W.A.S.P. To Play Request Only Set At Hard Rock Hell

W.A.SP. TO PLAY REQUEST ONLY SET AT HARD ROCK HELL:

April 27, 2009

Hammerfest boss John Davis has explained how he’s persuaded Blackie Lawless of WASP to play the band’s first-ever request-only set at Hammerfest’s sister event, Hard Rock Hell, later this year.

Rock Radio reports that WASP will join Queensryche, the Choirboys, the New York Dolls and many others at this year’s HRH at Pontins in Prestatyn, Wales in December.

And promoter, organiser and director Davis says Lawless was happy to help make the holiday camp festival an unforgettable event.

He says: “We asked the fans what bands they wanted and for many reasons WASP came top of the list. So we had a chat with Blackie and he wanted to do it. We said, ‘We need to make it special because HRH is special’.

“So for the first time even he’s going to do ‘an audience with WASP’, where the audience pick the track listing. It’s a big thing for us. Some people might think it’s not a big deal – but if you know how difficult things can be, it is a big thing.

“The problem is I know what number one on the list is going to be – and it’s a track he doesn’t like to play. It’s also a track I can’t mention!

“But I believe Blackie used to do a stint with the New York Dolls – so you never know what might happen there.”

In his interview with Rock DJ Tom Russell Davis during the weekend’s Hammerfest, Davis also discusses the advantages of running events like these at a holiday camp.

He says: “They’re custom-built entertainment centres. You can sleep 4000 people in the one area, in units of four, five, six or seven people, and the units are dotted all around the main stages, which are all indoors. Your pass gives you accommodation and access to all the arenas. And this year we’re extending HRH to three nights rather than two.

“We’ve changed the way other festivals think, and all it took was talking to fans on the front line. It’s important to keep the cameraderie of the rock crowd alive, and that’s what HRH and Hammerfest are all about.

“Even the police were headbanging at Hammerfest – I’ve got a great picture of that…”

Rock Radio’s Hammerfest special

Courtesy of www.sleazeroxx.com and www.rockradio.co.uk