KK’s Steelmill – 18/02/23
The chance to see three, frankly awesome groups, on one bill is too good an opportunity to miss. So I was on my way down to Wolverhampton to KKs Steelmill to catch this fantastic line up: Black Star Riders, with support from Michael Monroe and Phil Campbell and the Bastard Sons.
Arriving, the venue was already pretty packed, it was a busy one tonight. First up, Phil Campbell and The Bastard Sons, and let me tell you; they did not disappoint. Playing a short ish set of 40 minutes, they delivered balls out, rock and roll from beginning to end. New singer Joel Peters is the perfect fit for the band and works the audience like a master!
Opening with ‘We’re the Bastards’ – as if they needed to introduce themselves, there was a healthy chunk of Motörhead songs included in the set, ‘Going to Brazil’ and ‘Born to Raise Hell’, both early highlights, with Joel getting the crowd to split in two to chant the chorus back to the band in the latter song.
I thoroughly enjoyed Dark Days, the ballad of the set, it was still a hard heavy, chugging rocker. Superb! The 9 song set came to an end with a rip roaring rendition of ‘Ace of Spades’ – as opening sets go, this was pretty special!
Next up, Michael Monroe took to the stage, with his band featuring Sami Yaffa and guitar great, Steve Conte alongside Rich Jones on second guitar and drummer Karl Rockfist. What followed was one of the most incredible displays of rock and roll that I have seen.
The songs are impressive, but more impressive were Michael Monroes on stage antics. He was running all over the place, climbing onto the speakers and jumping over the barriers!! This man is amazing, it was like a proper 80’s rock show!
‘Trick of the Wrist’ and ’78’ are definite set highlights, but I also really enjoyed his take of Demolition 23’s ‘Nothin’s Alright’ – a fantastic rendition. Of course, the band had to play a Hanoi Rocks song, both Sami Yaffa and Michael were members and the song in question was ‘Malibu Beach Nightmare’ albeit a slightly abridged version as Michael’s Sax broke.
Talking to my friend after the gig, he made a comment about Michael Monroe that I have to include, he said “When new bands ask ‘what have we got to do to make an impact?’, this!!” and he hits the nail on the head. This could quite easily be the headliner of the night. Another full on, rock and roll set! What a legend!
Michael Monroe wasn’t the headliner, of course, because that crown belongs to the mighty Black Star Riders. Out celebrating their ten year anniversary, this was going to be an ‘Almighty’ set!
With lead guitar duties initially being handled by Sam Wood, Ricky Warwick takes his position front, centre and the band launch into the first song of the night, ‘Pay Dirt’, from the bands latest album, before launching into ‘Another State of Grace’.
Unusually for a show at KK’s there are a few minor sound issues initially, but these get ironed out very quickly and from mid way through song three, the mix was great! In fact, I think it’s the best I’ve ever heard BSR, from a sound mix point of view. You could hear every nuance.
Sam has really settled into the band well, cementing himself as one of the new Guitar heroes of this generation. We can easily talk about Sam in the same breath as Angus Young, Jimmy Page, Slash, even Scott Gorham.
Speaking of Scott Gorham, a tenth anniversary celebration wouldn’t be the same without him and five songs into the set, after a cracking rendition of the Osmonds’ ‘Crazy Horses’, the lights dim and Ricky Warwick introduces ‘the man, the legend’ and the crowd go absolutely wild!
It was great seeing Scott Gorham back where he is meant to be, on stage with a guitar slung around his neck! He is the definition of ‘cool’ as the band play through their greatest hits set! ‘All Hell Breaks Loose’, ‘Bloodshot’ and ‘Soldiers Town’ before the first of two Lizzy songs; ‘Don’t Believe a Word’. I’ve seen BSR a few times now and I don’t think I could ever get fed up watching Scott Gorham play Thin Lizzy. I, along with the rest of the crowd and the band, was loving it!
Ricky Warwick is a cracking frontman and actually a great guitar player himself, something he doesn’t get enough credit for! Boasting a very impressive collection of Les Paul’s he led the audience on a journey through BSR’s history, it really was a celebration of not just BSR music, but the music that shaped Ricky growing up, as evidenced by the two support bands, both heroes of Ricky’s!
He welcomes Michael Monroe onstage to sing ‘Tonight the moonlight Let Me Down’ and both Michael and Ricky really bounced off each other creating a memorable moment for the adoring crowd! ‘Kingdom of Lost’ and ‘Bound for Glory’ follow, before another Lizzy song. A song that Ricky says ‘Changed his life’ and apparently according to Scott, it ‘changed his as well’! The opening chord to ‘Jailbreak’ ring out and the band launch into the song, the title track of the 1976 album. The crowd love it, all clapping along, what a great party this is!
Sadly, the party had to come to an end sometime and ‘Finest Hour’ was that moment. A fitting end to a great show, and possibly this was Black Star Riders finest hour. They’re ten years in now, Scott Gorham is a living legend, Rocky Warwick is something of a rock and roll icon and the addition of Sam to the band has made an already great band even better. I will be very interested to see what the next ten years has in store for BSR, they are already at the top of their game, but I’m sure in the next ten years, they are ‘Bound For Glory’!!
