just don’t like fun.
Finally, the scumdogs themselves invaded the stage in classic Gwar fashion. Anyone who’s seen their performances, even on YouTube know exactly what I’m talking about. For thirty years now, Gwar have been crossing the line from poking fun to being outright offensive. Blood, guts and various other bodily fluids have been sprayed into audiences for decades now. No one does it quite like Gwar! They played a twelve-track set full of crowd favorites like “Saddam a Go-Go” from “This Toilet Earth” (1994) as well as “Sexecutioner”, “Slaughterama” and “Sick of You” all of which are on “Scumdogs of the Universe” (1990).
I was pleasantly surprised to see them play “Babyraper”, I’m not even sure when they played that last. Gwar have covered a lot of ground from punk to thrash - and they gave the fans a great concoction of both. If you missed the party, don’t worry! Gwar is releasing an all-inclusive book titled “Let There Be Gwar”. It documents Gwar’s filthy timeline from their 1985 demo to present. If you just REALLY need to see the disgusting vile, you’re in luck! Gwar have already kicked off the “30 Years of Total World Domination” and they’ll be on the road throughout the end of November!
Gwar: The Beefcake Interview!
Photo courtesy of Gwar
This is Alex from Doomed & Stoned and I’m here with Beefcake from Gwar, the almighty Gwar
Beefcake: Beefcake! Let’s get a little excitement, c’mon you’re boring these people. YOU’RE HERE WITH BEEFCAKE FROM GWAR! That’s me!That’s right, this is Beefcake from Gwar. We’re really happy to be here in Richmond at the sixth annual Gwar-b-q!
Beefcake: I know.It’s been a great success and each year seems to be better than the last.
Beefcake: Of course.Where did the idea for this entire event come from?
Beefcake: I have no idea. I just show up. They said to show up here.Fair enough!
Beefcake: and Sleazy (P. Martini, band manager) probably put it together. He’s a real wheeling and dealing kind of guy.So it was all Sleazy’s idea?
Beefcake: yeah, so we’ve done six of these already?That’s the number I’ve crunched.
Beefcake: I don’t really have memories. I’ve wiped them all clean with drugs.Drugs are good. Drugs are kind of our thing. You guys have been big supporters of Ring Dog Rescue
Beefcake: Ring Dong? You said Dong! I heard you.They’re a nonprofit organization that is dedicated to rescuing any dog that has bulldog lineage, which as we all know kind of gets an unfair shake. I see this year they are one of several sponsors of yours. As scum dogs yourself, you must be big fans of theirs. Beefcake: Yes, they’re great. They save dogs. Dogs are cute and fun to play with. And rape. Can’t rape them if they’re dead. Well, I guess you can. I do that sometimes. Is it more fun when they’re dead or alive? Beefcake: I can’t remember. Like I told you, I don’t have memories. I don’t have emotions either. In addition to the Gwar hot sauce, beer, cigars and any other filth you have produced, I was really thrilled to hear about the highly anticipated book “Let There Be Gwar” that is now available. Gwar sure as hell has a lot of history, but what can you tell us about the book?
Beefcake: I don’t know, because I don’t really know how to read. The pictures were really cool. Pictures of Gwar and us killing things and there’s a lot of pretty colors like blood colors and penises. It’s a really good look. I can’t read, like I said. But, you might want to look at it. Buy it. Pay us for it.Pictures are good. I like pictures. You guys have covered a lot of area - thrash, punk, hardcore, even a bit of hard rock. Do you guys lean more towards one musical style or do you prefer to switch it up?
Beefcake: We like to switch hit. I swing both ways. We all swing both ways. Except Bonesnapper (Gwar slave) he only takes it in the ass from us.That’s definitely something I did not know.
Beefcake: Now you know, and knowing is half the battle.Including your 1985 demo, EPs and full length records, Gwar has over 15 releases. Is there anything Gwar can’t do?!
Beefcake: Yes, we can’t suck.Well, you can suck something.
Beefcake: YOU can suck something.Being asked to play for Gwar is a huge honor, I can’t imagine many bands turning down the chance. If you could tour with any active bands, who would it be?
Beefcake: Liberace.Liberace? You are aware he’s dead?
Beefcake: Yeah, I’d still tour with him.Is there any special requests that you would have?
Beefcake: Um…a “Rhapsody In Blue”? I don’t fucking know.Is there anything else you want to say to your fans?
Beefcake: I hate you. I try and try to kill you. You keep coming back. You’re stupid. Give us money, to kill you. You still won’t die. I hate you.D&S Interviews: Goatwhore? Yes, GOATWHORE!
Last week, we were given the opportunity to do an interview that, while not strictly in line with the sub-genre focus of Doomed & Stoned, was just an offer too good to say ‘no’ to. So, I tapped Melissa (my right hand at Doomed & Stoned) to see if she was interested in some phone time with Ben Falgoust–you know, the man with the devious smile and menacing voice behind that God-damned atrocity, GOATWHORE. Being a fan of the raucous foursome, she was ecstatic.
Turns out, Goatwhore has deep roots in the NOLA metal scene that trace directly back to Acid Bath and Crowbar. In addition, Ben (aka Louis Benjamin Falgoust II) is also frontman for hallowed sludge-grind project Soilent Green. With that as a backdrop, give eye and ear to the filth and fury that follows!
