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December 2022 • Volume 49 , Number 02 • www . illinoisentertainer . com
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COVER STORY : W . A . S . P . hen you ’ ve been consistently composing rabblerousing metal anthems for several decades – like brainy W . A . S . P . bandleader Blackie Lawless has , to the point where he ’ s currently on a prestigious 40th Anniversary Tour – it helps to set your standards impeccably high . Which , for this Staten-Island-bred shock-rocker – who ’ s not claiming his method would work for every artist – meant tapping into the elevated vibe of a certain longtime corporate mascot . Songwriting , the 66-year-old authoritatively explains , “ Is a lot like being the RCA dog , Nipper . You look at him ( the famous fox terrier in that later-licensed original 1899 painting , “ His Master ’ s Voice ”) with his head cocked sideways , trying to figure out what ’ s going on , and I constantly do that myself – like , ‘ How did this work ?’ And I can ’ t tell you everything , but I ’ m just trying to convey some human emotions .”
In the mid- ‘ 80s , the powerhouse vocalist ’ s material – memorable chant-alongs like “ Wild Child ,” “ Blind In Texas ,” “ I Wanna Be Somebody ,” and “ Animal ( F *** Like a Beast )” ( many of which invoked the advisory-sticker wrath of Tipper Gore and her thennew PMRC ) – were bolstered by Alice-Cooper gory concert theatrics , which included smudge pots , faux-bondage enactments , raw meat being tossed liberally into crowds , and even a serrated saw blade codpiece that shot flames . You didn ’ t just hear W . A . S . P . numbers – you felt them like multi-sensory explosions , as well , with the always kinetic , Native American-descended Lawless simultaneously summoning his indigenous heritage , as in the tribal cover shot of the group ’ s Gold-certified landmark sophomore album , The Last Command . IE ’ s Tom Lanham spoke to one of the godfathers of metal .
HELLO MY NAME IS IAN BROUDIE
On the surface , it ’ s difficult to believe that 13 long years have crept by since brainy producer / multi-instrumentalist Ian Broudie released Four Winds , his last picture-perfect pop album as The Lightning Seeds , a dormant period the Brit is finally breaking with the shimmering new See You in the Stars , out last month . And when he stops to consider it , he ’ s a tad aghast himself . “ But time just flies , doesn ’ t it ?” he notes , chortling . “ But after I made the album Tilt , about 20 years ago , I stopped for a while , and then I made a solo album , and then I was going to do another one .” . But label execs pushed for Lightning Seeds material , so he compromised , issued Four Winds under that more recognizable banner . See You In The Stars is built in the Lightning Seeds mold , a better musical place for Broudie . Tom Lanham spoke to the UK ’ s most underrated songwriter / producer .
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The Beatles Revolver Reviewed and Rexamined .
CinemScopes
Holiday Film & Streams .
Media
Chicago Bulls ’ play-by play legend Chuck Swirsky .
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Elizabeth Moen , MIA Red Hot Chilli Peppers and more .
Calendar
1150 shows and 2000 bands , live music calendar .
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