WASP

I’ve been a W.A.S.P. fan since buying their debut album on cassette back in 1984. At the time, the band was one of the most controversial and outrageous acts in rock music. Their lyrics were crude enough to make Motley Crue blush, their image was built around shock value, and songs like “I Wanna Be Somebody” became anthems for every teenager who dreamed of being something bigger. I loved that record then and I still love it today.

The tour was advertised as a celebration of W.A.S.P.’s first four albums, covering everything from the self-titled debut through The Headless Children. On paper, that sounded perfect. Those are the records I grew up with and the era of the band I most wanted to hear.

Of course, W.A.S.P. in 2026 is very different from W.A.S.P. in 1984. Blackie Lawless is the only remaining founding member. Now playing guitar instead of bass, he’s joined by bassist Mike Duda, guitarist Doug Blair, and drummer Aquiles Priester. Between them, they have helped carry the band through sixteen studio albums, with Blackie remaining the unquestioned centerpiece of the operation.

The stage featured a circus theme, complete with Blackie’s famous skull-spined microphone stand dominating center stage. I had read somewhere that the entire contraption weighs close to a thousand pounds. Honestly, it reminded me of one of those playground spring riders where kids sit on a duck or horse and wobble side to side. The only problem is that when Blackie stands behind it, you don’t actually see much of him. The stand frequently blocks his face, and I couldn’t help wondering if there was perhaps more than aesthetics behind that setup.

The show opened with “Easy Livin’,” W.A.S.P.’s cover of the Uriah Heep classic from 1986’s Inside the Electric Circus. Unfortunately, it was a rough start. A very rough start.

The good news was that Blackie appeared to be singing live. The bad news was that Blackie appeared to be singing live. The vocals sounded noticeably off-key and at times were genuinely difficult to listen to. It was one of those moments where you begin wondering if the rest of the evening is about to become a cautionary tale rather than a concert review.

Thankfully, things improved quickly. “Fistful of Diamonds” from The Last Command helped steady the ship, and “The Flame” from the debut album continued the recovery. By this point, I was beginning to relax and enjoy myself again.

One of the evening’s more unexpected moments came with “Mr. Cool.” I was expecting the usual concert banter with some variation of “Vancouver, are you ready?” Instead, Blackie launched into a story involving lawsuits, revenge, and the history behind the song. At first, it seemed completely random. Then it made sense when he explained that “Mr. Cool” eventually evolved into “Cries in the Night” from The Last Command. For longtime fans, it was a fascinating piece of W.A.S.P. history and a genuinely cool deep cut to hear.

Other highlights from the first half of the show included “On Your Knees,” the excellent Who cover “The Real Me,” and a powerful performance of “The Headless Children.” Somewhere during this stretch, something interesting happened. Blackie’s voice got dramatically better.

Now, I know W.A.S.P. uses backing tracks for various elements of their live show, and Blackie has publicly stated that the lead vocals are still performed live. I can’t say exactly what changed, whether it was warming up, confidence, sound adjustments, or something else entirely. What I can say is that the difference between the first few songs and the rest of the show was impossible to ignore. By the middle of the set, he sounded significantly stronger.

Song ten brought “I Wanna Be Somebody,” one of the songs most of the audience likely came to hear. While Blackie naturally remained the focal point, drummer Aquiles Priester deserves special mention. The guy is simply world-class. His resume includes work with Paul Di’Anno, Vinnie Moore, Tony MacAlpine, DragonForce, and Angra. One of his students was Eloy Casagrande, now playing drums for Slipknot. If you were paying attention to the drummer, you were watching a serious metal heavyweight at work.

“L.O.V.E. Machine” arguably received the biggest reaction of the night from the sold-out crowd of roughly 1,100 people. What’s funny is that most of that crowd remained seated throughout the show. This is still a theatre, after all. Before W.A.S.P. even took the stage, an announcement warned fans that moshing and stage diving would not be tolerated.

I had to laugh.  Looking around at a sea of gray hair, reading glasses, bad knees, and lower back issues, I wasn’t exactly worried about a wall of death breaking out in the aisles. Forsure “I Don’t Need No Doctor” kept the momentum rolling before the set took an unexpected turn with “Golgotha.”

Now, don’t get me wrong. It’s a solid song. In fact, many fans consider it one of Blackie’s strongest songs from the modern era. But on a tour supposedly dedicated to the first four albums, it felt oddly out of place. The darker spiritual themes that have become part of Blackie’s songwriting over the years are a stark contrast to the outrageous shock-rock persona that originally built the band’s reputation. If I wanted to hear a Stryper song, I would’ve just…ack! Never mind.

Thankfully, the show got right back on track with the final two songs of the night of the 17 song set.

“Wild Child.” “Blind in Texas.” Two classics. Two perfect songs to send everyone home happy.   There was, however, one glaring omission.

No “Animal (F**k Like a Beast).”

I understand why it’s absent. Blackie has spoken openly about how his views have changed over the years, and it’s clear that some of the band’s early material no longer represents who he is today. It’s his band, his legacy, and his decision. Still, for longtime fans, it felt strange to leave one of the most notorious songs in heavy metal history completely off the setlist.

So was this a great show?

Honestly, yes and no. The opening was rough enough that I briefly worried the entire evening might be headed off a cliff. Instead, the performance gradually improved and eventually became a genuinely enjoyable experience. Doug Blair’s guitar work was outstanding, Aquiles Priester was phenomenal, and the band as a whole did an excellent job recreating much of the classic W.A.S.P. sound. As for Blackie, he’s obviously not the wild-eyed shock rocker from 1984 with the energy and enthusiam anymore.  But, then again, he is doing pretty solid for his age bracket.