by Marc Fong
GWAR’s chaos-spectacle at Berkeley’s UC Theatre was pure GWAR in full annihilation mode: the band blasted off with “The Great Circus Train Disaster,” charged through the groove-horror of “Filthy Flow,” and hurled us head-first into the metal blitz of “Metal Metal Land.” The stage became a death-ride full of absurd theatrics as they ripped into “Saddam a Go‑Go,” stomped over in “Crack in the Egg,” and detonated “Bring Back the Bomb” to finish the set proper.
The intimate Anaheim venue only amplified the experience: the flying props, strobe-lit gore, and over-the-top costumes made every moment feel immediate and visceral. Crowd-surfing, body-thrashing, and chants rose in concert as GWAR’s warriors prowled the stage and the floor alike. As an intro to the encore, the maniacal band “sacrificed” 1077 The Bone’s own Baby Huey. By the end, when the last riffs of “Sick of You” echoed and the pyrotechnic mess settled, it was clear – this wasn’t just another show. It was a full immersion into madness, and for those who came, a night unsurprisingly impossible to forget.
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