Sunday bloody Sunday
When Lordi were announced as an addition to the Download Festival line ups in 2005 and 2006, a small number of forum users whinged, claiming that the Finnish monster rockers were a cheap imitation of the American band GWAR. Well, no longer can they complain; packing a vulgar sense of humour and countless litres of fake blood, the Virginian ensemble finally came to violate Download Festival.
Like notable acts such as Alice Cooper, KISS and Rammstein, there is far more to a GWAR set that than the music. Behind the gruesome facade lies an interesting style of hardcore metal, but to pay attention to any aural intricacies requires a ridiculous degree of concentration, for you just cannot convince your mind to give your ears priority over your eyes.
The violence is outrageously overemphasised, but reminds you that although there is a menacing circular-saw-wielding robot wandering around the stage, it's all in the name of entertainment. At least, that is the intention. Part way through the set, the Queen (or just quite possibly a crew member wearing latex body parts), was invited on to the stage, only to have her breasts ripped off. With fake blood spewing everywhere, the band fired into 'Bring Back the Bomb,' the red liquid continuing to shower the onlooking fans. 'Hail, Genocide!' from the 2010 album 'Bloody Pit of Horror,' in particular, sounded very effective, with the frenetic verses contrasting effectively from the weighty choruses.
Before leaving the stage, vocalist Oderus Urungus declared that he wished to urinate over the entirety of the crowd. How delightful. One can only presume that such actions are regarded as a display of affection on the planet Scumdogia (the home of Oderus Urungus). Either way, the band was retracted from the stage before the grotesquely dressed frontman could do so and nobody in the first few rows seemed too disappointed.
Engross yourself in the overdramatic nature of GWAR's stage show and there is a lot of entertainment on offer. However, should you be easily offended or be particularly squeamish, it is strongly advisable that you seek elsewhere. One last piece of advice; don't invade the stage whilst GWAR are playing, you may well have your face ripped off.