WASP- Should I Bother?

[Jay G]

I dig WASP. Got to see them in the very early days on a triple bill with Armored Saint and Metallica I believe on the Ride the Lightening tour. I could have the wrong triple bill tour as we used to see many of these types of shows at the Tower Theater. I remember the old Metal Shop program on WYSP in Philly playing them unedited all of the time and getting a shout out on the Animal album for being the only station to play their stuff. Also, saw them a few years later open for Sabbath with Ray Gillen (supposed to be Glen Hughes). Blackie would have both a COD piece that shot flames and also was a rotating saw blade. Still listen to them to this day as I think he has a really cool and unique voice. They still tour but rarely in the states. Blackie has long switched from bass to guitar when one of the original guitar players (Randy Piper I believe) left the band. Best WASP story ever is when Chris Holmes got pelted many years back with a full rump roast in response to them throwing raw meat on the fans. Of course who can forget a doped up drunken Holmes in his mothers pool in the Decline of the Western Civilization Pt2. One of the all time classic scenes.

As for great songs, lets not forget their great cover of Heaps Easy Livin.

[SteveSly]

Can't well all just hate Kiss, Wasp, and AC/DC equally? I do.

I still enjoy a lot of AC/DC. I’ve seen them live several times too and they never disappoint. I love prog, but sometimes I just need some straight up ballsy rock n roll, and AC / DC has always fit the bill. No hate here.

Steve Sly

[NogbadTheBad]

I still enjoy a lot of AC/DC. I’ve seen them live several times too and they never disappoint. I love prog, but sometimes I just need some straight up ballsy rock n roll, and AC / DC has always fit the bill. No hate here.

Steve Sly

That's me exactly.

[GuitarGeek]

. Best WASP story ever is when Chris Holmes got pelted many years back with a full rump roast in response to them throwing raw meat on the fans. Of course who can forget a doped up drunken Holmes in his mothers pool in the Decline of the Western Civilization Pt2. .

Yeah, Blackie said the audience members seemed to typically throw liver at them. The problem with that was that it was black and slick, so you couldn't see it if there a piece laying on the stage, and if you stepped on it, you were going down. I get the impression he ended up on his ass more than once because of that.

The thing about the whole raw meat thing is, it's ridiculous enough that the band was throwing raw meat at the audience. But even more mind boggling is that some of the audience members were smuggling raw meat of their own into the show to throw at the band!

[Banquo]

Yeah, Blackie said the audience members seemed to typically throw liver at them.

What a waste of perfectly good liver. I like mine with onion, potato and bacon.

[JIF]

I'd say no. This stuff is an IQ dropper.

They did do a bunch of concept albums. I see no difference between them, Mason, Cooper, and Zombie.

[Banquo]

There's no mention of it on his Wikipedia page, which of course doesn't actually prove anything. According to Wiki, Blackie was already playing professionally when he was 19, if not younger. Did major league baseball scout high school students back in those days?

Of course MLB scouts HS players, and sometimes younger. Kids get drafted right out of high school. This is nothing new. As far as Blackie is concerned, I think it's all a buncha made-up shit. No doubt he's a baseball fan, tho. There's other stuff out there that says he was in a street gang with Ace Frehley, growing up. Really? What kinda gang was that? The Apple Dumpling gang?

[JIF]

Of course MLB scouts HS players, and sometimes younger. Kids get drafted right out of high school. This is nothing new. As far as Blackie is concerned, I think it's all a buncha made-up shit. No doubt he's a baseball fan, tho. There's other stuff out there that says he was in a street gang with Ace Frehley, growing up. Really? What kinda gang was that? The Apple Dumpling gang?

I don't he said he was in a gang with Ace. He has said in interviews that he hung out with Ace when he was younger.

[Banquo]

I don't he said he was in a gang with Ace. He has said in interviews that he hung out with Ace when he was younger.

Take it for what it's worth...

http://www.spiritus-temporis.com/bla...biography.html

Incidentally, Blackie grew up on Staten Island, while Ace (5 years Blackie's senior) was raised in the Bronx. Now that might not seem strange, but it can be like two completely different worlds if you're from NY. I know people who grew up in Brooklyn who didn't see the Statue of Liberty until they were adults.

[GuitarGeek]

There's other stuff out there that says he was in a street gang with Ace Frehley, growing up. Really? What kinda gang was that? The Apple Dumpling gang?

Your point being what?! You think rock musicians are unlikely to have done time in a street gang? Or is it just that you have a hard time believing anyone from Kiss might have been in a street gang?!

I remember Ace saying in at least one interview back in the late 70's that a lot of his friends from high school were either dead or in prison.

As for Ace and Blackie, I think they've both said they hung out together back in the 70's. Not hard to imagine two musicians hanging out under whichever circumstances.

[Scorp]

I think a lot of people are judging them on their early shock rock image and are failing to give them a chance. The Crimson Idol and The Headless Children have so many prog elements, if it wasn't for the '80s/'Hair'/Shock rock image, proggers would be falling over themselves in praise.

Agreed I listened to them both so many times, I think they would surprise a lot of the knockers by how good they actually are.

[Banquo]

You think rock musicians are unlikely to have done time in a street gang? Or is it just that you have a hard time believing anyone from Kiss might have been in a street gang?!

