L.A. metal pioneers Blackie Lawless and W.A.S.P. are in Nottingham on the ‘Album ONE Alive!’ tour, turning back the clock 40 years with a performance of their landmark debut album in full.
I last caught W.A.S.P. at O2 Academy, Bristol in 2023, and while that was more of a career-spanning celebration, tonight is about the raw energy and attitude of the first record. Not only getting the full front-to-back treatment it deserves, this will be a reminder of why the band forged their own path and hooked so many metalheads in the first place.
Air raid sirens blare, and the band walk onstage with their backs to the crowd. Blackie stands tall, with arms raised to heighten the anticipation, before Aquiles Priester lets loose a rapid snare blast to launch ‘I Wanna Be Somebody’. The place erupts and every chorus line is belted back at Blackie for him to soak up. Rock City isn’t just packed tonight – it’s a full-blown W.A.S.P.’s nest.
Following on as expected: ‘L.O.V.E. Machine’, ‘The Flame’, and ‘B.A.D.’ make way for Blackie to explain the difficulty of playing the album in chronological order and starting with ‘I Wanna Be Somebody’. He acknowledges the oddness of opening with the anthemic fan favourite, but the crowd here really don’t care – they’re just stoked by the Pledge of Allegiance, before erupting once again into the juvenile delinquency of ‘School Daze’.
‘Hellion’ encourages a crowd clap-along, before the emotional ‘Sleeping (In the Fire)’ becomes a highlight. Doug Blair closing with a searing, extended solo, which gently teases in the opening riff of Sabbath’s ‘Paranoid’. It’s a subtle, respectful nod to Ozzy and lands with real weight. Less really does feel like more.
Hearing these songs live inevitably brings flashes of the original line-up – Lawless, Holmes, Piper, and Richards – etched into memory from that era. Their stamp is all over the album, and while tonight’s band is a different machine, the spirit of that first incarnation still lingers in every riff. The stage design remains unchanged from the last outing: a circus sideshow aesthetic, with screened archive clips and visuals that amplify the atmosphere.
Playing the album tracks in order was needed on this tour, but Blackie still reminds us that ‘On Your Knees’ has been the band’s opener for 40 years. It still hits like one too, with bassist Mike Duda trading chorus vocals – a dynamic that gives the song even more punch. As ‘Tormentor’ and ‘The Torture Never Stops’ bring the album tracks to a close, Blackie commands the stage, focused and in control, proving his band can still deliver these classics with real power.
While I’m still beaming at the conclusion of ‘Album ONE Alive!’ the crowd are whisked into two energetic medleys: first, a mix of ‘Inside the Electric Circus’, ‘I Don’t Need No Doctor’, and ‘Scream Until You Like It’, followed by a second blending: ‘The Real Me’, ‘Forever Free’, and ‘The Headless Children’. Both spark fresh energy and set the stage for the night’s final anthems.
‘Wild Child’ kicks off with Blackie asking for help, drawing the crowd into a quiet first verse and chorus before the band storm in full force. They finish with ‘Blind in Texas’ – loud, loose, and full of swagger, before the frontman works both sides of the stage, saluting the crowd, and climbing atop “Elvis” – the King of all mic stands – for one last triumphant pose.
The full ‘W.A.S.P.’ album experience is exactly what I, and many others, came for. With Blackie’s live vocal, some clever backing, and a bit of reinforcement, each track has force and bite. The mix and sound are on the money, and the delivery relentless. If this tour really is the last time the debut gets played in full, W.A.S.P. are making sure it counts. The band doesn’t just do the debut justice – they make it roar all over again.
Review & Photography: Steve Johnston
