Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 9/10

It is the type of bill in which any self respecting lover of Rock might have to believe there was a possibility that Heaven might actually exist but it was to be found at the entrance to the motorways that surround Birmingham and be the spiritual home of the Rock and Metal extravaganza for the U.K. If the thought of Whitesnake and Def Leppard wasn’t enough to start salivating over then the opening act on the night, the exceptional Black Star Riders was surely enough to have the thought of a great Rock night out, arguably the last great one in the Birmingham area before Christmas, explode like the contents of the finest bottle of Balvenie onto the taste buds.

In the Black Star Riders, there resides the raw power to strip away any thought of dissent to the Rock fraternity, to offer the type of music that may have once gathered in the blood vessels of the Rock beginner and to see it poison the anti guitar hero build up that had steadily infected them and offer a cure in the guise of a band that fuses the honesty and showmanship of Phil Lynott with Hell quaking and buckling under the pressure of Ricky Warwick’s soaring vocals and Scott Gorham’s immense prowess.

Opening for Whitesnake and Def Leppard might be enough to bring in a crowd to anyone’s performance but for Black Star Riders it is not just to be expected, it is to be demanded, it is the thrust of Concorde and the elegance of a gliding swan all rolled together in a night of passion that can act as a lover and as a constant companion.

With the Genting Arena’s audience being offered and thankfully refusing the safety of an outside area in which to kneel and take cover from the ear explosion that was about to happen, a packed crowd took shelter in the loving arms and embrace of a band that resonates cool and precision. Tracks such as Are You Ready, The Killer Instinct, Jail Break, Bound for Glory and the stunning Whiskey In The Jar all played human pinball between the crowd’s hearts and minds and with careful aim, enthused the night ahead to the point where it could not fail.

A night of brilliance, started with a bang by one of the best. Exceptional!

Ian D. Hall