9 minute read
WASP
from Highwire Daze #145
by highwiredaze
Blackie Lawless of WASP
Photo by Jack Lue
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Forty Infamous Years of the Almighty W.A.S.P.
Interview by Ken Morton - Live Photos by Jack Lue
The legendary W.A.S.P. is currently on the road celebrating 40 years of sonic infamy. This would include a stop at The Grove Of Anaheim, where W.A.S.P. was greeted by a sold out crowd. After the show, Highwire Daze caught up with the one and only Blackie Lawless to discuss an absolutely brilliant and almighty career in music. Read on...
How has the W.A.S.P. 40th Anniversary Tour been going and what have been some of the highlights?
It’s been like a big reunion party so far, and the enthusiasm coming from the crowd is spectacular.
What goes through your mind at the mention of there being a 40th Anniversary of anything?
Well, I was telling somebody the other day that October 30th – the day before Halloween – was the 40th Anniversary of Armored Saint and W.A.S.P. playing their first show together at The Troubadour. Now for one band to last more than four years is amazing – to make it 40 years is unheard of. For two bands to be having their 40th anniversary playing together again on the same night 40 years later – I’ve never heard of that happening before. The planets have to aligned for that to happen.
You recently had a show out here at The Grove Of Anaheim. How did that one go and how surprised were you that it was sold out?
Well, it sold out in less than 24 hours. And it’s the dedication of this fan base, because what happened – about three years ago the fan base starting petitioning promoters around the country. And because of social media, they were able to get a strong base together. And it really wasn’t hundreds of them – it was thousands of them. And quite honestly, I’ve never seen a fan base do that before for any band ever. So it’s remarkable. what we think the people would like to see. There’s three videos that go on behind us simultaneously – and in some of them you’ll see what were promo videos from the original sources. But also there’s a thing where when we do the song Animal, you’ll see the PMRC hearings that went on in Washington DC, because that is historical. We hadn’t played that song in so long, and we wanted a way to showcase it that had what we felt was a real meaning. And the idea that that song was originally a part of that list of what was called The Filthy 15 and the dog and pony show that surrounded the PMRC hearings. We thought it was the perfect way to showcase this. So that, in addition to behind us, you see all the other things we had been doing for 40 years – with the blood and the meat and all that stuff. It’s a true retrospective. But in addition to that, you see this giant circus banner. You’ll walk in, it looks like – and it smells like – you’ve walked into the midway of a carnival. What we do is we set up fog machines that go around the room, and we have one scent that’s cotton candy and another one that’s fresh baked popcorn. No one we know of has ever done this before. These giant circus banners – they’re 16 feet high and they go all the way across the stage – and it looks like you’ve stepped into this gigantic 1930’s midway or carnival. We’re taking an arena sized show into theaters and it looks gargantuan when we go into these places.
The first time I interviewed you was for the KFD album. When you look back on that album and time in your career – and I believe that was also Mike Duda’s first album with you – what do you think of it now in retrospect?
KFD was probably the most creative and inventive record I’ve ever made. Listening to it now – I thought it was good when we did it – but it was even better than I gave it credit for. It was one of those records that kind of got lost in the shuffle of our career. But again, I know, without a doubt, as far as imagery and creativity, there’s no record we’ve ever done that’s better than that one.
What could local fans expect when you come back out to Southern California and play The Wiltern Theater on December 11th?
It’s a combination of everything we’ve learned in these four decades – and we’re trying to put a sampling together of
I agree – I love that record too. Now Mike Duda has been with you since 1996 and debuted on the album. What do you think has made you and Mike work so well together after all of this time? And is he on this tour?
Yeah – he and Doug Blair who is also still here – are the
longest tenured members other than myself that’s been in this band.
What do you think makes the three of you work so well together as a unit after all of this time?
Certainly chemistry. But I mean you’re talking about serious, serious musicianship. These guys are world class.
Since we are on the subject of anniversaries, let’s talk about a few anniversaries of a few of the W.A.S.P. albums in your catalog. In 1992, you recorded and released an album called The Crimson Idol. Wen you look back on the album from 30 years ago, what do you think of it now in retrospect?
Well I said KFD was probably the most inventive record. The Idol is the one I’m most proud of. I think it’s proven that it will stand the test of time – and it’s the one that’s probably the most near and dear to me.
And now we’re going to go back 20 years to 2002 – another anniversary album called Dying For The World. What are your thoughts on the album now?
There are some tracks on there that are pretty good. One of the things that we were trying to do – and I don’t know if we’re going to be able to do it on this tour or not. There was a song on there called Trail Of Tears – and we have done it, and we have the video for it that will go behind us – but there’s a lot of moving parts to this show, and I don’t know if we’re going to be able to do it on this tour or not. We wanted to try and settle in and get the first week or so under our belt, and then we’re going to start trying other ideas – because the show we’re doing right now is designed to change from night to night, but we’re still only a week into it, and we’re trying to get our feet firmly planted before we start getting real adventurous.
Being a born again Christian – and looking back on your old songs and censorship, would you defend any forms of metal today as you did back in the days of the PMRC and Tipper Gore? Metal has changed and expanded quite a lot these days.
First of all, I wouldn’t go as far to say that I defended every style. Someone would have to give me specific examples, but I would say this. That any form of speech – and for me this is what this is about – if you’re talking about somebody doing some really heinous acts in a song, no I can’t support that. But the concept of speaking about it – that’s a different issue. Whether I like an idea – that’s my personal opinion – or anyone’s personal opinion. But the ability to verbalize it – that should be allowed at any cost. Because this whole idea of censorship rears it’s head about every 20 years – and we’re in it right now – with what social media has been doing. This goes back to – I can’t remember if it was Aristotle who said talking about the Greeks – “He who controls the speech controls the people.” So this has been going on forever. It’s nothing new – but the idea of defending the concept of free speech – which is the reason why it is the First Ammendent that we have. Few things are more important than that.
Is there any new W.A.S.P. music on the horizon?
Not that I would really want to go into right now, because we’re so deep into this tour – that’s what we’re concentrating on.
And do you have any messages for W.A.S.P. fans who are reading this right now?
We hope that they would join us in this celebration of this 40th Anniversary, because we’re only going to ever get one of these. And for people that have been real fans for this lifelong trip that we’ve been on, we would hope they could be a part of it and really enjoy it!
Be sure to catch W.A.S.P. at The Wiltern on December 11th!
-Tony F. Corpse (Post Mortem Superstar, Black Heroin Gallery) “Super bad ass!!!” - Malina Moye (Billboard 100 Chart-Topping Recording Artist) “Getting Christian Death vibes!!!” -Jude Croxford (Sky Pig)
“If this song was a man, I’d marry it!!!”
-Gina Vamp (Gina Vamp Music)
-Matthew Bowers (Poet, The Calling) Air-Ik’s ‘Call Me’ feels like a silent screaming slow-burn in a cinematic darker atmosphere!” - Punk Head (thepunkhead.com)
-Glenn Lee Alan Davis (Gen X Bros. Podcast)
“Perfection!!!” -Chris Wilson (The Mistakes)
“This version is supurb! Air-Ik does it again! -Jason Elkins (Film maker, comdedian)
“This needs to be in a movie!!!”
-John Orlando (The Flushing Queens) “Sounds very natural and right up
Air-Ik’s alley!” - Mike Dunn (Sweet Poison)
“This is one of the best Blondie covers out there. This take on it is absolutely
