Blackie Lawless of Wasp Tells a Funny Story About Cliff Burton When He Was Touring With Metallica 

To all the people picking on Blackie for getting older, it is going to happen to you as well. Blackie is a phenomenal storyteller. He really does need to write a book on his life in the music industry. This was a good one because Spinal Tap made it famous for not being able to find the stage right before the show begins. Hilarious

Blackie needs a bigger forum to share all of these cool stories. This one is classic!

I see some folks are bagging on Blackie for looking old. I'm grateful he's gotten the chance to get old. Some people (a lot of rock stars included) don't get that opportunity. He seems happy and healthy, and he's still rockin', so my hat's off to him.

There's nothing better than stories about the good old days in metal

This man is a Legend…my first introduction to metal…Great songwriter…showman…and all around student of music!!!…can’t wait until he writes a book!!!

Blackie is so rad. I could spend all day listening to his stories 😆👍

The way Blackie tells the story, I can totally picture this moment in my head. Could listen to Blackie telling stories all day every day. Cliff was a legend!

Such a great story, I could listen to Cliff Burton stories for hours.

Good ole’ Cliff Burton RIP

I Wanna Be Somebody was a mantra for me and my school friends into Metal. Totally inspirational. We pretty much started a band because of W.A.S.P. and Maiden. I was lucky to see W.A.S.P. live twice.

Blackie is a good guy. I met him twice and he remembered both times. He loves baseball. Big Yankees fans. We must've talked baseball for what felt like hours. He even signed my Yankees hat. Glad to see Blackie is still around and kicking ass

They played that gig on January 30th 1985 and the next night Febuary 1st 1985 I seen them all play in Royal Oak, MI at the Royal Oak Music Theatre. I took pictures of both Metallica and WASP. I have a couple awesome shots of Cliff Banging his head! I have a few pics of Blackie drinking blood from the skull and Chris Holmes was ripping on guitar that night. Both Metallica and WASP sounded great that night. BTW, Armored Saint opened those shows and were KILLER! I went to Kalamazoo 2 nights later on Febuary 3rd 1985 and seen them all play again at the State Theatre. I seen them play 4 shows in 9 days that month as we went to Cleveland on the 7th and Chicago on the 9th. Those were the days when you could see killer bands play in the mid-west and see them in a smaller venue and we were always front row. For those of you who didn't grow up in the 1980s you missed out on some bad ass bands cutting their teeth and playing like there was no tommorrow.

I saw WASP open up for KISS at the Orange Show Fairgrounds in San Bernardino, CA, back in 1985. I always thought Blackie Lawless had a great voice & was sorely underrated. Still a fan to this day.

Blackie ist einfach genial. Toll, daß er noch da ist und Musik machen kann. Rock n Roll;)

This dude might look like my grandma, but he still sings like he is 20 years old! A true legend! A true ROCKER! \m/-_-

Very intelligent guy Blackie. I'd love to hear him on a daily radio show

I saw wasp 10 days ago....Blackie still rocks, WASP is bad ass. Armored Saint was kick ass too

I was at that show. That underground following back then was insane.

I was at the st.louis show of that tour with Metallica and Armored Saint Feb 15th 1985... Sr. In High School, Greatest days of my life..

Hilarious 😆. Cliff was an awesome bassist and Blackie is a very good musician and an awesome storyteller!

I still FN love WASP to this day! They wrote some very good songs.

I'd love to hear what other funny stories he has from his life on the road. He's bound to have a lot considering the years he's been doing it.

The first concert I went to was W.A.S.P. friggin awesome night. Thank you Blackie for the music. R.I.P. CLIFF

Just saw him this past Saturday at the Arcada theater, INCREDIBLE show!

Fun fact: The same thing happened to Jason, when they were recording AJFA. That studio was a real maze.

I could listen to Blackie Lawless 24/7.....I swear 🔥🔥🔥🤟🤟🤟❤️🤟❤️🤟🎸🎸🍺

Great tour, Caught the Chicago show with the same lineup while stationed at Great Lakes Naval Training Center. Blackie and the Skull of blood. \m/

One band I absolutely love but never had the opportunity to see live. Love ya Blackie still listening after all these years.

