GWAR tickets Portland

GWARRRRRRRRRRRRR

LEGACY OF DISORDER was completely forgettable. Generic modern metal trash. Think Chimaira, but without even the accidental decent song or solid live energy they present.

GHOUL, as always, was phenomenal. The gimmick of overt schlock horror works great for this IMPALED side project, with enough thrash and death riffs to keep any fan of metal happy with them just based on music alone. Live, they're like a more low budget GWAR, which is perfect, and their mocking of the "no moshing" rule was spot-on.

MUNICIPAL WASTE is a band that any self-respecting metal fan should see at least once. I've seen them a few times now and each time was a blast, but this was easily their weakest outing (and I saw them when frontman Tony Foresta had his entire leg in a cast, relegated to basically standing still on stage). Not due to the set, mind you, but purely because of the "no moshing" rule. Whenever people would even start swaying while headbanging, security would jump in and yell at them. Pathetic. MUNICIPAL WASTE is a band that requires a venue who understands the metal/punk/hardcore scenes and that movement is an integral part of the live presentation.

GWAR was phenomenal, as they usually are, and the occasional heartfelt joke regarding the departure of Flattus Maximus (Cory Smoot, their lead guitarist for a decade who tragically died on tour last October) was the most fitting tribute possible for a man responsible for so many modern GWAR classics. The setlist didn't change much from the last time they were up in these parts prior to Smoot's passing, with the main difference being that the smaller venue allowed the spraying of "blood" to cover more than usual. As a sidenote, it was hilarious to see security attempt to prevent people from moving for GWAR and fail miserably.

"NO MOSHING": If there were a more ridiculous ruling by a local venue (and, soon, possibly the entire city of Boston) I've yet to experience it. Moshing (slam dancing, circle pits, etc.) is not for everybody, and I won't mock anybody who chooses to not partake in it, but it is a massive part of the metal/punk/hardcore scene, and has been since the late 70's. It is the style of expressive dance (make no mistake about it, it IS a form of dance, just one that happens to be more chaotic and physical) that accompanies heavy music, allowing its practitioners to release whatever aggressions they may have in an often self-controlled manner (meaning that there are codes of conduct that most abide by, and those who do not tend to be ousted), and the ban of it severely hindered the experience.

I don't mosh much anymore, mind you. I've grown out of it. I'd rather move a bit on the floor, headbang, and appreciate the band playing than throw elbows and slam into others, but that does not change the fact that it IS a part of the scene.

As for the venue itself, the WILBUR THEATRE, it's obvious that it's not designed to host concerts part of the heavy music scene. The crowd placement was strictly enforced compared to other venues' "come as you wish" attitude that allows attendees to sit out or stand up for acts as they wish, leading to many fans being disappointed in the show overall. Security was also too harsh, looking to flex its muscle on anybody daring to not adhere to its strict guidelines for the show rather than keep the peace and ensure the crowd's safety.

Overall: Great shows by GHOUL, MUNICIPAL WASTE, and GWAR; a poor show by generic "metal by numbers" act LEGACY OF DISORDER; and the Wilbur Theatre is a venue I will never return to again and, should this attitude become the default norm for Boston's venues, then I (and likely many others) will continue to go to Worcester and Providence to see the acts I wish to spend my hard-earned dollars on, placing money back into those economies.