GWAR to trash the U.S. during ‘Blood of Gods’ tour

Photo credit: Freeman Promotions

After slaughtering their way through Mexico City — not for real, of course — GWAR are ready to do it all over again in a brand new country. On Tuesday (May 15), the Virginia-founded metal band announced plans to destroy their way across the United States during their upcoming summer/fall tour.

Titled the “Blood of Gods” tour, after their recently released record, the excursion will kick off on July 11 at Piere’s in Ft. Wayne, Indiana and conclude a couple of months later on Sept. 14 at Mr. Small’s Theatre in Millvale, Pennsylvania.

Light the Torch have been announced as GWAR’s opening act for most of the July stops. According to the tour itinerary, DevilDriver will only perform at the first stop of the impending trek.

“Foolish Talking Apes! The world is our circus, and you are our monkeys!, begins a statement from lead singer Blothar the Berserker. “Come, swallow my sword and bear witness to the greatest happening in superhuman history! GWAR’s Blood of God’s tour will change your meaningless lives. A true mutated menagerie of malevolence the likes of which have never been seen.”

Guitarist Pustulus Maximus adds: “I can’t wait to pursue my new career in academia and teach the people of America their ABC’s: Anal, Booze and Cocaine.”

Tickets and VIP packages will go on sale beginning this Friday, May 18, at 10 a.m. local time.

Like all their other tours, GWAR will offer the “GWAR Lords and Master VIP experience package” which includes general admission and early venue entry, exclusive access to the band’s soundcheck, a photo-op with the band, and the chance to get killed on stage (you need to be 18 or older for this one).

VIP packages are only available here while tickets will be available on GWAR’s website.

The “Blood of Gods” tour will be in support of the band’s recently released record, The Blood of Gods. The album, the group’s 14th, was released in October of 2017. For now, GWAR’s summer/fall itinerary can be seen below.

THE BLOOD OF GODS SUMMER/FALL TOUR DATES:

July 11 – Ft. Wayne, IN – Piere’s#
July 12 – Cadott, WI – Rock Fest*
July 13 – Grand Rapids, MI – The Intersection**
July 14 – Des Moines, IA – Wooly’s**
July 15 – Lincoln, NE – The Bourbon Theatre**
July 16 – Columbia, MO – The Blue Note**
July 17 – Springfield, MO – The Complex**
July 20 – Asheville, NC – The Orange Peel**
Sept. 13 – Norfolk, VA – The Norva
Sept. 14 – Millvale, PA – Mr. Small’s Theatre

# DevilDriver as opening act
* Festival appearance
** Light the Torch as opening act

Vans Warped Tour reveals 2017 lineup

After months of waiting, the lineup for the 2017 incarnation of the Vans Warped Tour has been announced. On Wednesday (March 22), the annual summertime traveling music festival unleashed its lineup which, as always, was met with a lot of mixed reactions. Some potential attendees have labeled it the “best lineup ever” (excuse us, have you see the lineup from 2004 or 2005 ?) while others have said that it might be the worst lineup ever. No matter what your outlook on the lineup is, we can all agree that there is a little for everyone who may attend.

This year’s lineup will include a combination of older/Warped veteran bands as well as some up-and-coming artists. Goldfinger, Anti-Flag, Hawthorne Heights, Save Ferris, Silverstein, American Authors, Bowling for Soup, Streetlight Manifesto, I Prevail, Dance Gavin Dance, GWAR, Blessthefall, Too Close to Touch, Nevershoutnever, New Year’s Day, Neck Deep, and many, many more are set to hit the road this summer. Tickets for all the show are currently available on the Warped Tour’s website here. The complete lineup for Warped Tour 2017 can be seen below while the complete itinerary for the summer punk-rock summer camp can be seen here.

Sadly, it appears as if there will be one massive change to this year’s tour; free parental tickets will no longer be offered. For the past 21 years, the music festival has provided free tickets for parents who do not trust their kids to go to the show alone, so long as the kid has a purchased ticket. In a press statement, festival organizers revealed that in hopes of going back to their “counter-culture roots” and booking a more “balanced lineup including many legacy acts” they will no longer need to offer free parent tickets; hopefully, the parents would want to come see the acts.

WARPED TOUR 2017 LINEUP:

JOURNEY’S LEFT FOOT STAGE
Attila (6/16-7/2, 7/6-8/6)
CKY (6/16-8/6)
Bowling for Soup (6/27-7/2, 7/26, 7/27, 7/29, 7/30)
Futuristic (6/16-6/23, 6/25-8/6)
Hawthorne Heights (6/16-8/6)
Never Shout Never (6/27-7/7)
I Prevail (6/16 – 8/6)
Julie Vera (6/16-8/6)
Watsky (6/17-7/14, 7/16-7/18, 7/20-7/21, 7/23-8/6)
New Years Day (6/16-8/6)
Sammy Adams (6/16-7/28, 8/1-8/6)

