This
theatrical shock-rock troupe was formed in 1982 in Los Angeles,
USA; their name was apparently an acronym of We Are Sexual Perverts.
Outrageous live performances included throwing raw meat into the
audience and the whipping of a naked woman tied to a "torture
rack" as a backdrop to a primitive metal attack. The band,
formed by singer Blackie Lawless (b. 4 September 1956, Staten
Island, New York, USA; ex- New York Dolls, Sister) with guitarists
Chris Holmes (b. 23 June 1961) and Randy Piper and drummer Tony
Richards, were snapped up by Capitol Records, who then refused
to release their debut single, the infamous "Animal (F**k
Like A Beast)", on legal advice. It was subsequently licensed
to independent labels. W.A.S.P. was an adequate basic metal debut,
although it lacked "Animal", while The Last Command,
with new drummer Steve Riley, consolidated W.A.S.P.'s status with
a more refined approach, producing the excellent "Wild Child"
and "Blind In Texas". W.A.S.P. became a major US concert
draw, albeit with a stage show much toned down from the early
days. Inside The Electric Circus in 1986 continued in this vein,
and saw the debut of bass player Johnny Rod (ex- King Kobra ),
with Lawless (up to this point the bassist) replacing Piper on
rhythm guitar, while live shows saw Lawless' trademark buzzsaw-bladed
codpiece replaced by a remarkable flame-throwing version.
Live ... In The Raw was a decent live set, but once again lacked
"Animal", which remained the centrepiece of W.A.S.P.'s
repertoire. That song, and the band's outrageous approach, made
them a constant target for the American organisation PMRC, whom
Lawless successfully sued for unauthorized use of copyrighted
material. As Lawless became a tireless free speech campaigner,
he moved the band towards a serious stance on The Headless Children,
with Quiet Riot drummer Frankie Banali replacing the L.A. Guns
-bound Riley. The socio-political and anti-drug commentary was
backed by vivid imagery in the live setting, but Holmes departed
after the tour, the split catalyzed by his drunken appearance
in the movie The Decline And Fall Of Western Civilisation Part
II: The Metal Years. Lawless used session musicians to record
The Crimson Idol, a Who -influenced concept effort, and toured
with Rod, Doug Blair (guitar) and Stet Howland (drums). In 1993,
he announced the end of W.A.S.P. after compiling the First Blood
... Last Cuts retrospective. His solo album, Still Not Black Enough,
was nevertheless issued under the W.A.S.P. name. The album featured
studio guitarist Bob Kulick, who also appeared on The Crimson
Idol. Lawless reunited with Holmes in 1996 and elected to carry
on recording and touring as W.A.S.P. Following 1997's forgettable
Kill, Fuck, Die, which featured new bass player Mike Duda, the
release of the concert set Double Live Assassins served as a timely
reminder that the band remains a potent live act. Unholy Terror,
meanwhile, proved the band was still capable of producing quality
work in the studio.
