When I last saw and covered W.A.S.P. (a personal favorite heavy metal band of mine) for Rewind It Magazine live in Orlando nearly two years ago now, I went with the intention of “rocking out” as hard as I had the first time I caught them well over a decade prior. But I went in to their recent show at the Peabody Auditorium in Daytona Beach, FL this past Wednesday, September 23 with the mindset of just enjoying, and of course documenting, the night as best as possible.
Just two days prior to the show itself, Rewind It got the call (or email, as it were) to officially review/photograph them with KK’s Priest, the Judas Priest offshoot lead by former guitarist K.K. Downing and another band whose show Rewind It also covered previously in 2024. The guys wasted no time to break out the big guns, opening with “You’ve Got Another Thing Comin'” before launching into “Breaking The Law.”
Another classic followed in the form of “Living After Midnight” before more modern numbers like “Strike of the Viper,” “One More Shot at Glory,” and “Hellfire Thunderbolt” could be heard. After “Heading Out to the Highway,” a backdrop displaying the Sad Wings of Destiny album cover was lowered down and paved the way for “Beyond the Realms of Death,” “The Sentinel,” and “Victim of Changes.” The ’80s-era “Turbo Lover” was even thrown in there before the band capped off the night with “Raise Your Fists.”
KK’s Priest performing at the Peabody Auditorium in Daytona Beach, FL on 9/23/26 (Photo by Brooke Striewski).
And finally, the mighty Blackie Lawless and W.A.S.P. took stage just after 9:30pm. While I previously researched recent set lists and was looking forward to hearing them perform some tracks I had not heard them do at prior shows, their cover of Uriah Heep’s “Easy Livin'” followed directly by “Fistful of Diamonds” may not have been the strongest two openers to pick, though “The Flame” from the the band’s 1984 debut album helped moved things into the right direction some.
A brief story from Blackie on the origins of “Mr. Cool” paved the way for the performance of the pre-W.A.S.P. track, before the always-loved “On Your Knees” could be heard. “Thunderhead” was an interesting choice, while the ballad “Forever Free” and their cover of The Who’s “The Real Me” sounded as immaculate as always. “The Headless Children” was one I was definitely looking forward to hearing for the first time, but did not see the execution of a Hitler look-alike on stage at the end of the track coming at all – definitely a new one for sure!
After a short break, the band resumed with an encore for the ages that included “I Wanna Be Somebody” and “L.O.V.E. Machine” from the first album, followed by “The Big Welcome” seguing into “Inside the Electric Circus and “I Don’t Need No Doctor” from their third album.
Blackie Lawless performing on stage with W.A.S.P. this past Wednesday night, 9/23/26 at the Peabody Auditorium in Daytona (Photo by Brooke Striewski).
It was at this time that Blackie once again took fans off guard, appearing onstage under the spotlights by himself to perform some of 2015’s “Golgotha,” the title track from the album of the same name that firmly puts his born again Christian beliefs on full display (something I deeply respect, and was glad to hear live for the first time ever.
Last but not least, the band ended with 1985’s “Wild Child” (the song I’m pretty sure initially got me into the band in the first place) and of course, “Blind in Texas.” It was a fitting high note to end an already-epic night on, leaving me with even more shared memories with my family that I don’t think I’ll be forgetting anytime soon. Thanks again, Blackie.
