LIVE: GWAR – Tampa, FL, USA – June 17, 2024

GWAR playing @ The Ritz on Mon, 17 Jun 2024

Venue: The Ritz Ybor

City: Tampa, FL

Date: June 17, 2024

Review and Photographs by: James Zambon (https://jameszambon.com)

I ventured over to The Ritz Ybor with my cameras all neatly cleaned and packed up in my trusty bag, all eager to capture the spectacle that is GWAR… naively without a poncho for me or any coverings for my cameras. Thankfully a fellow photographer had an extra camera covering (thanks Carolina, I owe you!). My hair and clothes… well, if you know GWAR then you know where this is going. I got to the stage just as Squid Pisser was going on. I can’t say much about their set, other than the crowd seemed to enjoy them. Apparently I’m not that metal. I was looking forward to seeing X-Cops. The theme of the band sounded comical and they lived up to every bit of that expectation. They had a solid metal sounds and a ridiculous stage presence made for a great warm-up to the main event. Weedeater totally took me off guard. Dave Collins on base & vocals was incredibly animated and entertaining. I can’t wait to catch these guys again, in the meantime I have some albums to go buy.

As I prepped my cameras and wrapped my fancy white camera lens in my luckily acquired camera poncho, I watched as the techs and roadies prepped their gear. They were rapidly dismantling the house’s soundboard and covering literally everything they could in visqueen to hide and protect it from the onslaught of a high pressure mist of bodily fluids that was sure to come. From the moment GWAR took the stage, it was clear this was no ordinary concert. The Ritz Ybor’s intimate yet spacious venue provided the perfect setting for the band’s larger-than-life presence. Their elaborate costumes and outlandish stage props transformed the stage into a fantastical realm where the line between reality and fiction blurred. Photographing GWAR is both a dream and a challenge. Their performance is a visual feast, with every moment offering a new and dynamic experience. The crowd was as much a part of the show as the band itself. Fans, many dressed in their own homemade GWAR-inspired attire, were fully immersed in the experience. Their enthusiasm and raw energy fed into the band’s performance, creating a symbiotic relationship that was thrilling to witness and document. Capturing the expressions of awe, excitement, and sheer joy on their faces as GWAR spewed random (fake) bodily fluids onto the crowd added an amazing layer into the event. GWAR’s show at The Ritz Ybor was an exhilarating experience that transcended a typical concert. It was a visual and auditory onslaught that left the audience, and this photographer, thoroughly (covered in god-knows-what) entertained and wanting more. For any metal-head seeking a concert experience that is as visually captivating as it is musically intense, GWAR is an absolute must-see.

Setlist: War Is All We Know – The Sordid Soliloquy of Sawborg Destructo – Mother Fucking Liar – You Can’t Kill Terror – Hail, Genocide! – The Cutter – Starving Gods (Death Whistle Suite) – Crack in the Egg – Completely Fucked – Immortal Corrupter – Maggots – Let Us Slay – Sonderkommando – Black and Huge – Berserker Mode – I, Bonesnapper – Sick of You – Fuck This Place

[Show as slideshow]

GWAR LINKS:

OFFICIAL SITE

FACEBOOK

X – TWITTER

INSTAGRAM

TOUR DATES

Category: Live Reviews, Photo Galleries