JOURNEY’S RIGHT FOOT STAGE
American Authors (6/16-7/19, 7/21-8/6)
Andy Black (6/16-8/6)
Beartooth (6/28-8/6)
Dance Gavin Dance (6/16-8/6)
Goldfinger (6/16-6/17, 8/4-8/6)
Hands Like Houses (6/16-8/6)
Memphis May Fire (6/16-8/6)
Neck Deep (6/16-8/6)
Our Last Night (6/16-8/6)
Streetlight Manifesto (6/24)
Save Ferris (6/21-8/1, 8/5)

MONSTER MUTANT NORTH STAGE
The Acacia Strain (6/16-8/6)
Being as an Ocean (6/16-8/6)
Candiria (6/21-8/6)
Counterparts (6/16-8/6)
Fit for a King (6/16-8/6)
Hatebreed (6/21-8/6)
Silent Planet (6/16-8/6)
Stick to Your Guns (6/16-7/2, 7/6-8/6)
Sylar (6/16-8/6)

MONSTER MUTANT SOUTH STAGE
After the Burial (6/16-8/6)
Blessthefall (6/16-8/6)
Carnifex (6/16-8/6)
Emmure (6/16-8/6)
GWAR (6/16-8/6)
Hundredth (6/16-8/6)
Silverstein (6/16-8/6)
Sworn In (6/16-8/6)
Too Close to Touch (6/16-8/6)

SKULLCANDY STAGE
Alestorm (6/21-8/6)
Bad See Rising (6/16-7/4)
Barb Wire Dolls (6/16-8/6)
Big D and the Kids Table (7/6-7/16)
Microwave (6/16-8/6)
Riverboat Gamblers (7/29 & 7/30)
Sonic Boom Six (6/16-8/6)
Stacked Like Pancakes (7/16-8/6)
Street Dogs (7/6-7/16)
Twilight Creeps (8/4-8/6)
War on Women (6/16-8/6)
The White Noise (6/16-8/6)
William Control (6/16-8/6)

HARD ROCK STAGE
The Adolescents (6/16-8/6)
The Alarm (7/7-7/16, 8/4-8/6)
Anti-Flag (6/27-7/24)
The Ataris (6/16-8/1)
Bad Cop / Bad Cop (6/16-8/6)
The Dickies (6/16-6/22, 6/24 & 6/25)
Doll Skin (6/16-6/25)
Fire From the Gods (6/16-8/6)
Municipal Waste (6/16-7/2, 7/6-8/6)
Sick of It All (6/21-8/6)
Strung Out (6/16-7/11, 8/4-8/6)
Suicide Machines (7/18-7/21)
TSOL (7/22-8/6)
Valient Thorr (6/16-8/6)

FULL SAIL STAGE
Bad Omens (7/4-7/24)
Boston Manor (6/16-8/6)
Carousel Kings (6/16-7/5)
Courage My Love (6/16-8/6)
Creeper (6/16-8/6)
The Fantastic Plastics (6/16-7/2)
Farewell Winters (6/16-8/6)
Feeki (6/16-8/6)
The Gospel Youth (6/16-8/6)
Knocked Loose (6/16-8/6)
Movements (6/16-8/6)
Naked Walrus (6/23 & 6/24)
One Last Shot (7/7-7/10)
Playboy ManBaby (6/22-8/6)
Shattered Sun (7/26-8/6)
Separations (7/6-7/24)
Tillie (7/26-8/6)
Trophy Eyes (6/16-8/6)

Riot Fest Announce 2015 Toronto Line-Up

It’s starting to feel a lot like music Christmas thanks to Riot Fest unveiling the first wave of artists for their Toronto dates, set to take place on Sept. 19 and Sept. 20 at Downsview Park..

Wu-Tang Clan, Frank Turner, Alexisonfire, and Thrice are just some of the big names heading to Canada for the weekend-long festival.

But don’t get too upset that some artists have been left off the initial release; apparently five names are going to be kept a secret until June 16.

For now, check out the mighty jammed line-up below and if you live in Canada or want to make the trek to Toronto for the show, we suggest buying your tickets after you check out the list.

Late GWAR Frontman Laid to Rest in Viking Style

It has been five months since GWAR lost founding member, Dave Brockie aka Oderus Urungus, but during the band’s annual GWAR-B-Q, the band set Urungus to reset the only way to set such a character to rest, with a Viking funeral.

In tradition with the ancient Norse custom, Brockie’s Oderus Urungus costume was laid out in a boat filled with offerings, launched into Hadad’s Lake in Richmond, VA and set on fire with a flaming arrow.

Lamb of God’s Randy Blythe had the honor or reciting the eulogy at the event which paid tribute to the late frontman and final original member of the metal band. In his speech, Blythe wrote about what a bog personality Brockie was, so big that he was “he only motherfucker I know who has to get put away twice.”

You can read his full eulogy below and watch some videos taken at the Viking funeral/ GWAR-B-Q.

“Tonight we sent Oderus home in a fitting manner at the public memorial for Dave Brockie. A blazing Viking ship with Oderus laid out in it, the cuttlefish pointing proudly straight up. Watching my friend Dave’s costume go up in flames in front of a thousand fans was so much more intense for me than the private memorial for friends & family we had April Fool’s Day. I spoke at both of them, as GWAR asked me to, & both times as I spoke I was sad.

