The final leg of the current W.A.S.P tour hit London before heading out to mainland Europe, where four new dates had been added to the list. “It was very important that we reschedule the previously cancelled show in Italy,” Blackie Lawless said. “So while we were doing that, we thought, let’s just add a few more new shows since WASPnation has been going nuts for the Album ONE Alive tour.” Joining W.A.S.P. tonight were the awesome Armored Saint.
W.A.S.P. – Armored Saint
Eventim Apollo, London – 28 September 2025
Words: Paul Monkhouse
Photography: Steve Ritchie
W.A.S.P. may have been the underdogs when they first set out forty-three years ago, a snarling band of brothers who had an edge that few of their hairspray-intoxicated contemporaries could match.
Mixing muscle with melody, there was always something feral about the quartet, the crazed and bloodthirsty look of frontman Blackie Lawless enough to convince all but the most casual of observers that this was a combo to be reckoned with.
A lot of water has gone under the bridge since then, but for those crowded into the legendary halls of arguably the greatest rock ‘n’ roll venue in the country, the chance to see W.A.S.P. in full flight was not to be missed.
Billed as the Album One Alive tour, this was the opportunity to hear their debut in full and in chronological order, a chance to display that their incendiary first outing still has the power to thrill the same way it did when the nascent outfit released it originally.
Whilst throwing raw meat into the audience and whipping partially clad women tied to stocks may be a thing of the past, the sense of showmanship and visuals was still very much intact.
The famed Elvis mic stand, huge video screens and twisted funfair backdrops, along with Lawless’s penchant for buzzsaw blade wristbands, all added their own sensory impact that matched the visceral blast of the music.
As I Wanna Be Somebody kicked off the set, a sea of pumping fists was raised in salute, the masses lustily singing along. The euphoria rolled on for L.O.V.E. Machine as Lawless snarled while Doug Blair tore stinging solos from his frets.
There is still very much a wildness here that has not been blunted by time, but the intervening years have given space for a re-evaluation and numbers like The Flame and Sleeping (In The Fire) ring out loud and clear as anthemic and hook-filled arena-ready giants.
All the while, the original promo videos flashed across the screens behind them, the MTV era visuals wrapped in cinematic storytelling as the quartet tore into each number with an almost indecent pleasure, finishing with the album’s Hammer Horror Metal of The Torture Never Stops, Lawless shouted “goodnight,” the band trooping off the stage.
Soon emerging, the much-extended encore hit all the key songs yet unplayed, starting with a medley of Inside The Electric Circus / I Don’t Need No Doctor / Scream Until You Like It before the familiar intro to their take on The Who’s The Real Me took things up to another level.
Big rock ballad Forever Free captures those airbrushed ’80s Glam Metal yearnings perfectly, but now seems a little dated, as much as it’s doubtlessly loved by many. A scorching run-through of The Headless Children more than restores the balance, the World War Two newsreel footage playing behind the band full of chilling images.
With a rambunctious Wild Child and Blind In Texas drawing the night to a close as the Union flag flew behind them on the screen, W.A.S.P. took their bows, safe in the knowledge that despite their long time out there, they still have not lost any of their sting.
Armored Saint
Opening, Thrash legends Armored Saint found their fortunes more mixed and whilst technical issues [not their fault] caused a very irritated John Bush to throw silent microphones down on the stage, they are nothing but fighters and were determined to give their all.
Things started perfectly with a titanic double punch of March Of The Saint and End Of The Attention Span, the band showing the class and enthusiasm that put them at the forefront of the Los Angeles Metal scene back in 1982.
When the vocal mic cut out just as they were starting Long Before I Die, the band steamrollered on regardless, and whilst Bush was out for blood, this anger was channelled into their performance, the fury translating into blistering performances that saw them push harder and faster.
The night was obviously an extremely important one for them, and following an epic Last Train Home, when the vocalist declared, “everyone’s dream was to play Hammersmith Odeon, and after forty years Armored Saint are playing the Hammersmith Odeon.”
The passion and pride were obvious to all to see.
Guitarists Jeff Duncan and Phil Sandoval were equally as thrilled. Their twin fretwork and duelling solos brought a razor-sharp intensity as the longstanding rhythm section of Joey Vera and Gonzo Sandoval drove the beast along with a locomotive heft.
Finishing in blistering form, Reign Of Fire saw the quintet go out on a high, and despite the problems, their set assured they will return to this hallowed stage and next time deserve to headline in their own right. 
Two bands, each with many years of making music that could destroy city blocks and still at the top of their game. Forget the posers and the preeners, this is what Metal is about.
