What W.A.S.P. means exactly, nobody can say with certainty. Even the extraordinaire frontman Blackie Lawless cannot tell us. Or that’s what he lets us understand. So we guess. In addition to suggestions like ‘White Anglo-Saxon Protestants’ or the more bizarre ‘We Ate Savoury Pancakes’, most votes are going for ‘We Are Sexual Perverts’, a slogan that also graced their first record. Which dates back to 1984 and then hit the Sunset Strip speechless which was logical with songs like ‘I Wanna Be Somebody’, ‘On Your Knees’ and of course ‘L.O.V.E. Machine’. Or the infamous ‘Animal (Fuck Like A Beast)’. This song was removed from the record in the US thanks to some prancing moralists, not that Blackie and his ever-changed buddies ever cared about this matter. Virtuosic obscenities as scantily clad women chained on stage and pelting the audience with raw meat gave them the label of shock rock but such a theatrical entertainment is no longer present.
Michael Schenker "special guest" @AMF 2015 with temple of rock
MICHAEL SCHENKER is having the status of ‘Special Guest’ on Alcatraz 2015 and that is a well-deserved honour. Schenker is one of the most influential guitarists in rock history and has regained his successful drive after several turbulent years. With a rhythm section from the earlier Scorpions who are indicating the groove and drive, he is back in business. Herman Rarebell (drums) and Francis Bochholz (bass) are old-timers in the field. Add a top singer like Doogie White (f.e. ex-Rainbow) and the professional Wayne Findley (keyboards, rhythm guitar) and you can go to war. Michael is the brother from Scorpions guitarist and founding member Rudolf Schenker. Until 1973 he was part of the incarnation of his band. After one album Michael leaves for UFO and record some classics with the band including one of the best live albums ever: “Strangers In The Night” (1979). Michael is no ordinary guy so he left UFO in a turbulent manner.
Swedish band Wolf opens AMF 2015
If we have to come up with a slogan for the Swedish band WOLF, it would be something like this: : ‘Real metal for true bastards!’. It’s singer/guitar player Niklas Stàlvind who really had enough from the grunge and punk rock, and around 1995 it was time for a change. He hangs some post-it’s in the local supermarkets in Örebro and not much later he has a band that initially is playing covers. Ever since the guys are working on the eighties metal strewn path whith very reckonable roots to find from bands like Saxon, Accept, Judas Priest, Mercyful Fate and Iron Maiden.