Most TED Talks don't begin with the speaker having a stone tablet smashed over their head and the flesh ripped from their face to great applause, but then most TED Talks aren't hosted by thrash metal band GWAR.

Appearing at a TEDx conference in the band's native Richmond, Virginia, GWAR bassist/singer Michael "Blothar" Bishop delivered a speech concerning regional identity. Bishop introduces himself as "the human slave of the Berserker, Blothar, the new lead singer of GWAR," before going on to outline his history in academia. In 2012 he graduated from the University of Virginia with a PhD in music, with his research and writing focusing on music and issues of regional identity. In his talk, he asks, "How does GWAR reflect the culture, history, and even geography of Richmond?"

Intro aside, Bishop gave an interesting and thoughtful lecture about the troubled history of race relations and economic struggle in Virginia, and how those tensions informed GWAR's formation in the 80s.

"In that context, GWAR is the safest thing to come from this city," said Bishop, after discussing the violence that occurred in Virginia during the civil war and the Richmond lawyers who once defended Big Tobacco.

This talk was given at a local TEDx event, produced independently of the TED Conferences. It was filmed and edited by Tijo Media at the Carpenter Theatre at Richmond CenterStage in Richmond, VA. Select images credited to http://www.sofakingcoolonline.com/.

Michael Bishop is a Richmond musician best known for his work with GWAR. In the late 1980s, Bishop started as the bassist for the shock rock band while in high school, creating the character Beefkake the Mighty. Bishop left the band to concentrate on Kepone, a post-punk group who released three records between 1992 and 2000. In 2012, he earned a Ph.D. in music from the University of Virginia, specializing in popular music ethnography and performance studies. Following the death of GWAR singer Dave Brockie in 2014, Michael became the band’s vocalist, the Berserker Blöthar. Today, he stays busy as a writer and learning strategist, a member of Kepone and a country and soul group called the Misery Brothers, and the bassist for Sarah White. He also works with composer J. William Adkins on music, stage, and animation projects.

This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at http://ted.com/tedx

GWAR and Regional Identity in Richmond, VA | Dr. Michael Bishop | TEDxRVA

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It started with a human sacrifice and ended with a concise lesson about race relations and economic struggle.

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GWAR, the World's Only "Openly Extraterrestrial" Band, Gave a TED Talk About Regional Identity

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