GWAR is a remarkable group of alien heavy metal rockers that have been creating art for nearly three decades, pulling inspiration from a plethora of various art forms. If you have seen the new documentary This Is GWAR (streaming on Shudder), then you have an idea of the eclectic range of interests these guys have when it comes to the arts.
During a recent interview with Sophie K of Knotfest, GWAR members Blothar the Berserker and Pustulus Maximus were asked about gatekeeping within the metal community; specifically, those folks who will give someone else shit for liking music outside of metal (or say, being a fan of pop music and then discovering metal). When it comes to this topic, both Blothar and Pustulus express a stance that is very similar to our own: Gatekeeping is horseshit.
When asked about those who strive to gatekeep metal, Blothar immediately says “Fuck you!”
Pustulus then follows up and says, “That’s the worst. My philosophy is ‘It’s okay to like stuff.’ If you wanna like good ol’ Dirkschneider over there and Mercyful Fate and Billie Eilish in the same day, that’s fine. It doesn’t matter. But you can’t like N’Sync and metal though, or Backstreet Boys.”
Blothar then went on to add: “Anybody can like anything. I just think it’s absolutely absurd. You know, metal has been excluded [possibly referring to the mainstream]. People that like metal and that are drawn to it are outsiders. Why do they wanna put up the same walls for other people? It doesn’t make any sense to me.”
What are your thoughts when it comes to gatekeeping within the metal community? You can check out the full video interview featuring Blothar and Pustulus below. In other band related news, GWAR is currently on the road as part of a tour! You can find all the dates and locations associated with that tour below.
- 9/20 – Little Rock, AR @ The Music Hall
9/21 – Columbia, MO @ Blue Note
9/23 – Louisville, KY @ Louder Than Life
9/25 – Lincoln, NE @ Bourbon Theatre
9/26 – Denver, CO @ Oriental Theater
9/27 – Casper, WY @ Gaslight Social Outdoors
9/28 – Billings, MT @ Pub Station Outdoors
9/30 – Portland, OR @ Roseland Theater
10/1 – Seattle, WA @ Showbox SoDo
10/3 – Vancouver, BC @ The Vogue#
10/4 – Spokane, WA @ Knitting Factory
10/6 – Boise, ID @ Revolution Concert House
10/7 – Sacramento, CA @ Aftershock*
10/8 – Ventura, CA @ Ventura Theater
10/9 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Belasco
10/10 – Las Vegas, NV @ Brooklyn Bowl
10/11 – Salt Lake City, UT @ The Depot
10/12 – Flagstaff, AZ @ Pepsi Amphitheater
10/14 – Dallas, TX @ Amplify
10/15 – Houston, TX @ Warehouse Live
10/16 – Austin, TX @ Empire Live
10/18 – Pensacola, FL @ Vinyl
10/19 – Orlando, FL @ The Beachum
10/20 – Atlanta, GA @ The Masquerade
10/22 – Niagara Falls, NY @ Rapids Theater
10/23 – Detroit, MI @ The Crofoot
10/26 – Milwaukee, WI @ The Rave
10/28 – Worcester, MA @ The Palladium
10/29 – Philadelphia, PA @ Franklin Music Hall
10/30 – Richmond, VA @ The National
10/31 – New York, NY @ Irving Plaza
11/2 – Toronto, ON @ The Phoenix
11/3 – Baltimore, MD @ Soundstage
*Festival
#Without Light the Torch