Former W.A.S.P. guitarist Chris Holmes recently shared his thoughts on the current political climate in the United States.
During an interview with host Anthony Bryant on “The Hair Metal Guru“, the musician, who has resided in Cannes, France, since 2014, addressed the growing polarization among Americans. He pointed to misunderstandings between citizens on opposite sides of the political spectrum as a primary cause for the divide.
“I’m not saying this to be mean or whatever towards… You could be a Trumper. I’m not saying it in mean. I’m not a Democrat, I’m not a Republican, but a lot of people trusted the president that they voted in, and look what’s going on with the country now. Why is [the price of] gas so high? I thought he was gonna bring ’em [the prices] down, They trusted the wrong guy. I’m not saying I’m a Trumper or non-Trumper… Put it this way, I didn’t vote, so I have no right in saying anything on it. But I am an American, but I didn’t vote,” he said (as transcribed by Blabbermouth).
Chris Holmes further emphasized that partisan loyalty should not overshadow national unity.
“My mom was a Trumper, my dad was a Trumper, my sister, she is, my brother’s not. We’re all Americans. That’s what we gotta realize in the first place. What I can’t stand is ‘it’s us against them’. F**k you. F**k anybody that says ‘it’s us against them’. No — we’re all Americans. Regardless. ‘Us against them’, that’s not right. The division, it’s just sickening,” he added.
The guitarist’s comments contrast with the public stance of his former bandmate, W.A.S.P. frontman Blackie Lawless. In November 2014, Blackie Lawless openly supported Donald Trump during a concert in New York City, describing the then-president-elect as a patriot willing to die for his beliefs.
During that specific New York City show, W.A.S.P. performed the song “Blind In Texas” while flanked by campaign banners. A photograph of Donald Trump raising his fist following the July 2024 assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania, was simultaneously projected behind the group.
Chris Holmes was recently forced to cancel a planned May 2026 tour across the United Kingdom and Scandinavia. The cancellation was due to a minor prostate issue requiring immediate medical treatment.
This health update follows his previous battle with throat and neck cancer. Diagnosed in February 2022, the guitarist paused all touring to undergo seven weeks of radiation therapy. Five months later, he announced that he was officially cancer-free.
Chris Holmes originally joined W.A.S.P. in 1982, staying with the heavy metal act until 1990. He later returned in 1996 for a second stint that lasted until 2001. He has not performed with the band since his second departure.
During a recent appearance on the Rock Interview Series with Thomas S. Orwat, Jr., Holmes was asked whether he would ever entertain the idea of rejoining the band if Blackie Lawless reached out with an offer. The guitarist didn’t mince words.
“No. No,” he responded at the time. “Do you know what happened with my publishing? Why would I play with [Blackie] again? It’d be pretty stupid, wouldn’t it? He’d have to pay me my publishing [before I would even consider going back], and he’s not gonna do that. I’d be an idiot. I’d be an idiot to go back.”
Holmes went on to explain that his frustration stems from what he describes as years of broken trust and unresolved financial issues dating back to his time on the road with the band: “Listen, we’re on the road, and [then-W.A.S.P. drummer] Frankie Banali‘s not gonna tour unless he gets $1,850 [a week], okay? And I’m getting $500 a week, okay? I went to Blackie, ‘Well, it doesn’t seem right.
“I’m one of the guys, main guys that people come to see, and Banali‘s not. But he’s getting $1,850. I get five [hundred]? That’s almost four times as much.’ Blackie grabs me and puts his arm around me and he goes, ‘You’re gonna make more off your publishing. What are you worried about?’ When he knew he was taking my money. When he knew they already wrote me down as a session player. What kind of person is that? You think I’d ever wanna even sit in a room with that guy? No. No. No.
“So it’s not worth it; it’s not worth it to me. And plus — how can you say it? He’s a malignant narcissist, and I don’t wanna be around people like that anymore. There’s no money in the world that’s [gonna make wanna be around people like that]. I wanna be happy. I wanna be around people I enjoy being with, that make me smile, that cr**k jokes. I don’t need to be around people like that. Plus, from [1997’s] Kill F**k Die on, W.A.S.P. was nothing but a depression to play with live because they were sampling, and it’s not live to me. And it hurt me in my heart to be playing, knowing that I was faking it to p[eople] — or the band was faking it. I wasn’t. But knowing that it was faking it. I really hated myself doing that.”
For Holmes, the resentment clearly hasn’t faded with time. He also revealed that even signing old W.A.S.P. albums remains difficult for him because of what he says he lost: “Why do you think I don’t like signing the [W.A.S.P. records]? I never got a penny of my publishing. I can’t stand that band. I can’t stand the band. I can’t stand what he’s done. So, that’s the way it is. And that’s why I wanna play with people I enjoy.”
