W.A.S.P. frontman Blackie Lawless has praised Donald Trump through the band’s live performance in New York Metropolis, saying the U.S. president-elect “has stood up for this nation” even after being the goal of two assassination makes an attempt.
Previous to launching into the closing track, “Blind In Texas”, of W.A.S.P.‘s November 16 present at Hammerstein Ballroom At Manhattan Middle, the 68-year-old Lawless, whose actual identify is Steven Duren, addressed the gang, saying (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): “We’ll do one thing a bit of completely different tonight. We’re within the applicable metropolis to do that. You understand, it was Shakespeare that mentioned, ‘Some are born to greatness. Some have greatness thrust upon them.’ It was the Greek historian Herodotus who mentioned that in terms of tragedy and issues like that, that we don’t rule circumstances, circumstances rule us.”
Reflecting on his expertise with the PMRC (Dad and mom’ Music Useful resource Middle) greater than three and a half a long time in the past, Lawless continued: “Now after I was a bit of child, rising up throughout the bay over right here in Staten Island, I by no means, I by no means ever imagined that my time would come the place I might be thrust right into a scenario the place I had no management over. Now, it will likely be 40 years subsequent 12 months, there was a scenario that occurred, and it was known as the PMRC. And there have been hearings, there have been hearings executed in Washington, D.C. And two days later, Frank Zappa and myself stood on a stage simply across the nook right here and we talked concerning the evils that will come about them. As a result of censorship is an unsightly, ugly factor. And it ain’t simply in music. It occurs in all types of life.
“Now, down the road right here in decrease Manhattan, there is a chapel down there. It is known as the St. Paul’s Chapel. We now comprehend it because the chapel from 9/11. However earlier than that, when George Washington was elected the primary president of the US, after he was sworn within the federal constructing, he walked into that road and he walked right down to that chapel and he consecrated the US of America to God Almighty proper there on that spot.
“The very first modification of our structure ensures freedom of speech,” Blackie added. “Our founding fathers had been genius sufficient to know that for those who can management speech, you may management thought. And these males knew this. These had been nice males. Quick ahead a pair hundred years, 250 virtually, now we now have a scenario within the final six, eight years, we discover censorship once more rearing its ugly, ugly head. Now, this time it is on the Web, and it is affecting each single one among us.”
Referencing the truth that Trump was making his return to Madison Sq. Backyard on Saturday evening, visiting the New York Metropolis landmark area for an Final Preventing Championship occasion, Blackie mentioned: “Tonight, you is probably not conscious, however proper subsequent door to us over right here within the Backyard, there’s a man who has undergone try after try, assassinations on his life, and this man has stood up for this nation. He is proper subsequent door proper now on the Backyard.
“Now, I obtained two issues that I am obsessed with essentially the most. One among them is that freedom of speech,” he added. “And the opposite one is about being a patriot. As a result of I am right here to let you know, I do not care for those who’re Republican, Democrat, Unbiased, you have to be a patriot of this nation. I’m prepared to die for this nation. I imagine in it that a lot. And that man subsequent door, he believes in it too.
“I solely obtained yet one more factor to say earlier than we go. ‘Trigger I am blind in Texas.”
Throughout W.A.S.P.‘s efficiency of “Blind In Texas” ultimately evening’s live performance, a photograph of Trump was displayed on the display screen behind the band and “Trump 2024″ indicators had been proven on both aspect of the stage. The Trump picture confirmed president-elect surrounded by Secret Service brokers, along with his fist within the air and blood streaking down his cheek, taken moments after Trump was struck within the ear by a would-be murderer’s bullet final July.
Again within the mid-’80s, the PMRC revealed a listing known as “The Filthy Fifteen” which consisted of the highest fifteen songs they needed banned attributable to objectionable lyrics suggesting violence, intercourse, medicine, alcohol or the occult. They petitioned for lyrics to be printed on the album jackets and nobody was protected — heavy steel acts had been proper there alongside the pop stars. AC/DC, Madonna, MÖTLEY CRÜE, JUDAS PRIEST, Prince, W.A.S.P., MERCYFUL FATE, Vainness, DEF LEPPARD, Cyndi Lauper and TWISTED SISTER all made “The Filthy Fifteen” checklist. In November 1985, the RIAA (Recording Trade Affiliation Of America) agreed to place “Parental Advisory: Specific Lyrics” labels on chosen releases at their very own discretion.
Lawless beforehand mentioned the significance of free speech in an October 2023 interview with “Metalshop”. Talking about how he was affected by his expertise with the PMRC, he mentioned: “We had been too younger to actually perceive what it was all about, however they rapidly put us within the eye of the hurricane, after which all types of dangerous issues began taking place — demise threats and getting shot at and all of that. We turned educated very, in a short time.
