If ever there was place to be in the Midlands tonight, it’s KK’s Steel Mill – for a Saturday night and a bill like this, there’s really no alternative. Riding high off the release of their latest album, Black Star Riders make their grand return to the UK circuit after a few years since the last time. Looking a little bit different in the intervening years, they’re also marking a decade-long career, with Scott Gorham returning only for these UK dates and bringing along two supports, each with their own dedicated following, to ensure any self-respecting classic rock fan has a great night out.
Much like tonight’s headliners, Phil Campbell and the Bastard Sons look a little bit different. With Joel Peters having taken the vocal reins for the past year and a half, he’s firmly bedded into the band now as one of the Bastard Sons. As Tyla and Dane Campbell take their spots on the rhythm section (bass and drums, respectively), Campbell Sr follows Peters onto the stage for a streamlined configuration with Todd Campbell (guitar) conspicuous by his absence. Some quick research indicates he’s not been on any of these dates but the band appear unfazed; let’s remember Campbell spent his time in Motörhead as both the sole guitarist as well as sharing the duties with Würzel. Regardless, the punk-ish element which has been in the Bastard Sons’ sound is elevated here with the missing guitar. After a quick intro of newer material of “We’re the Bastards” and “Bite My Tongue” from the album of the same name of the former, the rest of the material comes from their debut album and a couple of Motörhead classics peppered in for good measure.
Peters may not be as energetic on-stage as his predecessor but he cuts an imposing and enigmatic figure, handling the Bastard Sons and Motörhead material with ease. Meanwhile, the Campbell rhythm section are in perfect lockstep with each other, proof of years of playing together as bandmates and brothers. And then there’s Phil Campbell, like another guitar hero on tonight’s bill, he’s effortlessly cool, nonchalantly playing his work effortlessly like you would drive to your local supermarket for a pint of milk. “Get On Your Knees” still has the two teams of Team Phil Campbell vs Team Bastard Sons but tonight, it’s Team Tyla Campbell instead. Then after “Dark Days” we all flip off Tyla, not because our side lost to his dad’s team, rather, it’s because he introduces the final song of their set with that bassline for “Ace of Spades” for their final song. The last time I saw this band was way back at the tail end of 2019 and given they’ve not stopped for the last eighteen months, the quartet are playing just as I remember them.
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After one of the quickest changeovers ever and an insane number of bodies onstage to make it happen, Michael Monroe and his band take to the stage for the second of three legends to make an appearance. Albeit, the band take their marks first and after the group huddle, Monroe himself bounds into view with the energy of a toddler who has been mainlining sugar for twelve hours. It’s not long into the set before Monroe has crossed the no-man’s land of the photo pit and is singing in the faces of the front row. Because of his sheer energy, for most of the performance, there’s a sixth person on-stage, the roadie constantly running from the wings to sort Monroe’s microphone stand so it’s not a trip hazard for others, untangling the mic wire and putting in-ear monitor’s back in guitarist Steve Conte’s ears.
As their brand of sleazy, punk-infused hard rock is bold and muscular, it has the crowd moving and there’s some very obvious die-hard fans. There’s a flamboyance to Monroe’s lithe movements and he’s got a great band behind him who work well as a unit. The only disappointment comes in Monroe’s voice itself, sounding tired at points, pushed beyond its capabilities, almost as if it’s struggling to keep up with the rest of his body. However, he more than makes up for it in his capability as a frontman. Regardless, it’s a hard-hitting performance from a well-oiled band, taking a technical hitch from the saxophone in their stride. Whilst Monroe attempts to rectify it, the band takes time to banter with the crowd and despite not working, it’s taken with a shrug and the show goes on. Naturally, it’s a set full to the brim with Monroe’s solo material but there’s also a taste of Demoltion 23 and of, course, Hanoi Rocks, including a rendition of “Up Around the Bend”, faithful to the Hanoi Rocks version which closes out their section of the evening.
