W.A.S.P.: (Still Shots) - March 2, 1986 - UNO Lakefront Arena - New Orleans, LA.

W.A.S.P.
(Still Shots)
Live at The UNO Lakefront Arena
March 2, 1986
New Orleans, LA.
(Opening for KISS)

The lights went down as W.A.S.P. took the stage as the intro of “The End” by THE DOORS blared over the PA system. They came out with both fists swinging. There stage set was a replica of the inside of the current album “The Last Command” with 4 large recreations of each member’s heads impaled on a pole. They opened with “On Your Knees” and right into “Fist Full Of Diamonds”. I remember they played “Widow Maker” and before “L.O.V.E. Machine” Blackie was talking about telling a girl that “First I’m gonna f*ck you, then I’m gonna mount you”. They played ‘Sex Drive” and dedicated it to Tipper Gore (PMRC trash). This was the last night of the KISS/WASP tour, so of course shenanigans are to be expected. The stage that WASP were on was like a grill, so the KISS members and crew were squirting water and throwing confetti from underneath the stage while they were playing. Blackie was pointing at the shit going on and right before they kicked in to the last song of “Blind In Texas” (Which Randy Piper was wearing a cowboy hat, Blackie had a sombrero on and Chris Holmes had a Dallas Cowboys Jersey on with a Football helmet to match with the Lone Star State flag as a backdrop) “Are y’all ready for KISS?” he asked. As the band kicked into “Detroit Rock City” just to fuck with KISS and steal their thunder before they hit the stage. 10 seconds into the sing they stopped and Blackie, “Yall like that shit?” The crowd roared as they tore into “Blind In Texas” that brought the end to their set.

1. Intro / The End
2. On Your Knees
3. Fistful Of Diamonds
4. Sex Drive
5. Widowmaker
6. Wild Child
7. L.O.V.E. Machine
8. I Wanna Be Somebody
9. Detroit Rock City (Intro) / Blind In Texas

KISS hits the stage, “you wanted the best and you got the best, the hottest band in the world…KISS!!!!!” 4 silhouettes appeared from this huge KISS logo and they kicked into “Detroit Rock City” and the place went nuts! They were on tour for the Asylum album so they whipped out “Tears Are Falling” of course, but they just re-issued “Creatures Of The Night” so we got that song, along with “War Machine” and “I Still Love You” and then they kicked into “Fits Like A Glove”. We got all of the hits like “Love Gun” as well. It was great, I remember watching Gene Simmons strut across the stage as he played and saying to myself, “I can do that!” It was the Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons, Eric Carr and Bruce Kulick line up. They were killer!

So as KISS are wrapping things up, I looked in front of the left side of the stage and saw 4 long haired dudes with stuff in their hands that they started to throw on stage. It was the members of WASP throwing whole raw chickens at KISS. It was pretty funny to watch Gene and Paul try to duck out of the way of a raw chicken, as they played “Rock N Roll All Night”. Paul picked one up and pointed and laughed at WASP and they did the same thing in return. Then Paul proceeded to throw the raw chickens into the audience. It was great watching these greasy chickens just surf over thousands of outstretched hands of the people on the floor watching the show as they tried to grab the thing thinking it was something good only to get a handful of salmonella. The chickens skidded off of everybody’s hands and went all the way to the back of the arena, only to get picked up again and tossed around some more like a hot potato. It was a great show.

KISS Setlist:
Detroit Rock City
Fits Like A Glove
Creatures Of The Night
Cold Gin
Kulick Guitar Solo
Uh! All Night
Drum Solo
War Machine
Love Gun
I Still Love You
Bass Solo
I Love It Loud
Paul Guitar Solo
Heaven's On Fire
Rock And Roll All Nite
Oh Susannah / Jam
Tears Are Falling
Lick It Up

On the way home I was riding next to the WASP tour bus as they were getting on the interstate by Elysian Fields.

Front Row Shots Courtesy of Lee Richoux - Back of House Shots by Me.
Also included are the articles that the Times-Picayune / Lagniappe ran and an article about the show from local magazine "Wavelength" from April 1986.

Enjoy!