WASP / Rain @ Z7 Pratteln
11.11.2017 Re-Idolized Tour 2017, Z7 Pratteln Switzerland
Wet and cold Swiss weather, but the upcoming show at Z7 tonight warms my heart, my Nr 1 band: W.A.S.P. And a special show, as they have been touring to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the The Crimson Idol album, for many fans their best. In my opinion it has the best ballads, like «Hold on to my Heart» or «The Idol», in my opinion the best Rock ballads ever.
Z7 is sold out, but first Rain from Italy warm up the crowd. Although the band has been active since the 80s, I have never heard of them. And I was surprised to hear about their long history, because their music does not sound like 80s Rock. The audience seems to struggle with warming up to their pretty modern sound, although they did a good job on stage and their music is pretty good. But it doesn’t fit to W.A.S.P., which is a pity as Rain sound pretty promising.
After a long changeover you can hear the first notes of «The Titanic Overture» and Blackie Lawless & Co enter the stage. They play all the stuff from «The Invisible Boy» to «Chainsaw Charlie» and the abovementioned ballads to «The Great Misconceptions of me», indeed all the songs of the album. Huge screens in the background show clips from a W.A.S.P. movie that should have been released back then with the concept album and which finally should be released soon. During the «The Crimson Idol» Set Bassist Mike Duda and Guitarrist Doug Blair hold back and also Blackie does not address the audience. The program is pulled through, intense and a bit emotional too. After 45 min the band leaves and has people waiting a bit before they return and deliver their encores, as a treat for a crowd that has followed every note and sang along. WASP go into overdrive, as usual, with «L.O.V.E Machine», and Blackie even smiles about the crowd taking over the singing part. «Wild Child», «Golgotha» and «I wanna Be Somebody» follow before W.A.S.P leave the stage after a grandiose concert with a great set list that surely made their fans happy.
