Black Star Riders, Shepherd’s Bush Empire, October 2019

BLACK STAR RIDERS, STONE BROKEN, WAYWARD SONS, Shepherd’s Bush Empire October 12 2019

 

For some reason the guest list passes were not available early at the box office so I missed the very beginning of Wayward Sons’ short set. It was nice to see them inserting singles from the new album like ‘Little White Lies’ and ‘Jokes on You’. They are a smiley, bouncy start and got a great reaction from a very full crowd who were very happy to engage with this apparently popular opener.

 

Also a people’s band Stone Broken work hard to keep the crowd with them playing songs from both their old and new album, although the first album has just been re-released with a new version of ‘Wait for You’ with orchestra. No orchaestra tonight just four hard working enthusiastic band members still very much appreciating the chance to play music for a living having almost given up before they got their first big break. Never taking an audience for granted they always put their backs into a show. It was a shame to see the drummer a bit sidelined due to space on stage with the BSR drum kit already taking most of the space, but not sulking she was her usual happy smiling asset to the band. Radio friendly with wide appeal they kept the crowd going with their easygoing down to earth friendliness and accessibility.

 

Black Star Riders still also have the fire in their belly and demonstrated an enormous amount of energy on stage not letting up from start to finish. As a result there was no lull in proceedings being an absolute firestorm of heavy rock right till the end. There are no Thin Lizzy songs in the set tonight as the band, now on its fourth album of original material, breaks free from the spectre of being a tribute band into success on their own merits. The introduction of new members Chad Szeliga (Drums) and Christian Martucci (Guitar) appear to have reinvigorated the band, Damion Johnson having made no secret of the fact that he wanted to move into genres other than hard rock, whereas the new members are fully on board with the loud and raucous agenda.

 

About a third of the set tonight is devoted to the new album and while some of the numbers like ‘Another State of Grace’, ‘Tonight the Moonlight Let Me Down’ and ‘Ain’t the End of the World’ are very much in the vein of Thin Lizzy, others like ‘In the Shadow of the War Machine; and ‘Why Do you Love your Guns?’ expand the repertoire and I think importantly for the band enable them to keep up the passion for what they do. Everyone on stage has completely bought into the band, its new songs, its message and its future and this authenticity is infectious involving and captivating the crowd. Scott Gorham spends the whole set smiling and calling Ricky Warwick his best friend it is clear this is a working partnership that works on every level. Scott still brings the big riffs and the piercing solos and he’s clearly a man who is by no means tired of putting on a rock n roll show even after a lifetime. Ricky never stops communicating with the crowd making them feel great about having attended the show. He has the ability to make everyone feel included. He has the kind of humble and personal leadership that must have led hoards into battle in the past. Genghis Warwick? Certainly the crowd feel part of his tribe as they respond and chant with fists in the air. It’s a great antidote for forgetting your daily troubles and it’s what rock n roll is simply supposed to do. Ricky speaks directly to the upstairs seats and getting them to stand and dance tells them how good they luck. No one is allowed not to enjoy themselves at a BSR show.

 

‘Underneath the Afterglow’ simply sounds like a classic, it’s very hard to believe it’s a new track demonstrating the skilled songwriting they continue to bring. ‘Finest Hour’ and ‘Bound For Glory’ round off the show which I think shows this band getting into their stride. It will hopefully lead to the right kind of recognition of their craft and entertainment value that they deserve and which while the Thin Lizzy tag was no doubt a blessing it will no longer overshadow what the band are capable of achieving in the future. Tonight we witnesses a different chapter to the band and there’s no doubt there’s much more of this book to be written.

 

Dawn Osborne