W.A.S.P. were some of the really bad bands in the 80s, with songs like Animal (Fuck Like a Beast), Helldorado, Chainsaw Charlie, Dirty Balls, plus live shows with blood and porn. They were banned in many countries, but now the scandals are gone, and Blackie Lawless has found God.
Wednesday night they played at a sold out Rockefeller Music Hall in Oslo, and the sing-a-long factor was high. I didn’t see the whole concert, so I can’t write a review of the concert, but I liked what I saw. To me they sounded like a good and very capable heavy rock band with lots of good songs. When the blood and gore is gone, the songs are what remains, and many of them are still strong.
The stage setting was quite modest, with three backdrops with their 30 year slogan and the circular saw, the same that Doug Blair has on his guitar. Two of the backdrops were also video screens, where they projected their old videos. Blacky Lawless, the only founding member of the band, had a riser so he stood above the others, but except for that and the videos, their stage show was quite moderate. Here are some pictures from the concert.
All the pictures are © Per Ole Hagen, and must not be used without written permission.