Armored Saint had the task of opening for W.A.S.P on this current tour with this being only the second show they have played on this leg of the tour. And they were tasked to fire up this sold-out crowd at The Palace Theatre in Calgary, AB. And there is no better opening act for W.A.S.P. Armored Saint is not a band to shy away from putting on a great show just because they are the opening act, they bring it to the stage every night.
I have had the pleasure of seeing Armored Saint on the Mega-cruise and also on the 2022 tour with W.A.S.P in Fresno, CA and Los Angeles, CA. John Bush has an amazing vocal range and a stage persona that electrifies the crowd. He was on fire at the Palace Theatre pacing the stage and belting out hit after hit from the Armored Saint catalogue. At some points of the night, you would find him climbing the stage speakers or eventually found him on the top level of the theatre singing in the crowd. Jeff Duncan and Phil Sandoval took turns shredding on separate sides of the stage or dead center. Joey Vera stepped up and was adding to the back rhythm of the night killing his duties on the bass guitar and pleasing the crowd at the edge of the stage. Gonzo Sandoval was the timekeeper of the night keeping the beat for the band and showing no signs of slowing down through the night.
Armored Saint ran through their catalogue of hits through their set list, hitting their biggest hits and introducing their last track to this crowd in Calgary, AB. They set up the night for a fast-paced pure energy rock n roll show.
Armored Saint Setlist:
End of the Attention Span
Raising Fear
Last Train Home
March of the Saint
Left Hook From Right Field
Standing on the Shoulders of Giants
Win Hands Down
Can U Deliver
Reign of Fire
ARMORED SAINT WEBSITE / FACEBOOK
It’s been a long time since W.A.S.P has been in Calgary, AB and it showed as the show for The Palace Theatre was SOLD OUT!!. There wasn’t a spare ounce of room in this club it was packed to the rafters. And by the end of the night you could see why, there was a dirty hard rock show in town that has been missed by the legion of fans young and old.
W.A.S.P hit back hard as they have been breaking all the rules and showing promoters that there is a need for hard rock shows out there as W.A.S.P has been packing them in and selling out shows. Current line-up for the touring band is: Blackie Lawless (Vocals, Rhythm Guitar) Douglas Blair (Guitar), Mike Duda (Bass) and Aquiles Priester (Drums).
W.A.S.P has come out for the 2024 tour and is playing the first-ever album from start to finish in its entirety and has been crushing it sounding amazing. The band is a well-oiled machine and firing on all cylinders. The first part of the show is a rough and raw intensity to the early years of the band cutting its teeth on the music scene. The second part of the show was packed with the greatest hits throughout the W.A.S.P catalogue. The stage is adorned with skulls, chains and the backdrop of the first album. Blackie has brought back to his wardrobe the blades on his forearms. A W.A.S.P. show is nothing short of eerie imagery for the Palace Theatre. Blackie Lawless and the rest of the band bring back a hard-hitting rock n roll show or circus and the Calgary, AB crowd ate it up and wanted more.
W.A.S.P Setlist:
The End (The Doors song)
W.A.S.P. Medley
I Wanna Be Somebody
L.O.V.E. Machine
The Flame
B.A.D.
School Daze
Hellion
Sleeping (in the Fire)
On Your Knees
Tormentor
The Torture Never Stops
Encore:
The Big Welcome
Inside the Electric Circus / I Don’t Need No Doctor / Scream Until You Like It
The Real Me (The Who cover)
Forever Free / The Headless Children
Wild Child
Blind in Texas
