W.A.S.P.
F**k Like A Beast In Tokyo

A name, that of W.A.S.P., that in the '80s had only one meaning, danger. Eternal students of Alice Cooper's shows, W.A.S.P. managed to bring the theatricality level of the former's shows, if possible, to an even more exaggerated level. Women on the torture wheel, fake throat-slittings, knife throwing, fresh meat and guts cut on stage and then thrown at the audience along with feathers, meals of worms, drinking fake blood from skulls, chainsaw games, and more. All conceived by the unhealthy mind of Steve Duren, aka Blackie Lawless, the same person who would later contribute to writing masterpieces like "The Crimson Idol" (1992) and "Unholy Terror" (2001), but that is another story.

" I have always been bored to death by bands that got on stage in t-shirts and jeans and stood still the entire evening. Damn, the audience would have had more fun staying home listening to the album in the comfort of their living room. I'd rather be dead than be on stage like that. What I can say is that if you think you've already seen crazy things, give us time and you won't believe your eyes." A more than plausible explanation then, that of Lawless, to create a band that would not be a carbon copy of those gone. The idea of creating a band that would make a mark, that would give future groups a run for their money, and most importantly, that would leave the audience wide-eyed after the show ended, with their hair standing on end, and with adrenaline still coursing through their veins.

After the release of their self-titled album, W.A.S.P. embarked on a gigantic world tour, shocked themselves first by the more than positive responses their album kept churning out. Even though they were hampered by the P.M.R.C., who repeatedly denounced the scandalous behavior of the band members, their brazenness, their scabrous performances, placing the song "Animal (Fuck You Like A Beast)" on the Filthy Fifteen list, W.A.S.P. did not give up and continued on their path, earning more and more deserved success.

Less than two and a half months later, the first live testimony from overseas, titled "F**k Like A Beast In Tokyo", was released, summarizing in 11 tracks all the strengths of these stage beasts. It is often said that for bands that make theatricality their strong point, music and melody don't exist, but this live performance is the exact proof that they are wrong.

It's impossible to remain impassive in the face of the power of tracks like "Hellion" or the eternally enduring "On Your Knees", where Lawless's grating voice dominates, drowned out by the audience's screams and the pummeling behind the drums by that damned Tony Richards. If you're romantics, don't worry, there's also "Sleeping (In The Fire)", which with its slow and melancholic pace will slowly hypnotize you. True warhorses of the band, as well as devastating live, are "I Wanna Be Somebody", with great involvement from the fans, and the already mentioned "Animal (Fuck Like A Beast)". Showing the more catchy side of W.A.S.P. instead is "L.O.V.E. Machine", with excellent bass work by Lawless.

All this in less than an hour of performance, seasoned with an almost sulfurous atmosphere, which will be almost annoying on the first listening attempts, but which will manage to immerse you in the world of W.A.S.P., a band that for a good half of the '80s set the rules in the U.S. music scene, forcefully establishing themselves in a place where too many people still demanded that concerts be clean affairs, a nice performance, well-ironed clothes, a chat with the audience, and lots of goodbyes. No sir. What will happen after 1989 for W.A.S.P. will be history, but what happened in the years before will be difficult to forget. And even with a live of 11 tracks, it is still possible today to relive those great emotions.