W.A.S.P. Book 40th Anniversary U.S. Tour With Armored Saint

W.A.S.P. will be touring the United States for the first time in a decade this fall as the group, led by guitarist and singer Blackie Lawless, celebrates their 40th anniversary with Armored Saint in tow for the 28 stops.

Formed in 1982, W.A.S.P. came up amid the red hot Los Angeles glam rock/metal scene and stirred up plenty of controversy in their early days, notoriously throwing chunks of raw meat into the crowd. And then there was the whole buzzsaw codpiece Lawless was rather fond of.

The band's sound later branched and they discarded the more shocking elements of their stage show as the lyrical approach became more serious, especially on the standout records The Headless Children (1989) and The Crimson Idol (1992), which distanced themselves from the sleazier themes of old.

Lawless temporarily broke the band up for brief periods in the late '80s and early '90s, but W.A.S.P. has since remained active since 1995 amid numerous lineup changes and last released Golgotha in 2015.

Making an abundance of references to the W.A.S.P. catalog, Lawless said of the upcoming tour, "For over 10 years we have not toured on U.S. soil. But starting Oct. 29th, 2022… we return. 10 years I’d want, 10 years I’ve cussed, 10 years I’d lust to return…. To my home land… and be a Wild Child, a Love Machine, to be Blind in Texas, On Your Knees and Headless. So join me and the band, and very special guests Armored Saint, as we celebrate W.A.S.P 40th Anniversary Tour… Back in the U.S…. Back to the Beginning. I’m gonna scream, cause I wanna feed, cause I wanna bleed, cause I Wanna Be Somebody. W.A.S.P. 40th Anniversary Tour… Back in the US…. Back to the Beginning."

Armored Saint frontman John Bush added, "Armored Saint is totally pumped to be the special guest on the upcoming 40th anniversary tour of W.A.S.P. This tour will take us back to our fond memories of sharing the stage together with W.A.S.P. at the Troubadour in Hollywood where it all began in 1982. We're also excited to be playing tunes from our last record, Punching The Sky, since we haven't done any shows since its release in 2020. Old schoolers, I expect you there! New schoolers, we want you there! It's gonna be a blast!"

The tour stretches from Oct. 29 through Dec. 9 and all the dates can be seen below. Guitar legend Michael Schenker will also join the trek for a few dates in early November, so check listings carefully.

Tickets go on sale on Jan 14 at 3PM here.

W.A.S.P. 40th Anniversary Tour Dates With Armored Saint

Oct. 29 – Anaheim, Calif. @ The Grove
Oct. 30- Tempe, Ariz. @ Marquee Theater
Oct. 31 – Albuquerque, N.M. @ Sunshine Theater
Nov. 02 – Houston, Texas @ White Oak Music Hall *
Nov. 03 – Corpus Christi, Texas @ Concrete Street *
Nov. 04 – San Antonio, Texas @ Eaton Arena *
Nov. 05 – Dallas, Texas @ Bomb Factory *
Nov. 09 – Tulsa, Okla. @ Tulsa Theater *
Nov. 09 – Milwaukee, Wis. @ Pabst Theater
Nov. 10 – Ashwaubenon, Wis. @ EPIC Event Center
Nov. 11 – Detroit, Mich. @ Harpo's
Nov. 12 – Cleveland, Ohio @ Agora Theater
Nov. 13 – Pittsburgh, Pa. @ Palace Theater
Nov. 16 – Boston, Mass. @ Big Night Live
Nov. 17 – Montclair, N.J. @ Wellmont Theater
Nov. 18 – Huntington, N.Y. @ Paramount Theater
Nov. 19 – Jim Thorpe, Pa. @ Penn's Peak
Nov. 20 – Glenside, Pa. @ Keswick Theater
Nov. 23 – Nashville, Tenn. @ Ryman Auditorium
Nov. 25 – Atlanta, Ga. @ Buckhead Theater
Nov. 26 – Orlando, Fla. @ Plaza Live
Nov. 29 – Leesburg, Va. @ Tally Ho Theater
Nov. 30 – Columbus, Ohio @ The King Of Clubs
Dec. 02 – St Charles, Ill. @ Arcada Theater
Dec. 03 – St Charles, Ill. @ Arcada Theater
Dec. 05 – Denver, Colo. @ Oriental Theater
Dec. 07 – Reno, Nev. @ Grand Sierra Theater
Dec. 09 – San Francisco, Calif. @ The Regency

* with Michael Schenker