W.A.S.P. w/ KK’s PRIEST
@ PICKERING CASINO RESORT, PICKERING
OCTOBER 7, 2026
Blackie Lawless is back at it with his merry band of headless children for another kick around the Western Hemisphere, showcasing W.A.S.P.’s undeniable power on stage. This time, they teamed up with KK’s Priest, an absolute force of a band featuring legendary frontman Tim “Ripper” Owens and Judas Priest co-founder KK Downing. It’s always fun when you’re out to see a headliner and the opening act completely blows your mind. That was certainly the case with KK’s Priest.
They tore the place apart with note-perfect accuracy and harmonized guitars and vocals, while the rhythm section kept the entire set on lockdown. Tim Owens makes you feel right at home with his warm and welcoming personality between songs, then immediately goes into hitting vocal notes I thought were reserved only for sopranos. Wow. Beyond impressive.
And then there’s KK Downing. If you closed your eyes, you’d swear it was Judas Priest at their peak. At 74, this guy is technically perfect. It’s truly something to behold. His harmonized guitars with A.J. Mills were absolutely spot-on at any speed. I’d see these guys again in a heartbeat.
After a brief intermission, W.A.S.P. hit the stage with authority, unapologetically stepping on the gas from the first note to the end.
The first nine songs were deeper cuts, opening the set with “Easy Livin’,” a Uriah Heep cover that launched straight into “Fistful of Diamonds” and “The Flame.” Lawless then dove into a real deep cut, “Mr. Cool,” a song he explained was written when he was just 18 years old and later sold by an unscrupulous former friend, leading to legal battles over the song for years. Great story. Great song.
Other notable songs in the first set were “On Your Knees,” “The Real Me,” “The Headless Children,” wrapping with “Mephisto Waltz.”
Kicking off the encore (aka second set) with “I Wanna Be Somebody” was when W.A.S.P. really kicked into third gear. They sounded refreshed, warmed up and ready to burn the joint down. This was the best part of the show, rolling straight into “L.O.V.E. Machine,” “Inside the Electric Circus,” “I Don’t Need No Doctor,” “Golgotha,” and finishing the evening with two of their biggest songs, “Wild Child” and “Blind in Texas.” All of these songs were accompanied by their over-the-top ‘80s big-budget video productions, which played on four screens, adding a killer element to the show.
It would be otherworldly cool if Blackie Lawless would someday reunite with guitar legend Chris Holmes to bring this legendary band full circle, especially considering Holmes has been battling a long list of health issues. With that said, the current live version of W.A.S.P. absolutely crushes venues from coast to coast and makes it look easy. Provided they keep up this level of devastatingly hard-hitting metal, they’ll be seeing me at more shows down the road.
If you’re looking for a proper throwback to the glory days of metal debauchery, big hair and leather pants, this tour is not to be missed!!!
(Photography by Andre Skinner)
W.A.S.P. Photos
KK’s Priest Photos
W.A.S.P. Links
KK’s Priest Links
