Beyond mere tales of fable and fantasy, the next chapter of heavy music folklore is already waiting to be told as Good Things Festival 2025 returns with a stellar roster of international legends, local heroes, and budding dreamweavers, including TOOL, Weezer, Garbage, All Time Low, Machine Head, GWAR, The All-American Rejects, Knocked Loose, Lorna Shore, Refused and heaps more!
The Everblack Podcast caught up with Blothar the Berserker from GWAR to talk about their long-awaited return to Australia for the Good Things Festival 2025. Blothar discusses GWAR’s outrageous live show, who’s on their “slay list,” the band’s 40th anniversary, new music including Return of Gor Gor, their upcoming movie, action figures, and what fans can expect from the most insane stage show on Earth when they hit Australian soil this December.
Watch/listen to the interview here:
Formed in Richmond, Virginia in 1984, GWAR are one of heavy music’s most outrageous and enduring acts, fusing thrash, punk, and metal with a larger-than-life theatricality that has earned them cult status worldwide. Conceived by artist and filmmaker Dave Brockie (a.k.a. Oderus Urungus) and a rotating cast of musicians and visual artists, the band built a mythology around grotesque intergalactic warriors who crash-landed on Earth and decided to become a rock band.
Renowned for their over-the-top stage shows, GWAR performances combine elaborate sci-fi costumes, satirical storylines, and gallons of fake blood, slime, and gore sprayed over audiences—turning every gig into a wild, interactive spectacle. While their theatrics have often grabbed headlines, the music itself—ranging from thrash and crossover punk to more groove-driven metal—has earned critical respect, with albums like Scumdogs of the Universe (1990), America Must Be Destroyed (1992), and Violence Has Arrived (2001) cementing their underground legacy.
Despite lineup changes and the passing of Brockie in 2014, GWAR have continued to tour and release new music, led by Blothar the Berserker (Michael Bishop, formerly Beefcake the Mighty). Four decades on, the band remain a unique cultural institution: part shock rock, part performance art, and wholly committed to their mission of blending heavy riffs with outrageous, satirical spectacle.
GOOD THINGS FESTIVAL LINE UP:
TOOL
Weezer
Garbage | All Time Low | Machine Head | The All-American Rejects
Knocked Loose | Lorna Shore | Refused | New Found Glory | Make Them Suffer
Dayseeker | James Reyne | Kublai Khan TX | Cobra Starship | Goldfinger | Tonight Alive
In Alphabetical Order:
Bad Nerves | Civic | Dead Poet Society | Fever 333 | Gwar | High Vis | Inertia
Palaye Royale | Scene Queen | South Arcade | Wargasm | Windwaker | Yours Truly
Plus the chaos of Stage 666!
DATES AND VENUES:
Friday 5 December – Flemington Racecourse, Melbourne (16+)
Saturday 6 December – Sydney Showground, Sydney (16+)
Sunday 7 December – Brisbane Showgrounds, Brisbane (16+)
General Public tickets on sale now
https://www.oztix.com.au/
