Heavy metal veterans Gwar shocked audiences at this weekend’s Riot Fest in Chicago with a dramatic stage stunt that stirred major backlash. The band acted out a mock beheading of Elon Musk and a simulated murder of President Donald Trump, prompting critics to accuse them of “normalizing violence.”

A viral clip from the event shows a Musk look-alike mannequin wheeled onto the stage. Dressed in sunglasses, a baseball cap, a black “D.O.G.E.” t-shirt, black jeans, and a jacket, the figure was met with theatrical brutality as one of the band’s members swung a sword and sliced off its head.

As the head flew through the air, fake blood sprayed across the stage, drawing cheers and applause from the festival crowd. While loyal fans saw it as Gwar’s signature shock-rock theater, others slammed the performance as crossing the line.

Gwar, a heavy metal band formed in 1984 in Richmond, Virginia, has built a reputation for outrageous performances and grotesque costumes. Often written as GWAR, the group is famous for staging shocking, over-the-top theatrics on stage.

Their shows have long included graphic stunts, with fake blood, urine, and even semen being sprayed on the audience as part of the act. Fans have come to expect this kind of outrageous display as part of the band’s identity.

However, Saturday’s performance at Riot Fest went a step further in the eyes of many. The mock beheading of an Elon Musk mannequin quickly spread across social media, igniting heated criticism online.

“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,” one X user wrote alongside the viral video.

The act included a mannequin styled to resemble the former D.O.G.E. secretary, as captured in images from AFP via Getty.

It wasn’t clear whether the original critic of the performance was being genuine or just trying to stir up reactions. Shortly after posting, the user changed their X bio to read “GWAR’s biggest fan,” leaving some to wonder if it was a case of rage-bait.

The hacking collective Anonymous also weighed in on the controversy. From their official X account, they posted a blunt reply: “F–k Elon Musk. Call the manager you f–king loser. It’s like you never heard of GWAR before you f–king p–y.”

Others on the platform pointed out that this was far from the first time Gwar had used real-life figures as stage props. One user reshared footage of the band performing a similar act in the past when they mock-beheaded a mannequin resembling President Joe Biden.

Gwar are widely recognized for their outrageous costumes and over-the-top grotesque stage antics, as shown in images from WireImage.

“Welcome to GWAR. They are from outer space. They once released an album called ‘We Kill Everything’ because, in their world, they really do destroy everything,” one X user wrote while commenting on the show.

The same account that first posted the Musk video also uploaded more footage from the festival. In that clip, a mannequin resembling Donald Trump was shown on stage, bleeding heavily in another graphic stunt.

Representatives for GWAR and Riot Fest did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Donald Trump speaking from behind a desk while Elon Musk stands beside him in the Oval Office.
Another shocking act depicted the violent killing of a mannequin representing President Trump. [AP]

Riot Fest fired back at the uproar over the Musk stunt video with a biting response on X. They wrote, “I know this is just a rage bait account trying to get clicks, but saying ‘GWAR crossed a major line’ might be the funniest thing I’ve ever read.”

Not everyone was on board with Riot Fest’s take. One user pointed out, “They mock every leader, even Obama, but given what happened with Charlie Kirk last week, the timing feels really off.” Riot Fest responded to this criticism without holding back.

Their comeback was straightforward: “Shut the f–k [up] you dork a– loser.”

Since its start in 2005, Riot Fest has grown into one of the biggest independently run punk festivals in America.

This year’s lineup included major acts like Blink-182, Weezer, and Green Day headlining the shows, the article reported by the New York Post.