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Gor Gor Strikes Back Tour
Live at House of Blues San Diego
April 26th, 2026 Review by Greg Vitalich
I just attended my first GWAR show and am still struggling to process what I experienced. It was the most unusual concert experience of my life; repulsive, hilarious, silly, outlandish, violent, gross, gory, cartoonish, satirical, absurd, and most of all, fun and unforgettable.
GWAR’s Gor Gor Strikes Back tour drew a jam-packed capacity crowd at San Diego’s House of Blues, including a surprising percentage of fans under the age of 30. Clearly, GWAR has reached a new generation of fans who can’t get enough of the infamous thrash-metal-meets-low-budget horror movie craziness.
GWAR has risen to legendary status for their over-the-top outrageous live shows combining heavy metal, elaborate sci-fi costumes, and theatrical blood-soaked performance antics. The death of popular founder and frontman David Brockie in 2014 could have spelled the end of the band. Instead, GWAR pressed on, successfully evolving using a combination of both long-time and newer members.
Frontman Mike Bishop is a key factor for GWAR’s continued popularity. Bishop’s stage persona is the imposing Blöthar the Berserker, a menacing horned character delivering powerful gritty lead vocals while also acting as the conductor for the stage mayhem.
For over four decades now, GWAR shows have followed the same schtick: Unscrupulous character shows up on stage, crowd boos, GWAR kills them in the most outrageous comedic ways, crowd gets soaked with blood from the dismemberments, mutilations, disembowelments and stabbings, crowd goes nuts, do it again!
The musical soundtrack for all the ridiculous on-stage debauchery can be described as aggressive metal shock-rock, combining punk and thrash elements. The catchy opener, “Fuck This Place” inspired the audience to scream the chorus at the top of their lungs. The classic “Crack in the Egg” set the stage perfectly for the dramatic rebirth of Gor Gor, the legendary GWAR T-Rex dinosaur who hatches out of a giant egg and begins to wreak havoc on the band.
Early in the show, a pedophile priest engages in a sword fight using a large cross as the band blasts the double bass driven “Tormentor.” Eventually the priest loses the battle, is bent over to expose his (fake rubber extension) behind, and the crucifix is ceremoniously rammed up his back side. Certainly crude, but my reaction was still a subdued cringy giggle. But when the priest’s exposed rear end (thankfully fake) was aimed at the audience and began spewing liquid with firehose force over the delighted crowd, I quicky realized how over-the-top GWAR truly was.
One by one, more “bad guy” characters were introduced onstage in skit format; an ICE agent, a redneck trucker, former DHS Secretary Kristy Noem, and various politicians. Popular songs in the set included the thrashy “Lot Lizard,” the classic “Sadaam a Go-Go,” the catchy sing-along “Hail, Genocide,” and of course “El Presidente” where a cartoonish Donald Trump character meets a bloody demise.
The second encore took a wacky left turn with a rousing rendition of Chappell Roan’s “Pink Pony Club.” The stylistic contrast couldn’t have been more dramatic as GWAR’s interpretation converted the power pop synth anthem into a distorted metal version that keenly retained the melody – somehow it worked perfectly. You wouldn’t expect anything less from GWAR – absurdly brilliant.
The GWAR experience felt less like a concert and more like being transported into a bizarre Thunderdome environment on a remote planet to witness a musical sci-fi horror movie performed by alien humanoids. It’s important to understand that all the violence and carnage is presented with a heavy theme of satire and humor. The audience was all smiles. Rarely have I witnessed a live audience so immersed and actively participating in the show – from constant crowd surfing, singing along, and getting drenched with “blood” treated as a badge of honor.
Prior to the show, I heard the saying, “You don’t watch a GWAR show – you survive it.” As I later wiped “blood” residue off my cameras and face, I could fully appreciate that sentiment. In the end, a GWAR show leaves you soaked, stunned, and grinning—proof that chaos, humor, and pure spectacle can still bring people together in the most unforgettable way imaginable.
SHOW PHOTO GALLERY
by Greg Vitalich Photography
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SID 250625 | TRACI TURNER | EDITOR
