Pentagram vocalist talks about becoming a famous meme

Formed in Alexandria, Virginia back in 1971, Pentagram became a cult-following band over the decades being compared with Black Sabbath. They are considered one of the bands of the “Big Four of Doom Metal”, which also has Candlemass, Trouble and Saint Vitus.

Since Doom Metal is not a popular music genre and Pentagram was not very commercially successful, the vocalist Bobby Liebling remained largely unknown to the general public. However, after someone turned his expression during one of the band’s concerts into a meme, he instantly became a viral sensation, and now people recognize him everywhere—as if he were a Beatle. He talked about that in an interview with Altars of Metal (Transcribed by Ultimate Guitar).

Pentagram vocalist Bobby Liebling talks about becoming a famous meme

“The whole thing flipped me out at first. It was pretty weird. I always had this dream of maybe someday I can have a post on Instagram or Facebook, and it will be viral. And it was like… Jesus, wow…Careful what you wish for, because it kind of blew up more quickly than I expected it to for damn sure. But it was pretty cool, you know? And it’s really fun, though, playing music for over half a century and then becoming famous for being a joke.”

“The band’s profile went through the roof immediately, which is pretty obvious that it would. And we got stopped in airports by TSA people, and we’ve gotten stopped on planes by pilots coming out of the cockpit to say hello, and soccer moms in the airport and groups of little kids and stuff like that. It’s pretty wild, man. I really didn’t know how to react, and I still kind of don’t because everywhere we go, it’s someone [saying], ‘Aren’t you that guy?'”

He continued:

“When it happened, we were actually on tour already, and so the sales didn’t really increase or anything because the places were sold out, actually, when we were doing the West Coast tour, which is when it came about. And then the South American tour, which was mostly sellouts too.”

“So I don’t know how it really bolstered the situation of the attendance, but I do know the ‘seeming popularity’ – and Lord knows why – but it went through the roof. It was a trip. People are clawing, trying to get through crowds. And you got police escorts surrounding you to get to a van when you leave a gig. It was wild, man. It still is,” Bobby Liebling said.

Some of Pentagram’s most famous songs are “Forever My Queen” and “Be Forewarned”.