Concert Review
W.A.S.P.
Armored Saint
Stage AE
Pittsburgh, PA
Wednesday November 20, 2024
Review/Photos: Joseph Suto
The idea was put out there for the band to play the debut album in its entirety. Leader Blackie Lawless welcomed the idea but was going to go about it differently until he was told he needed to play the album in order start to finish. He mentioned the band have never opened with “I Wanna Be Somebody” and was not too keen on that until someone mentioned would Zeppelin open Led Zeppelin 4 with “Stairway To Heaven”? That’s the beauty of the concert experience. Lawless and company delivered the best performance I have seen of theirs to date.
The band is a solid unit with guitarist Doug Blair and his scorching solos leading the way. Bassist Mike Duda has been aboard since 1995 as he and drummer Aquiles Priester make up a solid rhythm section. Make no mistake however that the man with the vision vocalist Blackie Lawless has always been the man in charge. Lawless has written many gems that seem to have become more popular as time goes by. Although “Hold On To My Heart”, “Miss You” and “Golgotha” were missing from the set, one listen to those songs will tell you all you need to know about Lawless.
The main selling point for this tour was the fact for the first time in forty years the band was playing the full debut. Not parts of songs or medley’s but all of each tune. Hearing such golden rarities as “Sleeping In The Fire”, “The Flame” and “Hellion” was all you had to tell me to sell me on it. Throw in “School Daze” and “B.A.D.” for good measure and it definitely takes you back in time when many of the crowd first heard the band.
After the debut the band went through a medley of songs beginning with the title track of its maligned third album as well as The Who cover ‘The Real Me”. I could have done without the covers for a track or two from Golgotha but who wouldn’t. The double barreled ending of “Wild Child” And “Blind In Texas” put an exclamation point on the evening.
I am not sure what the future holds for the band. Blackie did say this would probably be the first and last time they play the full debut but that leaves the door open for other possibilities. Where the band goes from here it is not clear but they have made many happy to be able to experience this fine album in a live setting. Hopefully a new album as 2025 it will become ten years sine the last proper studio release.
Set List
I Wanna Be Somebody
L.O.V.E. Machine
The Flame
B.A.D.
School Daze
Hellion
Sleeping (in the Fire)
On Your Knees
Tormentor
The Torture Never Stops
The Big Welcome (Tape)
Inside the Electric Circus / I Don’t Need No Doctor / Scream Until You Like It
The Real Me
Forever Free / The Headless Children
Wild Child
Blind in Texas
More W.A.S.P. info
Tour dates https://www.waspnation.com/tour
VIP Tickets and Info https://waspnation.myshopify.com
