WASP // Album One Alive World Tour 2025 // Tailgunner // The Telegraph Building // Belfast

Here we are tonight celebrating one of Rock and Metal’s finest Blackie Lawless and WASP, just a few days after the announcement of the passing of Ozzy Osborne. It does bring it home when you stand in front of a stage of a legacy act that has brought so much to the Rock and Metal arena over the years. For me, that means living in the moment, appreciating every opportunity you have to be here, sharing in a community of music lovers, of the best kind of music too, Rock and Metal is a way of life for so many, beyond a genre. It is a journey we take that lasts a lifetime, that shapes the very essence of who you are and what you will surround you with for as long as you walk this fragile eart. Tonight is a celebration of everything glorious about this genre, the flamboyance, the theatrics, the passion and the live experience. This will be no exception, for many a cathartic experience and a trip down memory lane as we open ourselves up to a barrage from one of the best in the business.

In support, we have UK anarchists Tailgunner, a frenetic ball of energy that we have previously caught in Belfast supporting Michael Schenker (I Think), these guys and Doll are a tornado of energy, they will whip the Telegraph crowd into submission, well ready for WASP. They have an old-school charm about them all wrapped up in a youthful package. Boundless energy like young pups let loose for the first time, they hit the stage and command it like any god rock star should. Two blistering guitar players, a killer vocalist and a solid backline lay waste to The Telegraph stage in an assault on the senses to prep one and all for the mighty WASP and what could be their last time in our city. Tailgunner are a band that just makes you smile and enjoy the ride. If you love your metal fast and furious, then these guys deliver in spades. You can tell by the roar of approval each time a song finishes that Belfast loves what they see and will have them back anytime! As Tailgunner wrap up their set with the title track of their new album, Belfast goes wild with approval – they hit their mark and made that short but sweet set all their own! Quality from start to finish, this is everything you want from an up-and-coming band that lives and breathes rock ’n’ roll!

Cometh the hour, cometh the band, Blackie Lawless and Wasp hit the stage over four decades ago, and the scene just hasn’t been quite the same ever since. We needed this level of anarchy to push the boundaries, push ourselves out of our comfort zones, to challenge the establishment and give the middle finger to the man, and our soundtrack for that protestation? WASP. As soon as these guys hit the stage, the room is on fire!

They command the stage, Blackies glorious mic stand, a behemoth-sized skeletal figure made of polished steel, just looks monstrous as it swallows him up whole, this imposing beast wrapping itself around Blackie as he spits out lyrics like fire. The guys on guitar, bass and drums lay down a thick wall of distortion with blistering guitar solos and an imposing, solid base for Blackie to lay down the law. Now for me, I am not wholeheartldy familiar with WASP’s back catalog, I knew of WASP as an entity back in the day, their value and importance to the cause for the scene was huge, but me as a young spotty teenager was lost in a totally different sonic soundtrack, guitar gods and shredders were my bag and I had blinkers on for a long time and missed the actual explosion around the band back in the day, but tonight, I get it. The soundtrack is glorious, a blast from the past and a god honest sonic boom that has the room eating out of the palm of the bands hand. Blackie tells the story of how the tour came together and why every nuance was important to those involved. The approach had to be on the money, no fucking around with setlists, play it as it was. As the band rip their way through track after track, they pull the Belfast crowd in further and further, a community built on the soundtrack of their youth, all out tonight living their best lives the way they want. warbling along to the lyrics as best they can till their voices are raw with unadulterated pleasure. I wasn’t quite sure what I was going to be in for tonight, but I cannot lie, this was exactly what I needed to restore my faith after a heavy week in the news.

Photography: Mark McGrogan

@flashartmark #flashartmark

W.A.S.P. Add Three More Shows in Poland and the Netherlands to the European Album ONE Alive Tour and Announce VIP Packages

W.A.S.P. add shows in Poland and the Netherlands to the 2025 Album ONE Alive European Tour, along with announcing the availability of VIP packages. The first leg of the European Album ONE Alive Tour is complete with sold out shows in Germany, France and Luxembourg and headline appearances at festivals in Poland and Germany. The Album ONE Alive tour celebrates the 40th anniversary of the release of W.A.S.P.’s first album by playing the debut in it’s entirety.

The W.A.S.P. Blackie Lawless VIP Experience includes:

• Exclusive VIP Experience Meet and Greet with Blackie Lawless

• Personal Photo with Blackie

• Two Personal Items Signed by Blackie – No Guitars, Pick Guards or Instruments

• Signed VIP Tour Laminate

• $50 Credit at W.A.S.P. Online Store

• Set of 3 Blackie Lawless 2025 Tour Guitar Picks

• Q&A with Blackie with all VIP’s after all Photos and Autographs

• See some of Blackie’s classic guitars

• Photo with “Elvis” – Blackie’s Incredibly Unique and One of a Kind Microphone Stand

All tour dates, tickets and VIP packages are available at WASPnation.com/tour

2025 Album ONE Alive Tour