How GWAR Frontman Reacted to Outrage Over Riot Fest Trump + Musk 'Attacks'

GWAR's Blothar the Berserker has addressed the latest backlash against the theatrical metallers after their weekend performance at Riot Fest made headlines for the group's attacks on political figures Donald Trump and Elon Musk.

Though it may seem hard to believe, there are still people learning about the veteran band of over 40 years and their over-the-top theatrics. For years, they've been an equal opportunity reaper, showcasing the bloody demises of political figures from both the left and the right and taking down every president from Ronald Reagan through our current U.S. leader Donald Trump.

But, with the Republican party currently in office, it was Trump and his recent D.O.G.E. ally Elon Musk who were part of the theatrics at Riot Fest.

What Did GWAR's Blothar Say About the Outrage Over Their Riot Fest Performance?

In speaking with Billboard, Blothar commented on the outrage over their show stating, "The idea that GWAR is normalizing violence is patently absurd. He admitted being both annoyed and surprised at the response and continued, "We’re not millionaires that are afraid of what people are going to say when they see what we do."

“Yeah, it pissed me off," he adds of the fervor created by their Riot Fest set. "We’re a group of artists that makes art, and it’s really the idea that what we have done is normalizing violence… there’s nothing normal about the violence that goes on at a GWAR show. It’s a cartoon, it’s Looney Tunes.”

He also adds that the part of the reason their show is so over the top is that he doesn't want people to see it and think it's a realistic depiction. “It’s a parody of violence. It’s trying to make violence into a spectacle and show humanity’s absolute absurdity. That’s what GWAR is, it’s absurdism. To say it’s normalizing violence is really reaching," he added.

Where Did the GWAR Outrage Begin?

One of the more heavily circulated pieces of video from Riot fest came from the X account @hottakekaren, who posted, "Saw a friend’s video from Riot Fest—GWAR mock-beheaded Elon Musk onstage. That’s not edgy, it’s grotesque and reckless and normalizes violence against a real person. This is not okay. Riot Fest and GWAR crossed a major line."

Meanwhile, the @libsoftiktok X account also shared video calling out the "disemboweling" of the Trump figure, noting, "This is incitement. They know exactly what they’re doing."

The performance also crossed over into the journalistic world where The New York Post ran a headline stating "Heavy Metal Band Stage Phony Beheading of Elon Musk, Murder of Donald Trump in Shocking Festival Performance."

While the article pointed out some of the critiques of the band's performance, it also included a statement from a GWAR representative who noted, “Normalizing violence? Humans don’t need GWAR for that. There is nothing normal about the Looney Toon violence acted out on a GWAR stage. GWAR is absurdist spectacle. GWAR is to violence what the New York Post is to journalism. Ridiculous.”

Where Does GWAR's Performance Fall Under First Amendment Protection?

In a time where free speech has come under fire and is a hot button topic, why is the outrage over GWAR's performance something to take seriously?

While covering the outrage over GWAR's set, Billboard also spoke with Kevin Goldberg, the vice president and First Amendment expert of Freedom Forum on that topic.

READ MORE: The GWAR PSA We Didn't Expect + Why It Actually Matters

"The First Amendment protects expression in the form of music. What you’re seeing and what you’re hearing [from GWAR] is fully protected by the First Amendment, as is the right to engage in parody and satire as part of that performance," he shared.

However, Goldberg did share that one unprotected area not covered by the First Amendment would be "true threat," which requires the person using that speech to intend or know that their speech is going to make someone fear for their safety.

He shared, "That’s a very specific type of threat, and parody and satire is so rhetorical and over-the-top that it can’t be taken plausibly by the subject to be an actual threat."

Goldberg also added that "incitement to imminent lawless violence" is also something that may be brought up, but he adds, "That’s not what’s happening here. That’s not what they want people to do. They want people to understand that they’re making a political statement and that’s why we have this broad protection for speech that may even seem like it incites violence because we want to protect political speech. And that’s what I would say this is, political speech.”

He concluded, "GWAR needs to understand that in this moment in time suggesting the beheading of the president or Elon Musk could be taken more seriously by some members of the public who have no idea of their intent based on past history. Their [GWAR’s] understanding is, ‘We’ve always done it this way — but now you’re paying attention.'"

That said, Goldberg told Billboard that he adamantly felt that GWAR was "completely" protected by the First Amendment.