Mike Duda from W.A.S.P.

[motionkid]

I saw W.A.S.P. a few months ago and I gotta say 2 things:

A. Blackie still has it after all these years! Sounded ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE!!!!! Little aquird considering I was the only minor in the whole club but it was still a blast being the one exerting the most energy and singing along with every song...

B. For somebody I wasnt expecting much from Mike Duda f**kin ROCKS man!!! He plays his basses so ungodly low but he plays them really well!

So Im just curious if anybody knows anything about him... Ive found a few fan sites but nothing with any interviews or any REAL information on him...

From what I've found I know this:

He used Spector basses when he was drafted into the band in '97 on the KFD tour... used BC Rich basses for the Helldorado tour... switched between ESP/LTD and Spector basses for a while and now uses ESP/LTD basses exclusively...

He's been one of the first users (if not THE first) to use the new Phoenix 2 basses... he uses Ampeg amps for touring otherwise Ive found a few shows were hes using Ashdown amps... and he uses Red Monkey straps...

Anybody know what kinda strings, amps, basses or anything that I havent listed that he uses/used???

Any personal info (age, birthday, family life ect...) is cool as well...

[Qvist]

WASP? I thought the lead singer was the bass player of them.. never really noticed the bass, got any clips or something where we can hear it?

[mcapote]

Originally Posted by Qvist

WASP? I thought the lead singer was the bass player of them.. never really noticed the bass, got any clips or something where we can hear it?

so did I, but apparently he now does 2nd guitard and sing, remember his old BC rich warlock basses back around Inside the Electric Circus?

[chubrocker]

Last I knew, Blackie switched back to guitar and brought on Duda back in the 90s.

[Qvist]

Originally Posted by mcapote

so did I, but apparently he now does 2nd guitard and sing, remember his old BC rich warlock basses back around Inside the Electric Circus?

No idea man, I was born in '91 just been watching videoes on youtube

[jaywa]

Does Blackie still wear the codpiece with the saw blade sticking out of it?

That was a classic!

[8guy]

I had the Misfoturne of seeing them in the late 80s opening for Kiss. Blackie hardly touched his bass that gig. he had his hands in the air, Maybe Must have need someone to play bass.

[LowendinFL]

Saw them a couple months ago in Orlando. They were great! They had their old videos playing behind them while playing the song to go with it. Very cool. It was just one of those shows where I wanted to see them before it was too late. Mike Duda plays a ESP Phoenix II. (I think). It looks like a Thunderbird with rounder edges and reverse headstock.

And yes jaywa, Blackie still wears the sawblades on the arms.

[Savage_Dreams]

blackie hasnt been the bassist since '86. he may still have done some bass on the albums but ever since inside the electric circus they have had a bass player and blackies been on guitar. i think blackie did just play bass by default because they couldnt find someone. he always was a guitarist, little known fact: he was a guitarist in the new york dolls (albeit for only about 15 days!)

blackie still does sound bad ass though. mike duda is a solid player too.

[atb]

A little off topic, but IMHO Johnny Rod destroyed the bass line on The Real Me cover, and I mean that in the worst of ways.

[gern blensten]

there's recent sweden rock fest july 2010 video of em on utube. very entertaining bass playing style.

[Greevus]

Love the first WASP LP. Excellent bloody cock rock! I went to see Anthrax, who had just gotten kicked off the WASP/Sabbath tour for WASP's 2nd LP, and Joey Belladonna told me that Blackie didn't really play and there was a tech behind the curtain so Blackie could run around like Paul Stanley. I thought it was funny, but I went to see the WASP/Sab show just after and Blackie wasn't playing! It was really sad actually. He got 'caught' about 5 times pointing and the bass lines would start.

Even so, the first WASP album is still in my top records ever. That shiz crushes.

[KramerBassFan]

Like KISS, you don't really go to a W.A.S.P. show to hear the bass.

Anyways, what ever happened to Johnny Rod?

[motionkid]

I wouldnt doubt Blackie wasnt playing bass considering that he already lipsynchs the backing vocals live... but Johnny Rod I thought did a pretty kickass job on "The Real Me".... after W.A.S.P. I guess he gave up playing for good... he became an EMT or something along those lines... but this isnt about Johnny Rod or Blackie... this is about Mike Duda!! haha