On Thursday, Sept. 19, 1985, the US Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation held a hearing “not to promote any legislation” but “to provide a forum for airing the issue itself, for ventilating the issue, for bringing it out into the public domain.”
The issue at hand, of course, was that “some music glorifies violence in various forms, sexual violence. Some music advocates the use of drugs, drug abuse, and so on.” In the hearing, the Parents Music Resource Council (PMRC) presented the now infamous “Filthy Fifteen” list of songs in popular music that they found the most objectionable. This list significantly influenced public perception of music as a corrupting influence on youth, but had the unintended consequence of driving up sales numbers.
No. 9 on that list was the Los Angeles heavy metal band WASP’s single “Animal (F**k Like a Beast).” The song had been omitted under pressure from the US release of their self-titled debut record one year prior, in August 1984, by their label, Capitol Records. Capitol Records omitted the song due to concerns about being banned from major retail chains; however, it was later released by Music For Nations as a single, featuring an iconic cover of Blackie Lawless in a leopard-print codpiece with a circular saw blade. The song is, arguably, among their best recorded pieces of music.
WASP is currently touring to celebrate the 40th anniversary of their self-titled album release, promising to play it in its entirety. On Friday, Nov. 22, WASP performed live at The Fillmore Silver Spring. Absent from their setlist was their infamous single.
Opening for them was fellow ’80s LA heavy metal band Armored Saint. Playing their paint-by-numbers brand of dueling guitar heavy metal, they fit the bill. Singer John Bush remains one of the most talented vocalists from that era and is still suited for the task, racing around both the stage and the venue with an athletic presence few peers his age can claim.
They burned through a set composed of some of their most popular early works as well as newer songs. Although everyone in Armored Saint appeared to be talented, somehow their performance left something to be desired. After the show, I re-acquainted myself with an “essentials” playlist of their back catalog and found that I both recognized many of the songs and enjoyed the recordings more than I did when seeing them performed live. However, I did enjoy their closer “March of the Saint” enough to justify circling back later. Perhaps I just did not have enough room in my heart for Armored Saint on Friday night.
Watch the official live video for “March of the Saint” by Armored Saint on YouTube:
After Armored Saint’s energetic, yet slightly underwhelming set, I was in eager anticipation for WASP. As promised, they started their set with the song “I Wanna Be Somebody,” which, while not the intended album opener, was the first track on the original US release for historical reasons. From the moment they started, WASP reminded everyone of the album’s raw intensity.
Blackie Lawless, born in 1956, is pushing 70, and while he lacked the same level of athleticism displayed by Armored Saint’s John Bush, his singing and rhythm guitar playing still scintillated the way they did in 1984. Complemented by long-time guitarist Doug Blair and bassist Mike Duda, and rounded out by hired-gun Brazilian drummer Aquiles Priester of Angra and DragonForce fame, the band was in fine form.
Perched behind a massive spring-loaded podium made to look like a human skeleton, Lawless commanded the stage against a backdrop of hellish imagery and vintage footage of their debaucherous performances from the 1980s. The visual elements amplified the sense of nostalgia, transporting fans back to the band’s wild heyday.
Leading up to the show, I wondered if they would solely perform their self-titled album or if they would venture into their other albums for material as well. I was delighted when they returned for their encore to perform standout songs from their follow-up album The Last Command, including hits such as “Wild Child” and their apparent closer “Blind in Texas.”
Watch the official music video for “Wild Child” by WASP on YouTube:
I figured that even if they stuck to “WASP” in its entirety, they would at least perform “Animal,” since the Senate hearing and the PMRC happened almost 40 years ago. When they started the show with the censored album opener “I Wanna Be Somebody,” I thought surely they would end the night with “Animal.” But alas, Lawless has since become a born-again Christian and has mostly refused to perform the song live since 2006, citing his religious beliefs.
For an artist still draped in satanic imagery, the refusal to play “Animal” feels inconsistent and, quite frankly, reeks of poseur. “Blind in Texas” is a great song, certainly one of their most raucous, and in hindsight it’s an acceptable closer. Still, I can’t help but feel let down by the omission of “Animal.”
The Filthy Fifteen may have won the battle in the ’80s, but apparently, the PMRC won the war.