The original outlaws. The band too dangerous for polite society. When W.A.S.P. dropped their self-titled debut in 1984 it redefined shock rock for metal. Excess, chaos, blood, raw meat, sleaze, fury. It was part of the notorious Filthy Fifteen and it remains one of the most dangerous records in metal history.
Last Sunday at the Eventim Apollo, Blackie Lawless and company brought the beast back to life. The Album One Live tour is exactly what it sounds like. Every single track, front to back, played with venom and fire. They kicked off with “I Wanna Be Somebody” straight into “L.O.V.E. Machine.” Two of the biggest hits in the band’s catalogue, unleashed immediately. Even Blackie admitted that the promoters thought he was crazy for starting the show with such heavy artillery. But when your debut is stacked top to bottom with killers, who cares about pacing. This album is all killer.
The set hit like a sledgehammer. “On Your Knees” has been their live opener for forty years, but here it finally sat in its rightful spot as track eight. Blackie had the vocals locked down, the grit and the power still there, cutting straight through. He was moving, sneering, swinging the mic stand, feeding the crowd like there was blood in the water. He’s had his battles over the years but that was all behind him tonight. This was the Blackie Lawless we all know and love, fired up and in command, and the Apollo roared right back at him.
The band tore through the set like metal assassins. I’ve seen W.A.S.P. several times since moving to London, and I don’t think I’ve ever seen the band so locked in, confident, and gelling like this. The bass and drums hit like a freight train, and the guitars were nasty and loud. All the ingredients of a classic metal arena show in 1984 with the volume cranked past eleven.
After finishing the debut in full, they kept the destruction coming with a barrage of medleys. “Inside the Electric Circus” sounded colossal. This was the album that introduced me to W.A.S.P., and it remains a standout. Then came the real curveball. The encore pulled from The Headless Children, the most under-celebrated WASP record of them all. “The Real Me.” “The Headless Children,” fucking hell, I had forgotten how great these songs are.
And then, out of nowhere, “Forever Free.” A ballad, yes, but one of the best ballads from a very confusing time for metal. I don’t think I was the only one shocked to hear this one, but it was welcomed. I think the UK is a different crowd in this sense, more accepting and forgiving of the metal norms or clichés that were once imposed on the genre.
They closed with “Blind in Texas” and “Wild Child”—two songs that will always send a crowd home bruised and grinning.
W.A.S.P. are still absolutely fucking smashing it. They are a living, breathing, snarling metal band still delivering the goods. If this tour comes anywhere near you, buy a ticket. This is heavy metal theatre at its absolute best.