Blackie is a treasure. 🥰

May be getting older but still has a phenomenal voice.

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 Awesome! I love seeing B.L. laugh & smile! Thanks for sharing! 💖 🤘

It's great to see a smart successful guy, with no hint of ego or condescension whatsoever, I've watched Blackie in many interviews and he is always grounded and humble, he's done this for a long time, and he keeps the "rock star" for the stage only, and that is the mark of a great gentleman, a legend.

When you could still hear bass in Metallica

Blackie should start a podcast. Interview old friends and people he likes and meets on the road. I would definatly consume that content.

Gorgeous creature. My god. Never saw no man like that.

Absolute legend in the business. Like Dana Strum, most people haven't a clue the things these guys have been involved with. Great story.

Right a daily radio show that actually plays some damn wasp. He would be phenomenal

Picking on Blackie for getting older!!!!…..he,s 66,in rock no roll world,it’s amazing he,s still alive!!! Nice one Blackie

Great story! I remember seeing Blackie at Forum Foundations heavy metal convention in Burbank. Very tall and eyes ablaze. Never had so much fun in my life then at the conventions!!

Holy shit the Spinal Tap stuff really happens😂😂😂

Just caught him Wednesday night. Phenomenal.

Great interview.Thanks for sharing

Nice! I saw them this tour, in Columbus at the Newport. 1984 or 85.

Hahaha, that story is so simple, but yet so good. I guess it's just good to hear a little anecdote about Cliff.

That is awesome! Wished we could hear more stories from such legendary musicians

Saw wasp a few days ago in reno...armored saint and wasp killed it...at blackies age..doing what he does...the show he put on...was awesome

Awesome story....gotta love Blackie...

Awesome I needed that love both these bassist

Spinal Tap was actually a documentary then? 😂😂

Man what a great and cool person Blackie Lawless is. Would be great to meet him and just sit and have a conversation with him about life. Glad to see they are out there touring again. Keep rocking guys just age is just a number. God bless you all. 👍🤘🎶🎤🎸

Oldie Law Abider.....Wow. What a great band and memories! The 80's Ruled!!

Heard this story before - brilliant!

1:05 collectively everyone watching this flashed back to that scene in spinal tap

this is classic moment from the most special of times ( for most of us )! Hilarious! thanks for sharing this ...

On of the greatest Heavy-Metal musicians! WASP (and Blackie) are great. I saw him live in Germany in Düsseldorf on a christmas special concert for round about 20 years.

Haha Awesome story. Love Blackie!

I was at one of his shows in 2023,hes still got it ,so intense is his singing .

I’m thankful that Blackie is still alive to tell the tale.

Thanks for posting this. That is me asking that question. Meet and greet in Chicago worth every penny and then some.

Blackie Lawless is a legend

That was fantastic 👌

I can just picture that scenario in my mind!! Hilarious!!

The Sherwood burnt to the ground when the HVAC tech was using a torch installing an outdoor condensing unit. The place was on Emerson ave. In the 80s, it was an icon. Bentley's on Thompson rd was another 80s legend.

Hell yeah man love Blackie!

Omg... I laughed my ass off at that! 😂😂😂😂😂

Wasp kicks ass! imagine all the stories he could tell!?

Lol great story and told so well!!

Great story! I'm willing to bet, as long as Blackie Lawless has been in the game he's seen it all, done it all & knows them all. Great self-made ROCK GOD!!!!

I think every bit of footage I have seen of Cliff he has been laid back and mellow, but Blackie paints this picture of Cliff panicking like mad in this little dungeon to nowhere. What a great story. Would love to have seen the daggers in Hetfield's eyes at the time, having no idea Cliff is dealing with this high speed Spinal Tap moment right below their feet.

This is gold!

That's hella funny!! 😆 Bless all of your hearts! RIP Cliff🙏💛🙌

Cliff was a genuine guy. Love stories about him 😂

All of blackies interviews ive seen are really cool. Hes just a smart dude. And thoughtful good human being.

