From the depths of hell—or, more accurately, Richmond’s most infamous water park—the GWARMY rose once again to take over Hadad’s Lake. This wasn’t just any summer gathering; this was GWAR-B-Q 2014, a festival of metal, mayhem, and madness, bigger and more chaotic than ever before.
A Festival Unlike Any Other
Now in its fifth year, GWAR-B-Q has carved out its place as one of Richmond’s most unique events, blending world-class metal bands, food, skateboarding, GWAR-Beer, and a lineup of insanely GWAR-themed attractions. With 13 bands performing and new additions like The Crypt of Chaos, the Haunted Maze Maze, the Rolling-Wheels-of-Death Skate Park, and a dunk tank, this year’s festival promised to be an unforgettable spectacle.
“Every year, there’s something new, all at the glory of Hadad’s Lake,” said GWAR drummer Jizmak Da Gusha (Brad Roberts), one of the festival’s key organizers. “All these dynamics make GWAR-B-Q an event unlike any other in this town.”
The planning for GWAR-B-Q is a year-round effort, with decisions being made immediately after the previous year’s festival ends. And like any major festival, it only grows more complex and ambitious each year. “The bands, the food, everything gets bigger and better,” Roberts explained. “There’s more logistics, it’s part of the nature. But we want to grow it into something huge for the music community in Richmond.”
A Celebration and a Tribute
However, this year’s GWAR-B-Q carried a somber note—it was the first festival without Dave Brockie, GWAR’s legendary frontman and the mastermind behind Oderus Urungus.
Brockie, who founded GWAR in 1984, had been instrumental in organizing past GWAR-B-Qs. Planning the festival without him was no easy task, Roberts admitted, but it was never a question of whether it would go on. “I know that Dave would want us to celebrate his life, and that’s exactly what we’re going to do.”
“We’re carrying on what Dave hoped would last forever. He was talking about how he was going to train his replacement after our 30th anniversary so GWAR could go on for 1,000 years,” Roberts added. “He really believed it.”
A Viking Funeral for Oderus Urungus
On Friday, August 15, ahead of the festival, GWAR hosted a special public memorial at Hadad’s Lake to honor Brockie. The event, emceed by Jello Biafra (Dead Kennedys), featured tributes from notable speakers, including Adam Green (Holliston) and Randy Blythe (Lamb of God).
The memorial concluded with a Viking-style funeral, as Brockie’s stage-worn Oderus Urungus costume was placed on a raft, set adrift on Hadad’s Lake, and lit ablaze with a flaming arrow.
“Tonight we sent Oderus home in a fitting manner at the public memorial for Dave Brockie,” Blythe wrote in a heartfelt tribute. “A blazing Viking ship with Oderus laid out in it, the cuttlefish pointing proudly straight up. Watching my friend Dave’s costume go up in flames in front of a thousand fans was so much more intense for me than the private memorial for friends & family we had April Fool’s Day. I spoke at both of them, as GWAR asked me to, & both times as I spoke I was sad.
“But watching his alter-ego burn tore me up way more than the first memorial, maybe because there was Dave, the human who was my friend who just ‘left us’—I never saw his body—& then there was Oderus, who was something entirely else. To watch his stage gear burn was like watching part of my life literally go up in flames. I was sobbing my eyes out as I took this photo. It was just a super-intense moment. Very beautiful, but overwhelming. Fly free, Oderus—you are missed.”
“Come out, and we’ll do a big primal scream and cheer for Dave Brockie,” Roberts urged ahead of the event. “We’ll do lots of fun GWAR stuff, but it’s also for the man who made GWAR possible.”
GWAR-B-Q 2014: Event Details
GWAR-B-Q did take place rain or shine at Hadad’s Lake, with strict entry rules to maintain safety (and possibly to ensure a minimum level of chaos).
Weekend Schedule
Friday, August 15
- Dave Brockie/Oderus Urungus Memorial (Hadad’s Lake) – 4 PM – 7 PM
- B4BQ (The Broadberry) – Doors 7 PM, Bands 7:30 PM
Saturday, August 16
- GWAR B-Q (Hadad’s Lake) – 10 AM – 7 PM
- GWafter Party (Bandito’s Burrito Lounge, 2905 Patterson Ave) – 7:30 PM – 2 AM
