GWAR bassist/singer Michael Bishop did a TED Talk that involved ripping someone’s face off

by | Aug 10, 2015 | POLITICS

Richmond’s greatest metal sons and daughters, GWAR, are not known for their subtly, so when the local TEDx people invited their new lead singer/long time bassist Dr.

Richmond’s greatest metal sons and daughters, GWAR, are not known for their subtly, so when the local TEDx people invited their new lead singer/long time bassist Dr. Michael Bishop there was lots that could go wrong.

Luckily, when things go wrong with GWAR, they go right for the rest of the world.

Opening with a pretty amazing GWAR-montage (GWAR-tage?) showing the band’s 30-year-success story including 30+ tours, multiple album releases, and Grammy Noms, the rest of Bishop’s speech is pretty fascinating and will hopefully make you think.

Bishop’s talk flows to how GWAR was born and how Richmond helped form GWAR (and vice-versa). He also gets into some pretty gritty details about OG RVA, and how the band uses the term “slave” (their home base is the slave-pit) in the context of Richmond’s history.

It’s a neat 14 min video – I suggest you check it out.

Want more GWAR? Well you’re in luck – the GWAR-B-Q comes back this weekend and it’s going to be amazing:

Start gearing up for the debauchery, the antics, drunken depravity, guts and blood shed because the 6th annual GWAR-B-Q will be upon us next weekend.

The extravaganza is three days of madness and is particularly special this year for it is the 30th anniversary since GWAR’s demonic inception.

On Friday Aug. 14, the “B4BQ” kicks off at The National with hardcore metal bands including Arch Enemy, After the Burial, Coal Chamber, Fear Factory, Cattle Decapitation, Beyond Creation, Born of Osiris, The Acacia Strain, Veil of Maya and Obscura.

GWAR B-Q, the main event for the band’s 30th birthday bash is going down wn at Hadad’s Lake on Saturday with 20 of the gnarliest metal and punk bands around including co-headliner Clutch, Goatwhore, Down, Descendants, the Dickies and many others. See the full lineup here.

You can pick up tickets here.

Brad Kutner

Brad Kutner

Brad Kutner is the former editor of GayRVA and RVAMag from 2013 - 2017. He’s now the Richmond Bureau Chief for Radio IQ, a state-wide NPR outlet based in Roanoke. You can reach him at BradKutnerNPR@gmail.com




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