It’s not long before Slade’s “Cum on Feel the Noise” (the intro for the entire tour and not just a Wolverhampton special) introduces four men. As the punk-tinged, snarling “Pay Dirt” kicks the evening off, there’s still the galloping drums and chunky duelling guitars which bleed pure classic rock. Black Star Riders are back and intend to make up for lost time, showing off their latest line-up to its full potential, loading the front portion of their set with some of the finest tracks from Wrong Side of Paradise. The gritty album track, the sombre and introspective “Riding Out the Storm” and lead single “Better Than Saturday Night” all feature here, the last a number which is quintessential Black Star Riders and likely to become a future set standard.
Firing out Another State of Grace’s title track gives a taste of familiarity along with the boisterous “When the Night Comes In” allows for a little familiarity before the proceedings ends with their cover of “Crazy Horses”. Working much better in the live environment than its album counterpart, it allows the constantly beaming Sam Wood to flex his muscles and through this, the foursome have gelled together well, even if drummer Jimmy DeGrasso is only on these UK dates before Zak St. John takes the stool.
However, it’s at this point in the evening, when the band, who have been nothing short of their usual excellent selves, are elevated as a unit as Scott Gorham joins the band on stage, a man who definitely lives up to the title of “legend”. Each member also seems to up their respective game as the crowd gets louder from this point on, fuelled by a mixture of adrenaline and the impetus of “Shit, dad’s watching us!” And from that point on, the band just pull out great song after great song, all from Gorham’s time with the band, kicking off with the Thin Lizzy-esque “All Hell Breaks Loose”. Seeing the trio of guitars on stage again, it looks right; it looks complete. Standing side by side, you see three generations of guitarist together. But Gorham, he’s a different animal altogether. Effortlessly playing his Les Paul, he just oozes cool (much like Phil Campbell), leaving the energetic performances to Ricky Warwick and Sam Wood.
[Note: unfortunately we don’t have any photos of Scott Gorham doing his thing as it was after the first three songs which is the usual rule for live concert photography. However, I saw from a friend’s live feed in Newcastle that for “All Hell Breaks Loose” in Newcastle, photographers were allowed back into the pit for one song. Other tours with a similar setup have allowed for this in the past which we have covered and photographers allowed back into the pit for one song. So it’s frustrating to say the least to see this inconsistency between venues on this tour.]
After pulling from the early catalogue of the band, it’s only right they throw in a Thin Lizzy cover. Warwick divests himself of his guitar, allowing him to break out all his best dad dancing moves for “Don’t Believe a Word” (and if we’re being honest, since he’s a father, it’s only right, because every dad likes Thin Lizzy and if your dad doesn’t like Thin Lizzy, then he’s not your dad). Now, if you were lucky enough to catch this show later in the tour, the band were also joined by Phil Campbell for this number but unfortunately, it wasn’t to be the case at KK’s. However, there is a guest appearance of Michael Monroe for “Tonight the Moonlight Let Me Down” and his voice is in much better shape than for his own set, albeit a little low in the mix.
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Elsewhere, there’s the aptly ferocious “The Killer Instinct”, the thunderous “Before the War” and the terse and bitter “Blindsided”. But it’s on the last four tracks where the band dig into their reserves to save the best handful of numbers for the finale and forgoing an encore. “Kingdom of the Lost” and “Bound for Glory” have them at their most Lizzy and unashamedly so before hitting the best Thin Lizzy song itself, or to give it its proper name – “Jailbreak”. As “Finest Hour” brings the evening to a close, it may well have been Black Star Riders’ finest hour. Unrelenting in their assault for the full ninety minutes but showing how great their back catalogue is for the hour Gorham is onstage, it’s a great way to pass the torch.
Whilst there seemed to be a handful of technical difficulties, the band professionally take it in their stride. Likewise, Sam Wood handles the material of all five albums as if it’s his own, working well with Gorham to provide that signature twin guitar attack and he’s got some great chemistry with Warwick. A reliably solid live unit, they’ve never put in a bad show, through all their different line-ups. As boisterous, upbeat, fist-pump classic hard rock goes, Black Star Riders have always been one of the best, backed up by Warwick’s poetic lyricism. Bookending Gorham’s time onstage with the most Thin Lizzy-like numbers and keeping the material without him to the start of the night before he joined onstage is also a respectful touch and gives this new line-up and material its own chance to shine. Victory laps don’t get much better than this.
Photos by Gary Cooper Photography
