The band last year completed a European tour playing the entirety of their eponymous debut album, entitled the ‘Album ONE Alive’ tour. That album, released in 1984 and featuring hits like ‘L.O.V.E. Machine’, the sweeping ballad ‘Sleeping (In The Fire)’ and metal club staple ‘I Wanna Be Somebody’, represented a lasting transition from traditional metal to a glam sound in the American radio rock mainstream during the ‘80s. 

This tour, by contrast, will only include some tracks from the debut, while also incorporating tracks from the rest of their ‘80s output, and thus including The Last Command (1985), Inside the Electric Circus (1986) and The Headless Children (1989), all of which charted on the Billboard 200 in their day. 

The band were known in their classic period for their outrageous live antics, such as lead vocalist Blackie Lawless throwing meat into the audience and wearing a chainsaw codpiece live, forming part of the visual aesthetic which came to define mainstream metal at its ‘80s ‘shock rock’ peak. 

Lawless said in a press release that “it’s hard to express the genuine excitement I’m feeling in describing the ‘1984 To Headless’ U.S. Tour. Playing those songs from those 1st four albums in a combined package like this is something we’ve never attempted before.” He also confirmed that the stage show for this tour will be unique, changing to fit each album cover’s theme. W.A.S.P. in their prime certainly had an aesthetic, bearing classic metal imagery of chains, steel and fire, forming part of what became their renowned image. 

On this tour, W.A.S.P. will be supported by Wolverhampton’s own KK’s Priest, the band founded by guitarist KK Downing after his exit from Judas Priest just over a decade ago, with whom he has released two albums, Sermons of the Sinner (2021) and The Sinner Rides Again (2023). KK’s Priest’s live show features a mix of their own original material and older Judas Priest anthems like ‘Breaking the Law’ and ‘Night Crawler’, fronted by ex-Priest frontman Tim “Ripper” Owens. KK commented that “this is going to be an epic metal and steel tour featuring lots of Priest classics!” 

W.A.S.P on this tour contains just one original member, the aforementioned Lawless, alongside longtime bassist Mike Duda, Doug Blair on guitar, and ex-Angra/Paul Di’Anno drummer Aquiles Priester on drums. 

Tickets for the tour will be released to the general public this Friday, 13 February at 10AM local time across the US before the tour begins on 10 September. 

‘1984 to Headless’ Tour 2026 Dates

• 10/9 – El Cajon, CA – The Magnolia
• 11/9 – Los Angeles, CA – The Wiltern
• 12/9 – Riverside, CA – Fox Performing Arts Center
• 13/9 – Phoenix, AZ – Celebrity Theater
• 14/9 – Santa Fe, NM – Buffalo Thunder Resort & Casino
• 16/9 – Austin, TX – Emos
• 17/9 – Tulsa, OK – Tulsa Theater
• 18/9 – Dallas, TX – House Of Blues
• 19/9 – San Antonio, TX – Aztec Theater
• 20/9 – Houston, TX – House Of Blues
• 22/9 – Clearwater, FL – Ruth Eckerd Hall
• 23/9 – Daytona, FL – Peabody Auditorium
• 24/9 – Jacksonville, FL – Florida Theater
• 25/9 – Raleigh, NC – The Ritz
• 26/9 – Jim Thorpe, PA – Penn’s Peak
• 27/9 – Portland, ME – Aura
• 29/9 – Boston, MA – House Of Blues
• 30/9 – Hampton, NH – Hampton Beach Casino
• 1/10 – Wallington, CT – Toyota Oakdale Theatre
• 2/10 – New York, NY – The Palladium
• 3/10 – Carteret, NJ – Carteret Performing Arts Center
• 5/10 – Montreal, QC – Mtelus
• 6/10 – Ottawa, ON – Hard Rock Casino
• 7/10 – Pickering, ON – Pickering Casino Resort
• 9/10 – Des Plaines, IL – Des Plaines Theater
• 10/10 – St Charles, IL – Arcada Theater
• 11/10 – St Charles, IL – Arcada Theater
• 13/10 – Glenside, PA – Keswick Theatre
• 14/10 – Harrisburg, PA – Capitol City Music Hall
• 15/10 – Cleveland, OH – Agora Theater
• 16/10 – Milwaukee, WI – Pabst Theater
• 17/10 – Green Bay, WI – EPIC Event Center
• 19/10 – Winnipeg, MB – Burton Cummings Theatre
• 21/10 – Edmonton, AB – Midway Music Hall
• 22/10 – Calgary, AB – The Palace Theater
• 23/10 – Coquitlam, BC – Great Canadian Casino Vancouver
• 25/10 – Seattle, WA – Moore Theater
• 27/10 – San Jose, CA – San Jose Civic
• 29/10 – Rancho Mirage, CA – The Show at Agua Caliente
• 30/10 – Las Vegas, NV – House Of Blues
• 31/10 – Anaheim, CA – The Grove

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 Def Leppard initially reached stardom in the UK with their debut album ‘On Through The Night‘, though by the late 80’s they reached worldwide fame, with singles such as ‘Photograph’ and ‘Pour Some Sugar On Me’ becoming glam-rock classics. ‘Hysteria‘, released in 1987, sold over 25 million copies worldwide and became a defining moment for the band. Since then, they have been a household name, with people still wearing the band’s merchandise 40 years later.

Def Leppard’s journey has not been without challenges. Most notably, drummer Rick Allen’s comeback after losing his left arm in a car accident remains one of rock music’s most inspiring stories. Using a custom electronic drum kit, Allen’s innovative approach helped the band continue their rise and maintain their signature sound.

Frontman Joe Elliott shared his excitement about playing to their home crowd with a brand-new show featuring both classic hits and surprises, while guitarist Phil Collen expressed joy about touring again with long time friends Extreme.

Def Leppard have also suggested the release of a new album sometime at the end of this year or early next year. In an interview on ‘The Eddie Trunk Podcast’, Vivian Campbell, one of the band’s guitarists, he said about the release of an album this year “Could be. We’ve got around 17 to 18 songs in development—and a few more coming. We’ll finish it when it’s right. I think of Hysteria—”Pour Some Sugar On Me” was the last song written for that album, but became the hit. We’re giving it the same patience now.” The release of this album may coincide with their summer tour dates so it is a great chance to hear some new Def Leppard releases. Listen to the podcast episode below:

Def Leppard will begin the UK leg of their European Tour in Belfast on June 26. They will then visit Glasgow (June 28) and their hometown of Sheffield (June 30). The band will top off their tour in Birmingham (July 4) before the final date in Manchester on July 6. They will be supported by the US band Extreme, most well-known from their 1990 single ‘More Than Words’. Extreme are hair-metal legends and will be an attraction in their own right.

Tickets for the tour go on general sale on September 4, though members of the band’s fan club can buy tickets tomorrow, September 2. Tickets are available here. Def Leppard are also headlining Radio 2 in the Park festival on September 7 if you want to see them earlier.