By: Lotti Pharriss Knowles
Los Angeles, CA (The Hollywood Times) 9/17/2025 – The iconic heavy metal band, social satirists extraordinaire and interplanetary warriors known as GWAR are celebrating their 40th anniversary this year. Depending on your source, they were formed in 1984 by a group of art school dropouts in Richmond, VA, who were living and creating music, art and film in a dilapidated former dairy…or they were an elite alien fighting force known as Scumdogs of the Universe, who were banished to the worst planet in the universe: Earth.
If you’re not yet one of the “initiated,” these two origin stories likely offer a clue to at least part of the GWAR aesthetic. Theatrical and irreverent, their concerts feature elaborate handmade costumes, props and set pieces, and the band members have names such as Balsac the Jaws of Death and Blöthar the Berserker. They have also been labeled obscene, as their stage shows feature over-the-top depictions of sex and violence, and they regularly spatter the crowd with fake bodily fluids. But what is lost on those offended is that the band is shining a satirical light on topics such as censorship, consumerism and our culture’s fascination with violence – and that they and their fans are having a tremendous amount of fun.
The circuitous and storied history of the band is best viewed in the 2021 documentary This Is GWAR (available on Shudder and to rent on other streaming platforms), and now via the retrospective exhibit Let There Be GWAR, which opened this past weekend at Beyond The Streets gallery in Los Angeles. Curated by the gallery’s founder Roger Gastman and GWAR member Bob Gorman (aka Bonesnapper the Cave Troll), the exhibit features a vast collection of GWAR ephemera that will delight true fans: costumes and props, artwork, photos, video installations, and other fun surprises (such as the Beavis and Butt-Head video game where the band makes an appearance, which visitors can play).
Click here for our exclusive interview:
Art Exhibit Review LET THERE BE GWAR
Speaking with Gorman, I learned that the collection on view is only a fraction of the artifacts he oversees in a Virginia warehouse. When asked if they might take this exhibit on tour, Gorman crossed his fingers. “That would be fantastic, and it’s definitely the goal. This is just the tip of the iceberg. If this were to go to other galleries, it could be a completely different set-up – it could be twice as much as this!”
“This gallery is a teaser, and it shows the artistry of the band on stage,” continues Gorman, who also compiled a 400-page GWAR retrospective coffee table book with Gastman (on sale at the Beyond The Streets gift shop). “Our fans support everything and are super dedicated, but people who aren’t fans, who maybe have a misconception of us, they’ll come here and they’ll say, ‘Oh, I had no idea that there was this much artistry and this much talent.’ (GWAR isn’t) just about one thing or another.”
As I noted in response to him, GWAR is nothing if not layered – and they have certainly secured their spot in American pop culture history. Our galaxy needs them now more than ever, so let there be GWAR for many years to come!
Let There Be Gwar is on view through November 2 at Beyond The Streets: 434 N. La Brea Avenue, Los Angeles. Visit beyondthestreets.com for hours and more information.
View our on location interview with Gorman here:
