For those who have followed GWAR for the last many decades, one will know that the band has an elaborate stage show that can be off-putting to many. That's part of the schtick, of course. Still, fans know that everything the band does, like executing caricatures of politicians, is done in jest.
And GWAR doesn't just lean one way or the other politically, not on stage at least. While they have gotten pushback from all sides of the political viewpoint, the resistance hasn't been great until recently. According to Mike “Blöthar The Berserker" Bishop in an interview on the Rocking with Jam Man podcast, the secret service has recently been all up in the band's business.
That's because of the group executing a caricature of Donald Trump in recent performances. Bishop said, "We (fictitiously) killed President Obama. We didn’t hear from the Secret Service. But you (fictitiously) kill Trump, and you better believe that there’s gonna be some s*** going on. And that happened to us. It happened to us not too long ago."
GWAR suddenly getting pushback from the political establishment
The joke from GWAR, and, admittedly, the band isn't for everyone, nor wants to be, is not an attack on real individuals, mainly, but an attack on the cult of personality. The group doesn't just stick with politicians to poke fun at, but people such as Princess Diana and many others, too.
Fans going to shows also know they had better wear something that they don't care about getting ruined. Lots of spray occurs. The show is theatrical, and that's an important part, including what the group does with fictitious celebrities.
When one begins to take what GWAR does literally, is when the troubles begin. Believing the band is trying to make a political or social commentary statement is correct, and it is those who can't take a joke, for lack of a better way to say it, who get the most offended.
As Bishop added, "People acted as if GWAR had changed, but GWAR didn’t change. The world fricking changed. The way people felt about politics changed...And being uptight about identity politics is absurd, but we still never got any heat from that segment. It’s not like feminists or the politically correct squad; they didn’t really come after GWAR. Who came after GWAR was (expletive) Trump fans. That’s who came after GWAR."
Hopefully, GWAR won't decide to change what they do or to quit making music altogether. One might wonder how much pressure they feel from their act, and it could currently be extreme. The shame is that what they do is truly just for fun, and they are great at it. That shouldn't stop. Plus, if you want to support GWAR, you can see one of their shows in the fall.
GWAR 2026 tour dates:
- 10/27 – Charlottesville, VA @ The Jefferson Theater
- 10/28 – Atlanta, GA @ The Masquerade (Heaven)
- 10/29 – Jacksonville, FL @ FIVE
- 10/30–11/03 – Miami, FL @ Headbangers Boat
- 11/04 – Fort Lauderdale, FL @ Revolution
- 11/05 – Orlando, FL @ The Beacham
- 11/06 – Myrtle Beach, SC @ House of Blues
- 11/07 – Winston-Salem, NC @ The Ramkat
- 11/08 – Nashville, TN @ Brooklyn Bowl
- 11/09 – Little Rock, AR @ The Hall
- 11/10 – Dallas, TX @ AM/FM
- 11/12 – Denver, CO @ Ogden Theatre
- 11/13 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Rockwell at The Complex
- 11/14 – Las Vegas, NV @ Brooklyn Bowl
- 11/15 – Reno, NV @ Cargo Concert Hall
- 11/17 – Tempe, AZ @ The Marquee
- 11/18 – Anaheim, CA @ House of Blues
- 11/19 – Berkeley, CA @ The UC Theatre
- 11/20 – Chico, CA @ Senator Theatre
- 11/21 – Bend, OR @ Midtown Ballroom
- 11/23 – Seattle, WA @ Showbox SoDo
- 11/24 – Spokane, WA @ Knitting Factory
- 11/25 – Vancouver, BC @ Vogue Theatre
- 11/27 – Edmonton, AB @ Midway Music Hall
- 11/28 – Calgary, AB @ MacEwan Hall
- 11/30 – Winnipeg, MB @ Burton Cummings Theatre
- 12/02 – Lincoln, NE @ Bourbon Theatre
- 12/03 – Milwaukee, WI @ The Rave
- 12/04 – Pontiac, MI @ The Crofoot Ballroom
- 12/05 – Cleveland, OH @ House of Blues
- 12/06 – McKees Rocks, PA @ Roxian Theatre
- 12/08 – Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club
- 12/09 – Worcester, MA @ The Palladium
- 12/10 – New York, NY @ The Palladium Times Square
- 12/11 – Philadelphia, PA @ The Fillmore Philadelphia
- 12/12 – Norfolk, VA @ The NorVa
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