I think Lemmy might've been in a gang. Ace & Blackie seem like lightweights to me.

I remember Ace saying in at least one interview back in the late 70's that a lot of his friends from high school were either dead or in prison.

I think a lot of people can say the same thing.

[JKL2000]

>WASP- Should I Bother?

Sure, they're definitely worth hating!

[Jefferson James]

Saw 'em opening for someone back in the mid-80s -- Krokus? -- and they were a blast. Everything a stoner rocker would want in a show - sparks, meat, saw blade codpieces, explosions, guitar solos, topless metal chicks. "Blind in Texas" still gets me up off the floor. Lost sight of the band somewhere around 1985.

[Wisdomview]

Saw 'em opening for someone back in the mid-80s -- Krokus? -- and they were a blast. Everything a stoner rocker would want in a show - sparks, meat, saw blade codpieces, explosions, guitar solos, topless metal chicks. "Blind in Texas" still gets me up off the floor. Lost sight of the band somewhere around 1985.

I saw them in the late '90s (my friend's band was an opener) at a dive. Not so cool.

[trurl]

I think even asking the question means you're a lost cause

[Heepster69]

I actually prefer Blackie Lawless' post 80's Wasp output more than the early stuff. -- The Neon God albums, Baylon....

[davis]

BL is a really good dancer and ham. I'm a huge fan of cult & b-movies, hence this video really appeals to me. the music I could take or leave, but I've heard much worse.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TsoLb-E7oy8

[luvyesmusic]

I'll take W.A.S.P. over Stryper any day.

[Progatron]

• I Don't Need No Doctor
• The Real Me (The Who cover -- I like W.A.S.P.'s version over The Who version)

"I Don't Need No Doctor" is also a cover. Hard to believe a band like that would do a song written by Ashford & Simpson!

I'll take W.A.S.P. over Stryper any day.

Same here, but that's not saying much is it?

[luvyesmusic]

Same here, but that's not saying much is it?

No, it's not. Both groups were/are at the bottom of the barrel for me.

[Progatron]

No, it's not. Both groups were/are at the bottom of the barrel for me.

I'll never forget when I was a young teenager, my friend who was a major Stryper fanatic trying to sell me on the band by playing me their 'metal' version of "Battle Hymn Of The Republic". CRINGE!

[SteveSly]

Saw them once as an opening act for Metallica. I never explored any further.

[TheLoony]

I have a blue vinyl single(slightly cracked) and three cd's(two are mini cd singles and aren't even big enough to be used as coasters) from Stryper. I can't get rid of them.

Back then I thought they were kinda cool. Kinda. But I was always looking for progressive type stuff, even though I didn't know of that word in regards to music until the 21'st century. I never had a chance as Las Vegas was a wasteland for prog other than the big however many there are. So Stryper never stood the test of time. Haven't listened to To Hell With The Devil in about 25 years.

As for WASP, I was told to check out that concept album but never had a chance. I never went looking for it either, as it's WASP. I never hated them but never really got them. Even back then, I thought they were sort of goofy.

Now that I think about it, pretty everyone got bit by the goofy bug in the '80's. Sammy Hagar/band were wearing red jumpsuits, Geddy had a squirrel on his head, Motley Crue, well, just existed(how the hell that happened...) - so really, what's a little blood and guts with a flaming codpiece?

[luvyesmusic]

I believe back in the day, a slightly "disturbed" friend of mine who tried to get me into Quiet Riot and then W.A.S.P. Wasp was all over Mtv. I believe I owned their first c.d. and I Want To Be Somebody is the best song they ever put out. It was a great song to blast and annoy folks and that was about it.

Another slightly "disturbed friend a.k.a my best friend who was a Mama-fearing, and God-fearing, so-called Christian boy on the other hand- who tried to convert me and get me away from the evil-music ( yeah, thank god for that, it scared a bunch of brain-washed folks who didn't see it as a farce, actually owned the first Stryper album and it was the "heaviest" thing he owned. I told him it was the shittiest music he owned as well. ;-) LOL okay, there was one good riff, albeit short, on the entire album. It also featured a backward phrase ( uuuwwww! ;-) ) and which Robert Sweet says, "Why are you looking for the Devil, when you should be looking for the Lord?" Lame as could be. These guys claimed they went to Sunday mass as well and there was a big ta-do when the bassist admitted he didn't actually go to church; lost some sales there. ;-) I remember reading that there was a so-called metal convention ( I believe it had something to do with the PMRC, parental warnings and some weak kids who killed themselves) and good ol Stryper, changed tables so they could sit next to king Diamond-again, very lame but a bit of publicity and more lameness.

I had a very disturbed, hearing voices, up the street, family friend invite me to a church presentation of the evils of Rock music one year. I drove myself and attended to see the joke. Pretty good slide show and had everything from the Eagles Hotel California to Iron Maiden along with just about anyone who had long hair. ;-) Outside after the presentation, I was sitting in my Z28 playing some Black Sabbath ( on eight-track) with the windows down ( one must have a balance ;-) ) in the church parking lot, minding my own business. Some young, brain-washed zealot pulls up to me and, what do you know?, decides to have a battle of the bands, right there and then. His choice of weapon, the very un-Godly, before-mentioned first Stryper album. Probably the biggest laugh I had had in a month at that time.