(BillyGoat)
Pic by Catharina Christiana via Goatwhore
FIRST I JUST WANT TO TALK ABOUT THE SOUND OF GOATWHORE. YOU SEEM TO HAVE A LOT OF INFLUENCE FROM MOTORHEAD, VENOM. IS THERE ANYONE ELSE YOU HEAVILY CREDIT AS A MAIN INFLUENCE?
Yeah, definitely. Motorhead and Venom are definitely huge influences of ours, as well as Celtic Frost, Judas Priest. We come from an older background with metal. There’s a lot more things that we fall back on with that. We do listen to more modern things, especially more modern black metal and things like that. But those bands are pretty much the root of everything and that’s pretty much how we evolved. We basically started with the sounds of Celtic Frost, Bathory, Venom, Motorhead. And that’s been pretty much the whole structure of the band.
YOUR LAST ALBUM “BLOOD FOR THE MASTER” WAS REAL RIFF-HEAVY AND HAD A BLACK AND ROLL KIND OF SOUND. IS THAT INDICATION OF WHAT WE CAN EXPECT TO HEAR FROM THE NEW ALBUM?
Yeah, pretty much. Everything, to me, is the next step in the proper evolution of Goatwhore. We don’t go out of our way to do anything crazy or drastic changes, or anything like that. If anything, we just evolve as a band. When I look back to every album we’ve done, from the first record all the way to now, I can see the evolution and process as our members matured and got better in their writing skills. Not saying that we’re real mature, we’re still immature in a lot of ways (laughs). But I would agree with your term “Black and roll”. We do mix early rock and roll, like Motorhead and early Judas Priest and mixed it with black metal with touches of death metal so it’s pretty evolved into the kind of style.
ABOUT THE LYRICS, I SAW THE SONG LIST FOR YOUR NEW ALBUM AND JUST BASED OFF OF THAT, THE LYRICS SEEM PRETTY EVIL AND HATEFUL. WOULD YOU AGREE THAT IT’S THE SAME WAY WITH THE NEW RECORD?
Yeah, but it’s all about how you perceive it. I guess I’m not really an evil and hateful guy. But I do start off a lot against organized religion and structures like that. Especially early in the band, but it is a reoccurring theme. As I got older, I kinda brushed that off but it’s still there in the lyrics and the concepts. Sometimes when I read the lyrics, and I know this is hard to imagine, but I see rebellious hope, in a way. Usually out a rebellious form, there is still something good that comes from it. I’m sure a lot of people perceive it as a negative or evil thing, but even with human emotion these things are building blocks to evolve yourself to doing something beyond the negativity.
I HEARD THE “FBS” SONG. WOULD YOU SAY THAT’S A GOOD TRACK TO REPRESENT THE NEW ALBUM?
I think every song we have represents the album very well. Right now there’s two songs that you can listen to, and I think both of those songs represent the album. They’re all different–there’s a lot of different things that we do so there’s a lot of variation in our style and I think even throughout our whole record there’re a lot of themes that represent us. From all our influences, from the more traditional heavy metal to black metal to death metal, so even a little crusty-grindcore-punk kinda influence in there, as well. There’s always these different variations that make up, and it does that throughout the record as well. So there’s not really one song that encompasses the entire record. To do that would be to cut it short because I think the whole record is united with all the songs. Each song is unique and has it’s own individuality. Going from structuring it as writers–Sammy writing the guitar riffs and Zach doing the drum patterns, James throwing in the bass–every song developed is unique. We all bring different influences and different emotions so you get various elements.
DO YOU HAVE A FAVORITE SONG OFF THE NEW RECORD?
Uh, no (laughs). Not yet. I think I get to point of having a favorite song when we’re playing them live. With the last record, I think we ended playing 9 songs live at one point or another and once we start playing them live, I get a real feel for them. Overall, I end up really liking them all – they all have their own element. Whenever I get asked this, I just think….imagine that you had ten kids and you were asked to pick which one you like the most. For me, it’s just not possible to pick one because they’re all so different and so variant, and I approach them in different ways lyrically and vocally. When I get into a live setting, some of them I do tend to feed off better than others, maybe because of how it’s structured or how it works that way. And playing something new in the set is refreshing. Ya know, we’ve been some of the older stuff for years over and over, you’re just like, “Oh, here we go again!” When you stick a new one in there, you’ve got that anticipation.
YOU’RE CONTINUING TO WORK WITH ERIC RUTAN TO PRODUCE YOUR NEW ALBUM AND YOU GUYS AREN'T EXACTLY NEW TO EACH OTHER. WHAT IS YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH HIM LIKE?
It’s fucking really good, man. There’d be no reason to go back to working with him if we didn’t have such a good relationship and also because he’s a really excellent engineer, excellent producer. He’s just great in the studio, he has amazing ears, he can pick out things. He really compliments us and works real well with us and with our style. You know, he comes from the school of Morbid Angel, more polished, tight death metal. Of course that’s one of our influences, but we like it a little raw and a little rough. We like the mistake factor, things like that. And he’s so into that with us, it’s almost like he’s the secret fifth member of Goatwhore.
When it’s time to do your part, he’s on to you like 150%. You can do the same part a hundred times and think you’ve got it and he’s like “Nope, lets do it one more time.“