Until recently, Bobby Liebling’s name was largely familiar only to die-hard fans of doom metal. As the eccentric and enigmatic frontman of cult legends PENTAGRAM, Liebling has lived a life that teeters between myth and madness—so much so that a documentary, Last Days Here, was made in 2011 chronicling a portion of his chaotic journey.
Despite his status as a pioneer in the genre, Liebling and PENTAGRAM have long flown under the mainstream radar—partly due to his unpredictable behavior and controversial past. But that all changed when a short meme clip from a PENTAGRAM show exploded online. Featuring Liebling in a wide-eyed, animated stare with his hair flailing, the clip turned him into an overnight internet sensation.
Speaking to Altars of Metal in a recent interview, Liebling opened up about the surreal experience of becoming a meme and how it drastically changed the way people perceive him and his band.
“The whole thing flipped me out at first,” he admitted (as transcribed by Ultimate Guitar). “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?”
Still, the irony wasn’t lost on him. After five decades of performing, it wasn’t the music that brought him widespread recognition—it was a meme.
“It’s really fun, though, playing music for over half a century and then becoming famous for being a joke,” he said.
While the viral fame didn’t directly boost ticket sales—many shows were already sold out before the meme hit—the visibility had real-world effects. According to Liebling, the band’s profile “went through the roof,” leading to encounters with fans in the unlikeliest places.
“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,” he shared. “Soccer moms in the airport and groups of little kids… 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?’”
The attention even prompted authorities to get involved for his safety. During their recent tours, Liebling said crowd reactions became so intense that police had to escort him from venues.
“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.”
Capitalizing on their recent viral success, veteran doom metal band PENTAGRAM will hit the road across the U.S. this spring. The tour supports their latest album, Lightning In A Bottle, which dropped this past January.
Tour dates are as follows:
May 11, 2025 – Austin, TX – Come And Take It Live
May 12, 2025 – Houston, TX – Last Concert Cafe
May 13, 2025 – San Antonio, TX – Paper Tiger
May 14, 2025 – The Colony, TX – Lava Cantina
May 15, 2025 – Springfield, MO – The Regency
May 16, 2025 – Milwaukee, WI – The Rave (‘Milwaukee Metal Fest‘)
May 17, 2025 – Flint, MI – Machine Shop
May 18, 2025 – Syracuse, NY – Lost Horizon
May 19, 2025 – Portland, ME – Geno’s Rock Club
May 20, 2025 – Braintree, MA – Widowmaker Brewing
May 21, 2025 – Baltimore, MD – Baltimore Soundstage (‘Maryland Deathfest‘ pre-fest)
May 22, 2025 – Lynchburg, VA – Super Rad Arcade
May 23, 2025 – Summerville, SC – Trolley Pub
May 24, 2025 – Atlanta, GA – 529
May 25, 2025 – Nashville, TN – The Cobra
Source: metaladdicts.com
