So the mighty Black Stone Cherry have deservedly made It to the dizzy heights of playing the Royal Albert Hall in London. I think it is far too easy to take for granted the reality of life in a band and what it actually takes to make that mark in your career, to play at a venue of that size, the years of graft and thousands of miles on the road endured before you ever get the luxury of stepping on to such a stage.
These guys walk the walk and talk the talk, if you have ever captured BSC live in the flesh, you’ll know what I mean, they are a savage outfit that brings an energy level, unlike anything I’ve seen before. I remember the first time trying to shoot them at The Telegraph Building in Belfast, and I emphasised trying, they ran their asses off back and forth across the stage like men possessed all whilst ripping it up live on the guitars, bass and Chris keeping those vocals as solid as you’d ever heard.
They make it look effortless, so when they decide to release a live album, it is gonna put you to shame. I have the pleasure of watching the Blu-Ray version so I can soak up all that BSC goodness, see the chaos unfold on the stage and you also get snippets of life on the road, the backstage antics, the toys being thrown out of the pram when things don’t go right, and believe me, that’s par for the course as a touring band, get a day when everything goes right, now that’s a rare thing!
But this is the beauty of a live performance on record, for most fans of bands like BSC unless you fully immerse yourself in their world, you’ll only ever get snippets into the insights behind the band, a live recording opens doors normally closed and you can really appreciate what goes into four guys from Edmonton, Kentucky playing live in your city. Now that blows my mind when you actually stop to think about that, four guys from Edmonton, Kentucky who picked up their instruments like so many before them with a passion for music, ripping it up in their bedrooms, practise room or barn now standing in London at the Royal Albert Hall doing their thing for 5,000 people.
That right there is the magic that binds a band like BSC together, once their songs started to gain traction, and resonate with an audience these guys wanted more, and that drive brought them all the way from Kentucky to London and beyond many times over, the thing that makes this particular gig really special is that it was the first if not one of the first international touring bands to hit the UK after the pandemic started to ease.
The Blu-Ray is 1 hour 40 minutes of Black Stone Cherry goodness, honest to god good old-fashioned rock ’n’ roll at its finest and as Chris and the boys will tell you, 14 years in the making and a night they’ll never forget.
Live At The Royal Albert Hall Y’all! It will be a perfect addition for any BSC fan, or for a newbie to understand why this band is adored by so many.
Check it out for yourself, Live At The Royal Albert Hall Y’all! Friday, June 24th courtesy of Mascot Records, Mascot Label Group.
The release is available to pre-order here in various formats: digital, CD & BluRay, double vinyl and an online exclusive double vinyl in transparent red
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