06/12/2008 – Black Stone Cherry @ Newcastle O2 Academy
Posted by john on Saturday Dec 6, 2008 Under Past gigs
Next up is another band who have benefitted from a Download appearance this year – blending Southern Rock roots with furious metal riffs, Black Stone Cherry made their debut headline gig in Newcastle a memorable one.
Have you seen animal from the muppets in full flow? Thats John Fred Young that is.
Never in my days have I seen a drummer take apart a kit quite like Mr Young – during his solo, I swear that it was about to disintegrate before my very eyes. That mental attitude seems to be the whole ethos of Black Stone Cherry and they are all the better for it.
Much like Airbourne, they are a band signed to RoadRunner that are on the rise quickly. This does worry me a touch in the case of Airbourne, whose live reviews seem to be very hit and miss (hit from the show I saw though to be fair), but no such worry about BSC.
A band of self assured, yet down to earth guys, Black Stone Cherry are a band that first and foremost are tight – VERY tight – and they’ve built showmanship around that, not the other way around.
Theres risers to the front of the stage that Chris, Ben and Jon get to abuse as and when, but mostly its about the performance which is all spot on.
Only gripe of the night – what exactly happened to the lights? As much fun as it is shooting in pitch black for 3 songs, it’s not ideal.
Rating: 
Photos:
Setlist:
- Rain Wizard
- Backwoods Gold
- Blind Man
- Ghost of Floyd Collins
- Hell & High Water
- Long Sleeves
- Please Come In
- The Bitter End
- The Key
- Drum Solo
- Reverend Wrinkle
- Lonely Train
- Peace is Free
- Shooting Star
- Maybe Someday
