Words by DJ Monk. Photos by The Dark Queen.
Ever since the band’s inception, comparisons between the Black Star Riders and Thin Lizzy have been inevitable. After all, the band was founded by long-term Lizzy guitarist Scott Gorham and the man who fronted the last (and still sometime current) incarnation of the band, Ricky Warwick. And, it has to be admitted, the shadow of the late Phil Lynott always has loomed large over the Riders’ shoulders. But, latest album ‘Another State Of Grace’ saw them emerge still further from that shadow, with another massive step in that direction being taken on the current supporting tour, which currently is storming its way around these here islands and the other day pulled into the hometown of both their frontman and ÜR ourselves…
Openers Stone Broken are making their third visit to Belfast in as many years, and it is immediately obvious that they are among friends as the generous early crowd don’t need a second invitation from Rich to “make some noise”, generating plenty of their own as the Midlands crüe deliver a set rammed with their characteristic arena anthemics, crammed with driving rhythms and crunching riffs coupled with catchy melodies and singalong choruses.
After dedicating ‘I Believe’ to what he refers to as the “Stone Broken virgins”, many of whom he and his bandmates are winning over with every song, Rich talks about having to talk their record company into re-issuing their debut album, ‘All In Time’, after the release of last year’s second offering ‘Ain’t Always Easy’, Rich talks about the importance of supporting record stores in these digital-led times before mellowing things down by taking the solo spotlight for an acoustic rendition of current single ‘Wait For You’. However, the volume and adrenaline levels are ratcheted up again as they rush headlong towards the end of their generous 45-minute slot (their set has been extended due to main support for the GB dates, Wayward Sons, not making it across the Irish Sea… yet again!).
To be honest, a lot of people have dismissed SB as a cheaper version of Nickelback and, to be equally honest, the sonic comparisons are very obvious. Then again, it is hard to be original these days, and comparisons with other acts are inevitable, but what the Walsall quartet do they do with commitment and a passion to deliver the best show possible each and every time: so far, I have never seen them fail to do just that, and tonight was just another such example of them doing so. You never know, maybe one day Mr Moss and his cohorts might just knock the Kroeger brothers off their lofty perch… we can live in hope!
It’s perhaps not surprising that the first of the Black Star Riders to appear on the stage in his hometown is frontman Ricky Warwick, his grin as broad as the mouth of Belfast Lough, before they blast into a suitably rambunctious and crowd-pleasing triptych of album title tracks, blasting through ‘Another State Of Grace’, ‘The Killer Instinct’ and ‘All Hell Breaks Loose’ in double quick time. Once again it is obvious from the outset that Warwick may be the band’s nominal leader, but Scott Gorham very much remains its commander-in-chief, with his calm but emphatic presence stage left.
Previous guitarist Damon Johnson was always going to be a tough act to follow, but it is also quickly clear that NKOTBSRB Christian Martucci has quickly stamped is own identity on both the band’s sound and image, his punk heritage both the perfect counterfoil to Warwick and counterpoint to Gorham.
Three songs in, Warwick makes one of his few spoken interjections – perhaps conscious of the tight timescale of the gig (they’re supposed to be off stage for 10pm so the hundreds of rockers can be kicked out to make way for some form of a bingo/karaoke club night) – talking about how nights such as this make him remember why he has loved rock ‘n’ roll so much for the past 30+ years, and it’s “because we lock the politicians and their bullshit outside for a couple of hours and just enjoy ourselves”: an apt intro to ‘Testify Or Say Goodbye’, which once again has everyone, right to the back of the room, bouncing and singing along (now, you’ll not see that at many bingo clubs!).
As mentioned above, the between song niceties are kept to the bare minimum, but the rock ‘n’ roll is kept at 11 as they deliver a thoughtful and well-paced set drawn from their four album catalogue: and, what is noticeable is that there is, finally, not a single Thin Lizzy song on the list, as if the band are once again determined to prove that they have moved out of the shadow of the band from whose embers they were conceived.
In between established crowd pleasers such as the rousing ‘Hey Judas’, the poignant punch of ‘Soldierstown’ and the fire of ‘Bloodshot and the groove of ‘Dancing With The Wrong Girl’, new opus ‘Another State…’ is very well represented, with six of its ten tracks scattered throughout ‘Tonight The Moonlight Let Me Down’ getting a massive early pop and Warwick using the intro to ‘Ain’t The End Of The World’ to talk about introducing his youngest daughter to the delights of vinyl.
That curfew comes and goes, as Warwick raises a defiant middle finger to it, declaring this to indeed be our ‘Finest Hour’ before taking us deep into the ‘Kingdom Of The Lost’ where we are indeed ‘Bound For Glory’, as the set is brought to a tumultuous and triumphant finale, sending the hoards out onto the pavement outside extremely content in the knowledge that they have watched yet another damn fine performance from one of the best rock ‘n’ roll bands on the planet at the moment.
- ‘Another State Of Grace’ is out now. You can get your copy HERE.
The tour, with the added attraction of Wayward Sons, continues at the O2 Academy in Newcastle Upon Tyne tonight (Saturday 19 October) and then as follows:
- Sunday 20 – Manchester, O2 Ritz
- Tuesday 22 – Bexhill, De La Warr Pavilion
- Wednesday 23 – Bournemouth, O2 Academy
- Thursday 24 – Cardiff, University Great Hall
- Friday 25 – Wolverhampton, Steel Mill
- Saturday 26 – Leeds, O2 Academy
PHOTO CREDIT: All photos © The Dark Queen/Über Rock. You can view our full gallery of photographs HERE.
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