Formed in 1982 and enjoying their heyday terrorizing the '80s, W.A.S.P.'s aggressive dispatch on hard rock/heavy metal positioned them a universe away from their frequently maligned peers. Even though they too enshrined their faces in make up, precariously tottered around in thigh-high heels and backcombed their manes to gravity-defying standards, these Californians prevaricated the opprobrium from adherents of heavier metal that torrentially rained on the likes of Ratt, Motley Crue and Faster Pussycat. Why? Because instead of caterwauling about giving women love, these hedonists promulgated about how they would literally take it from presumably non-consenting females, accompanied by a significantly sinister and heavier sound than the aforementioned bands. With their name an acronym for 'we are sexual perverts', live shows involving saws and tossing raw meat into the audience, they were framed as the bad boys of America, an unrelenting parental anxiety, a paramount adversary to social issues advocate Tipper Gore when she crusaded against the crude themes glorified in the hard rock and heavy metal of the day.
Fast-forward to 2015 and the L.A. band has returned to London, their first sighting in the capital since 2012,on the verge of the release of new album 'Golgotha' – album number 15. The setting of choice is the somewhat out-of-the-way Troxy, a venue that feels almost too clean and sophisticated to house the madmen in W.A.S.P. The site is far from rammed but it is certainly busy as the amassed eagerly await the appearance of the Californian hell raisers.
Following an intro tape of an effective medley compiled of W.A.S.P. favourites, the four-piece explode on stage with a three-way of 'On Your Knees', 'Inside the Electric Circus' and their cover of The Who's 'The Real Me' played back-to-back, although curiously, the first two tracks have had their solos stricken from them but their dark and raw guitar riffs still enforce a delectable start to the night. Vocalist, guitarist and sole original member Blackie Lawless is one of the very scarce '80s hard rock singers whose gritty voice remains untouched since his early days and he is a charismatic individual on stage for a 59 year old. Flanked by bassist Mike Duda and Doug Blair both displaying copious amounts of enthusiasm, the hard rockers cannot be accused of merely staring at their instruments and playing.
They raid through fan favourites like 'L.O.V.E. Machine' (with a less than flawless rendition of its solo), and 'Hellion' in addition to forthcoming 'Golgotha' material 'The Last Runaway', 'Miss You' and the nearly eight minute long title track, palatable hard rock albeit unremarkable as the audience's subdued reaction to this new material documents. Conversely, the crowd near the front is shook up as some of the more popular W.A.S.P. selections uncharacteristically elicit a mosh pit, a sign of the legends' popularity among a more youthful demographic. Each song is coloured by three backing screens showing clips from the corresponding videos or complimentary imagery, backlighting the band members. After the title track of 'Golgotha', Lawless bids the attendees good night before swiftly departing from the stage.
The audience is bemused at the short set, certainly too early in the night for an encore. To exacerbate irritation, the enthusiastic chants of the headliners' name submit to frustration as they take an unacceptable amount of time to return on stage. When they do, a rendition of 'Chainsaw Charlie' is tossed to the ravenous fans, a lengthy epic with intriguing drum work and dramatic guitars. However, resentment returns again when the band leaves a second time following the song's end. Another drawn-out wait expires before W.A.S.P. reclaim the stage with a crowd-satisfying one-two punch of the vulnerable croons of 'Wild Child' and the energetic 'I Wanna Be Somebody' before sincerely finishing their duty.
For an act with such an elongated career, it would have been far more appropriate to hear more songs, particularly the missed opportunity to substitute the frequently heard covers 'I Don't Need No Doctor' and 'The Real Me' for their superior originals. The lack of staple 'Blind in Texas' certainly ruffled some feathers among the fans and the show was not immaculate but for a ripe evening of heavy metal nostalgia, W.A.S.P. certainly ticked the box.
FUTURE GIGS
sorry, we currently have no gigs listed for this act.