Gwar & Mac Sabbath in Chico

Gwar is an American heavy metal and punk band formed in Richmond, Virginia, in 1984. They are known for grotesque extraterrestrial costumes, satirical mythology and albums including Scumdogs of the Universe and America Must Be Destroyed; “Sick of You” and “Saddam a Go-Go” are among their signature songs. Gwar played the Vans Warped Tour in 1998 and returned the following year, presenting their costumed theatrical set on the traveling festival. In 2009, they created the GWAR-B-Q festival, whose later editions at Hadad’s Lake featured the band as headliner. The musicians perform as extraterrestrial characters in sculpted costumes, interrupting songs for comic-horror sketches and staged combat; spraying the audience with theatrical blood has long been part of the show. For much of the band’s history, the central character and lead vocalist was Oderus Urungus, played by co-founder Dave Brockie.

Mac Sabbath is an American parody heavy-metal band formed in Los Angeles in 2014. The group rewrites Black Sabbath songs as fast-food satires, including “Frying Pan,” “Pair-a-Buns” and “Sweet Beef,” and performs through restaurant-mascot characters led by singer Ronald Osbourne. The 2017 Mockstrosity Tour paired Mac Sabbath with Okilly Dokilly and Playboy Manbaby for a run of North American club shows. In 2022, the band returned to the road on the More Than Meats the Eye Tour, joined by Speedealer and Lung. The concert is a theatrical full-band performance featuring Ronald Osbourne, guitarist Slayer MacCheeze, bassist Grimalice and drummer Catburglar. Their costumes, lyrics and stage props extend the fast-food parody across the entire set. Festival appearances have included the UK’s Download Festival and the Reading and Leeds Festivals.