GWAR’s Riot Fest set has once again spilled into the mainstream, this time for sawing the head off an Elon Musk dummy and spraying fake blood all over the Chicago crowd.
On Saturday (September 20), the shock rock veterans rolled out a mannequin of Musk in his infamous “D.O.G.E” shirt. Within seconds, the dummy’s head was gone, taken off with a chainsaw as front row fans got drenched. The clip has gone viral, drawing criticism from outside the scene.
“That’s not edgy, it’s grotesque and reckless and normalises violence against a real person,” one X user posted. Others accused both GWAR and Riot Fest of “crossing a major line.”
Riot Fest Responds
Riot Fest itself mocked the outrage, replying on X: “‘GWAR crossed a major line’ is one of the funniest f**king things I’ve ever heard.” Adding fuel to the fire, the account that originally blasted the clip changed their bio to “GWAR’s biggest fan,” suggesting the whole thing may have been rage bait all along.
Longtime fans aren’t having it though, GWAR has been skewering public figures on stage since the beginning, beheading everyone from Donald Trump to Joe Biden in past tours. The Musk gag has been part of their current 40th anniversary run since May, and in their world, nobody is safe. The clue is in the title of their 1999 album, We Kill Everything.
Catch GWAR Live
| Date | Venue | Location | Support | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 21, 2025 | Globe Iron | Cleveland, OH | Helmet, Savage Master, Blood Vulture | Tickets |
| Oct 5, 2025 | Aftershock Festival | Sacramento, CA | — | Tickets |
| Oct 18, 2025 | The Complex | Salt Lake City, UT | Helmet, Dwarves, Blood Vulture | Tickets |
| Oct 20, 2025 | Marquee Theatre | Tempe, AZ | Helmet, Dwarves, Blood Vulture | Tickets |
| Oct 22, 2025 | Brooklyn Bowl | Las Vegas, NV | Helmet, Dwarves, Blood Vulture | Tickets |
| Oct 23, 2025 | House of Blues | Anaheim, CA | Helmet, Dwarves, Blood Vulture | Tickets |
| Oct 24, 2025 | Virginia Street Brewhouse | Reno, NV | Helmet, Dwarves, Blood Vulture | Tickets |
| Oct 25, 2025 | The UC Theatre Taube Family Music Hall | Berkeley, CA | Helmet, Dwarves, Blood Vulture | Tickets |
| Oct 26, 2025 | Midtown Ballroom | Bend, OR | Helmet, Dwarves, Blood Vulture | Tickets |
| Oct 27, 2025 | Showbox SoDo | Seattle, WA | Helmet, Dwarves, Blood Vulture | Tickets |
| Oct 29, 2025 | Vogue Theatre | Vancouver, BC | Helmet, Dwarves, Blood Vulture | Tickets |
| Oct 30, 2025 | Penticton Trade & Convention Centre | Penticton, BC | Helmet, Dwarves, Blood Vulture | Tickets |
| Oct 31, 2025 | MacEwan Hall | Calgary, AB | Helmet, Dwarves, Blood Vulture | Tickets |
| Nov 1, 2025 | Fan Park @ Ice District | Edmonton, AB | Helmet, Dwarves, Blood Vulture | Tickets |
| Nov 3, 2025 | Knitting Factory | Spokane, WA | Helmet, Dwarves, Blood Vulture | Tickets |
| Nov 5, 2025 | Summit Music Hall | Denver, CO | Helmet, Dwarves, Blood Vulture | Tickets |
| Nov 6, 2025 | Bourbon Theatre | Lincoln, NE | Helmet, Dwarves, Blood Vulture | Tickets |
| Nov 8, 2025 | Vibes Event Center | San Antonio, TX | Helmet, Dwarves, Blood Vulture | Tickets |
| Nov 9, 2025 | House of Blues | Dallas, TX | Helmet, Dwarves, Blood Vulture | Tickets |
| Nov 11, 2025 | Marathon Music Hall | Nashville, TN | Helmet, Dwarves, Blood Vulture | Tickets |
| Nov 12, 2025 | Piedmont Hall | Greensboro, NC | Helmet, Dwarves, Blood Vulture | Tickets |
| Nov 13, 2025 | The Masquerade | Atlanta, GA | Helmet, Dwarves, Blood Vulture | Tickets |
| Nov 15–16, 2025 | Vans Warped Tour | Orlando, FL | — | Tickets |
| Nov 16, 2025 | The Ritz Ybor | Tampa, FL | Helmet, Dwarves, Blood Vulture | Tickets |
| Nov 18, 2025 | Nevermore | Baltimore, MD | Helmet, Dwarves, Blood Vulture | Tickets |
| Nov 19, 2025 | The Palladium | Worcester, MA | Helmet, Dwarves, Blood Vulture | Tickets |
| Nov 20, 2025 | The Fillmore | Philadelphia, PA | Helmet, Dwarves, Blood Vulture | Tickets |
| Nov 21, 2025 | Palladium Times Square | New York, NY | Helmet, Dwarves, Blood Vulture | Tickets |
| Nov 22, 2025 | The NorVa | Norfolk, VA | Helmet, Dwarves, Blood Vulture | Tickets |
Grab your tickets here!
This isn’t the first time GWAR’s theatrics have made headlines. In 1990, UK politicians cancelled their British tour over simulated bestiality. Three decades later, the band’s taste for craziness hasn’t dulled, the only difference is that now, every skit has a chance of blowing up on social media.
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