But watching his alter-ego burn tore me up way more than the first memorial, maybe because there was Dave, the human who was my friend who just “left us”- I never saw his body- & then there was Oderus, who was something entirely else. To watch his stage gear burn was like watching part of my life literally go up in flames. I was sobbing my eyes out as I took this photo. It was just a super-intense moment. Very beautiful, but overwhelming. Fly free, Oderus- you are missed.”

Brockie passed away back in March. His body was discovered by his roommate that found him unresponsive. At the time, the police had said that there was no foul play involved, but it had been later revealed that Brockie had died from an accidental heroin overdose. Brockie was 50.

In memory of their former frontman, the rest of GWAR went on to crate the Dave Brockie Foundation with the assistance of their fans.

GWAR Frontman’s Cause of Death Revealed

GWAR frontman Dave Brockie, passed away in late March, but at the time of the sad news, there had been no  cause of death for the sudden passing.

Today, the official cause of death for Oderus Urungus (Brockie’s stage name) has been determined as an accidental heroin overdose, according to Richmond, Virginia CBS affiliate, WTVR.

The State Medical Examiner’s Office revealed the official cause of death was “acute heroin toxicity, means: accident.”

Brockie, who was 50 at the time of his passing, was found dead in his Richmond home by his roommate on the morning of March 23. At the time of the initial police report, they did not suspect foul play to be the cause, but they had found evidence of heroin use at the residence.

Brockie’s struggle with drugs was something that was known and was even made public back in 2010 when Decibel wrote a profile about the musician. The writer even wrote in the article that he had “smoke crack” with him behind a dumpster.

With Brockie’s death some question arose including what would become of their beloved GWAR-B-Q and that tour that was being hinted at by Brockie himself on Twitter back in January. The tour, we assume, has been put on the back burner, indefinitely, while the GWAR-B-Q will go on as scheduled on August 16.

The band revealed plans to establish an arts-based charity in his memory, the Dave Brockie Fund. Friends of Brockie have also joined forces to start a fundraiser to fulfill one of the late musician’s dream; to open the GWARBar in the city that he loved, Richmond.

They are aiming to raise $50,000 and currently have obtained $12,714 from donations on their IndieGoGo page.

GWAR to Build Monument in Honor of Fallen Frontman

GWAR have revealed that they have plans to erect a monument in honor of their late frontman, Dave Brockie aka Oderus Urungus. Brockie sadly passed away last month, though at the time there was no confirmed cause of death.

In honor of him, the remaining members of GWAR have launched the Dave Brockie Foundation in order to help raise funds for the monument as well as to help promote music and performance in the arts. 

In a video statement which can be seen below, the band reveal their plan for the monument and the new foundation they have founded. There is also a very touching part in which they reveal what Brockie would have thought of this. “Just face it – Oderus would order you to be present and pay tribute to Dave Murray Brockie, his own personal slave! Oderus did always consider you his children, but I know for a fact that Dave thought of our fans as his family.”

The current plan is to build the monument in Richmond, VA where Brockie lived and sadly passed away. Fans of the band who feel generous and would like to donate to the monument found, you can head on over to the official page for that on GWAR’s website.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DT-n5ge7gCQ

As recent as January, Brockie was on Twitter telling fans to keep their eye open because there was a lot of good news coming their way, more specifically a tour in celebration of the band’s 30th anniversary and their yearly GWAR-B-Q which was slated to take place in August. 

GWAR Frontman Found Dead

GWAR fans we are sad to report that frontman, Oderus Urungus, also known as Dave Brockie, has passed away at the age of 50. The founder of the Richmond, VA based band was discovered by his roommate last night.

The band’s management team will reportedly hold a press conference later on today to officially confirm his death. At the time, police claim there is no evidence of foul play when the body was discovered between 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. last night.

“Dave was one of the funniest, smartest, most creative and energetic persons I’ve known,” former Gwar bassist Mike Bishop told Style Weekly, the Richmond publication that broke the news. “He was brash sometimes, always crass, irreverent, he was hilarious in every way. But he was also deeply intelligent and interested in life, history, politics and art.”

Bishop continued, “his penchant for scatological humors belied a lucid wit. He was a criminally underrated lyricist and hard rock vocalist, one of the best, ever! A great front man, a great painter, writer, he was also a hell of a bass guitarist. I loved him. He was capable of great empathy and had a real sense of justice.”

Lamb of Godd frontman, Randy Blythe took to his Instagram to express his reaction to his fallen Richmond brother: “Dave TRULY WAS ONE OF A KIND. I can’t think of ANYONE even remotely like him. That’s VERY HARD TO SAY.” Blythe continued: “My band learned how to become a real touring band from GWAR. They gave us our first shot at this thing.”

Brockie’s passing comes three years after the passing of GWAR guitarist Flattus Maximus, also known as Cory Smoot. Like Brockie, Smoot was discovered dead at age 34. The band has a slew of upcoming events including their fourth annual GWAR-B-Q in Richmond on August 17th. Back in January,  Brockie has tweeted for fans to keep an eye out for upcoming news from them in celebration of their 30th anniversary (he had said someething about a tour). Now, there’s no word on what’s going to happen.