Sunday nights often bring with it the low before the working week kicks off again for many people but if you were at the Black Star Riders gig at Rock City on Sunday those lows would have been firmly blasted away even if just for a few hours.
A late addition to the line up due to Wayward Sons Toby Jepson being poorly was local hard rock band The Howling Tides. The band are familiar to many at Rock City and the support shown to them was just amazing.
No bar hangers, everyone was in position to enjoy the music. What a set! Hitting the blocks at 100 miles per hour, the guys delivered an outstanding performance.
Guitar fuelled Rock ‘n’ Roll from Hayden Kirk and Rob Baynes with added oomph from the hard hitting Herbie on drums and the booming bassline from new boy Adam Brewell. This is one band every hard rock fan should check out.
A very quick changeover and Wolverhampton band Stone Broken filled Rock City from floor to ceiling, wall to wall with riffs and melody.
It has been a while since I last saw the band play live although their albums are always on my playlists and they are epic. Rich’s voice is sublime – a power and tone that makes them very recognisable.
Chatting comfortably between songs and powering through their set list playing so many good songs, ’Let Me See It All’, ‘Heartbeat Away’, ’All I Need’,, and a stunning performance which really tugged at the heartstrings of ’Wait For You’ Chris, Robyn, Kieron and Rich know how to deliver a live performance and closing with ‘Not Your Enemy’ was just an awesome way to end and to lead the way for into the mighty Black Star Riders.
The temperature and volume increased as Ricky Warwick, legend Scott Gorham, new guitarist Christian Martucci, bass man Robert Crane and Chad Szeliga on drums slayed Rock City.
A band that are best heard loud and they certainly where the floor reverberating from the guitars. With a new album released, Another State of Grace songs did take centre stage flourished out with the best of songs from their 3 previous albums, this is very much a Black Star Riders gig.
Opening with ‘Another State Of Grace’ and ploughing through 3 fabulous songs, ‘Killer Instinct’ and ‘All Hell Breaks Loose’ and before Mr Warwick took a breath for a chat.
You can tell from the look on his face that tonight was a good night, smiles and stories flowed throughout the course of their set. I have to mention ‘Blindsided’ – goose bumps, stunningly played and sung.
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee Scott Gorham looked relaxed and happy throughout, he must be very proud of this band, the addition of Christian is a good one with fabulous backing vocals to accompany the accomplished guitar skills.
This is a band that I will never tire of seeing, they seem to thrive on the performance and the crowd loved it all – no lulls, pure class. A fabulous night and one which no one wanted to end.
Review & Photography by Lindsay Smith for metalplanetmusic
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