W.A.S.P.
This theatrical shock-rock troupe emerged from the early '80s Los Angeles club scene with a name which was allegedly an acronym for We Are Sexual Perverts (as opposed to the traditional demographic nomenclature of White Anglo Saxon Protestant). 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, led by bassist/vocalist Blackie Lawless (b. 4 September 1956) with guitarists Chris Holmes (b. 23 June 1961) and Randy Piper and drummer Tony Richards, were snapped up by Capitol, who then refused to release their debut single, the infamous Animal (Fuck 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 Stephen 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 stageshow much toned down from the early days. INSIDE THE ELECTRIC CIRCUS continued in this vein, and saw the debut of bassist Johnny Rod (ex-King Kobra), with Lawless 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 (Fuck Like A Beast), 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 PMRC, whom Lawless successfully sued for unauthorised 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 of what was W.A.S.P.'s best album was backed by vivid imagery in the live setting, but Holmes departed after the tour, the split catalysed by his drunken appearance in 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), but went solo after compiling the FIRST BLOOD…LAST CUTS retrospective.