Live Rebort by Christian Tallone

Due to hellish traffic on the bypass of Milan, we arrived at the Live Club only a few minutes before the performance of tonight’s opening act, our compatriots LUCKY BASTARDZ, started. To be honest, I didn’t know this band, but I was very impressed by them. Solid rhythm sections were precise, while the guitarist and the frontman took control of the stage in a remarkable way. Nine tracks were performed, taken from their third full length album. LUCKY BASTARDZ played energetically and with enthusiasm, and I hope this band will have a long and successful road ahead. From time to time the band was laughing and joking with the audience, while their crew crossed the stage, forming a little train. Excellent performance, and after their show, they joined the audience to enjoy the Legends who were to go on stage next… W.A.S.P.!

I hadn’t seen a W.A.S.P. show for three years, the last time was in 2012 at Alcatraz (Milan) when they opened for Megadeth. I must be honest, I wasn’t too excited about their show that night, also because they had only a short time available on stage, i.e. only nine songs played hastily and Blackie was not on top form. But after listening to their latest album “Golgotha”, I really started to believe in this band again!

But let’s get back to tonight… the show wasn’t sold out, though it was very close. Exactly on schedule, at ten o’clock, W.A.S.P. went on stage, with maxi-screens instead of the classic banners, showing their video clips, plus dazzling lights as a backdrop to a perfect performance. Blackie, the frontman and the only original member still present, was in perfect shape in every way, and he seemed to have found his voice again from the earlier years. The band was excellent on stage, the bass and drums seemed to be one, and guitarist Doug didn’t just play his part, but he was a real protagonist, a true monster on stage!
The crowd was wild and the hour long show soon passed by. In total there were 14 songs and medleys, including three from the latest album. I feel many nostalgic fans would have preferred to hear songs such as ‘Sleeping In The Fire’, or ‘Hold On To My Heart’, myself included, but the setlist was fair enough, of course promoting the new album. The sound was great and the atmosphere really exciting. A pity for those who missed this gem… tonight was also the last show in Italy on this tour, but to describe the performance of W.A.S.P. in two words: Fantastic and Timeless!

W.A.S.P. setlist November 6, 2015 (source: Setlist.fm)
– Intro
– On Your Knees / Inside the Electric Circus
– The Real Me (The Who cover)
– L.O.V.E. Machine
– Last Runaway
– Crazy
– The Titanic Overture
– Arena of Pleasure
– Miss You
– Thunderhead
– Hellion / I Don’t Need No Doctor
– Golgotha

Encore:
– Chainsaw Charlie (Murders in the New Morgue)
– Wild Child
– I Wanna Be Somebody

See the video-clip from Milan show HERE (courtesy of Live Club).