Hollywood Palladium Los Angeles, CA
Contact: instagram.com/waspofficial
Web: waspnation.com
Player: Blackie Lawless, guitar, vocals; guitarist Doug Blair, guitars Mike Duda, bass; Aquiles Priester, drums
The much-anticipated return of Los Angeles metal icons W.A.S.P. (following a tour postponement due to frontman Blackie Lawless’ back injury in 2023) and word of the band performing their classic self-titled debut in its entirety added to the intrigue of the evening. Despite this being their second appearance in multiple years, they performed an explosive set built of fan-favorites from their history in front of a rabid crowd.
W.A.S.P. formed in 1982 by Lawless, and was a staple act within the L.A. metal scene in the '80s. Despite not touring North America until their return in 2023 with rotating members, their current lineup held their own around the classic tunes and kept the energy high.
The first half of their set consisted of their self-titled album in its entirety and, according to Lawless, had not been performed since the early years of the band. Lawless, standing behind his Harley bike handle microphone stand, belted out legendary tunes such as “I Wanna Be Somebody” and “L.O.V.E. Machine,” along with songs like “The Flame,” which were not played for decades. The excitement behind reviving a fan favorite album live added to the excitement of their set, and they did not disappoint.
The second half of their show consisted of medleys of songs from The Last Command, Inside the Electric Circus and the Headless Children albums, along with favorites such as “Wild Child,” “The Real Me” in full, and closing with “Blind In Texas.”
While the future of W.A.S.P. appeared unknown, especially with Lawless expressing uncertainty of a future W.A.S.P tour, they performed a powerful show and gave the crowd an energetic performance few would be disappointed over. Lawless and company showed that despite the fact that his controversial stage show has been a mixed bag to different generations of audiences, W.A.S.P.’s music and live performances still draw attention and cannot be ignored, even after four decades of existence.
Show openers and fellow L.A. metal act Armored Saint showed the crowd why they are still at the top of their game after four decades and show no signs of wear and tear, and sharing the stage with W.A.S.P. is keeping the memories of 1982 alive after all of these years.
Photo by Kevin Estrada