Blackie needs to have his own podcast. He can tell stories like this one, recall the scene when W.A.S.P. was up and coming, talk to some of his musical peers, and take questions from fans. He may have lived the hard partying lifestyle for years. But, his mind is sharp as a tack. I feel like he'd gain just as much, if not more fans by getting into podcasting.

A legend, a real legend! I'd love to hear a lot more from Blackie!

Blackie is a great story teller!

Oh god I'm dying here! 🤣

That's a great story! One of the best I've heard in a while.

😂😂 I could listen to blackie tell stories for days on end about the old day's.

😂 As he is talking about it, i am imagining that scene in my head and it is hilarious 😂

I'm glad Blackie still sounds great!

Blackie and Dee snider are, for me, the best voice .... And they both still have great and spécial voices

ROFL just before someone in the background said it, I was thinking "Man, this sounds like that scene from This Is Spinal Tap" 😆😆😆

Oh-This is GREAT!👌

I saw you play when I was 15 years old, and still in CATHOLIC high-school. Yes, this was during the rampant PMRC years. I looked and dressed exactly like you..and was nicknamed Lady Lawless..lol. When our principal asked WHY the nickname..I told her..and had my father called from work to pick me up. I got suspended for 2 weeks for influencing Satanism! When I got back to school, I was made to go to our school chapel every afternoon to pray for God to forgive me. Every prayer starting with, Father in heaven, please forgive me for enjoying WASP, and the talent you gave to the band members...etc. Our principal WAS a Catholic nun, as always in the early 80's, and because she didn't think I was praying seriously, had me miss my sports to write EXCESSIVE lines on a chalk board. She wanted me to put into lines WHY I was being held back from sports, and got suspended 1000X on the board. I started as soon as she left the room, AND WROTE 100X on the board ...I GOT SUSPENDED FOR LOVING MUSIC AND MY FELLOW MAN. My mother picked me up this time, and I was EXPELLED because I loved MUSIC but not God. 4 years later when everybody was graduating, I made an appearance to see my old principal, *Sister Anne..lol..just to tell her that the singer was A CATHOLIC... 😉. Her mouth flopped open, and for once, NOTHING came out!...keep banging! \m/

Fan since 4 years old 🤘

I love Blackie! I saw them at the War Memorial Auditorium in Nashville in like '85 I believe on "The Last Command " tour. Very front row, touching the stage, I was 12 and it was awesome. I still remember the smell of the fog machine smoke and it's now a nostalgic smell. This is also a beautiful story Blackie told.

Thanx !

This is exactly the Toledo Enormodome experience from Spinal Tap!😅

This was great :D

If you'd asked me back in the 80s whether Lawless and many other Hard Rockers would be around in the 2020's, I'd have said hell no. Then again, didn't think I would be here either, nor my friends. Coming of age in that decade was a blast but man, god, it was wild. So much sex, so many drugs, all to the sounds of rock n' roll. Seriously, as hard as everyone partied, it's amazing any of us saw 2000 let alone twenty years on. Sadly, some of us didn't make it. All that said, all else I can say is, "Rock on, Blackie! Thank you for contributing to the soundtrack of my youth."

This is the damn funniest thing I heard all day!

There was no basement at the Sherwood club. I played there several times. Was at this show as well. Blackies memory is incorrect. However we did open for WASP in Columbus Ohio at the old Agora. Chris Holmes hung out with us in our dressing room after our set. Very cool guy

Most men grow old and gray,while Blackie's hair just darkens with age.

OMG Blackie has some funny stories, but this one is epic!

🤣🤣🤣 great little story from way back when, Long time fan of both bands.🤘🏼😎

I saw Wasp and Raven open for Slayer in 86 or 87 in Cleveland,they were awesome,especially Chris “Mean Man” Holmes,Raven got booed off stage and broke up their equipment,then Wasp took over and fired the crowd up for Slayer

WASP had the first heavy metal power ballads i ever heard

Please Blackie will you write a book about the stories on the road you have

This is fucking incredible.