“I believe I used to be in Indiana — I believe it was Indianapolis — this lady got here in to interview me,” he continued. “And this was, like, ’87. And she or he had labored for the PMRC at one level. And she or he, at the moment I used to be speaking to her, was a journalist. And she or he goes, she introduced in a cassette tape and he or she goes, ‘I’ve obtained one thing I want you to listen to.’ And she or he performed this cassette tape for me. And on it had been Susan Baker [co-founder of the PMRC] and some of the others speaking about what their actual motivation was. And their motivation was to not get stickers on data. Their motivation was to get Al Gore a platform to then run for president of the US. So that they had been attempting to create a political profile for him — as a result of what higher technique to get consideration, for those who’re a politician, a southern caricature, which is what he was, what higher technique to get consideration than to go after an consideration getter? I imply, that is McCarthyism [political repression and persecution] — , it is no completely different. Richard Nixon did it. All these witch hunts that went on in D.C. for years. However they arrive to a era who’s not heard it. So this factor comes round as soon as each 15 years. The era hasn’t heard it. They have not heard the identical outdated lies that come out of it. So it sounds fairly good to them as a result of it sounds honest and real.”
Lawless, who has repeatedly acknowledged in interviews that he has returned to the Christian religion and considers himself a born-again Christian, added: “Let me let you know one thing about free speech. I am half Jewish, I am half Native American Indian. You possibly can stand on a soapbox and you may speak about how great Nazism is and the way you’d prefer to kill all of the Indians on the market. I do not care. Nicely, let me rephrase that. I do care, however I do not wish to restrict your capacity to talk, as a result of if I try this, then we begin taking place a darkish highway since you begin enjoying umpire, after which who performs umpire tomorrow?
“This nation was constructed as a republic and a republic, opposite to what lots of people do not perceive, will not be a democracy. However what it’s important to do to create a republic, it’s important to have a certain quantity of religion within the individuals. So, in different phrases, in case you have a man that is spewing a bunch of hatred on a road nook or in a soapbox, it’s important to place confidence in your fellow People that this man is a lunatic and the overwhelming majority of individuals are gonna discover him out and never comply with him. However what occurs is while you begin limiting that speech, then, like I mentioned, you’re taking away the flexibility of the individuals to resolve for themselves, primary, who’s loopy and who is not. However much more harmful than that, you begin appointing these umpires that let you know what you may and can’t say. And it is extraordinarily harmful. And you’ve got heard it 1,000,000 instances however it bears repeating, our system will not be arrange for standard speech. It is arrange for unpopular speech.”
Lawless additionally mentioned his expertise with the PMRC throughout a “VIP Expertise” question-and-answer session in November 2022 earlier than W.A.S.P.‘s live performance at The Paramount Theater in Huntington, New York. On the time, he mentioned: “It modified my life, if that is what you imply. It made me extra of a recluse. Yeah, a few thousand demise threats and bomb scares and getting shot at a few instances normally tends to change your outlook on life a bit of. But additionally, we had been uncovered to excessive fame very early, and fame is type of like this — if this desk is a smorgasbord, it is like an evil genie stands down on the finish of the smorgasbord and [says], ‘You possibly can take something you need, however for those who take one factor, you’re taking all of it. You do not get to choose and select. So all the good things that you simply like within the smorgasbord, that is great, however you’ve got gotta take the dangerous stuff too.’ So it finally ends up being a life-altering expertise, one I do not assume you may ever actually return from — a minimum of I have not been in a position to.”
In a 2004 interview with the Las Vegas Mercury, Lawless spoke about having his music slammed by the PMRC, saying: “Because the story goes, [PMRC founding member] Tipper [Gore] was strolling down the corridor in her home and her 12-year-old son had [W.A.S.P.‘s] ‘Fuck Like A Beast’ enjoying on his stereo, and he or she misplaced her thoughts,” Lawless mentioned. “I do not know if that is true, however that is the story I have been advised.
“You wanna speak about sensationalism?” Blackie continued. “This was a company that was in search of a platform that will assist serve its personal political pursuits. They did not give a rattling about censorship. I’ve spent the higher a part of my profession attempting to get individuals to know that. This actually will not be what you assume it’s. They arrive to you just like the wolf in sheep’s clothes after which use you to create a frenzy — not not like what McCarthy did with the communists and Bob Dole did with rap. That is nothing new.
“You do not have to be Nostradamus to see what is going on on with younger individuals nowadays,” Lawless continued. “Dad and mom simply do not get entangled with their youngsters as a lot as they used to. Are you going to inform me that these dad and mom at Columbine did not know that something was occurring with their youngsters? Hey, my mom knew what I used to be doing 24 hours a day, seven days every week. However dad and mom now, they do not wish to take any duty for his or her youngsters. They bring about one thing into this world, after which when one thing goes fallacious, they wish to blame everyone else for it.”
It isn’t clear what Lawless thinks about Trump‘s supposed dedication to free expression, seeing as Trump champions freedom of speech for himself and his allies whereas attacking it when it protects his critics and political opponents. Trump has often attacked particular person journalists and the press basically for unfavorable information protection. He known as journalists the “enemy of the individuals” and eliminated ones he didn’t like from press occasions and rallies.
