It’s amazing how fast time can fly by. It was over 10 years ago when this reviewer was at an English gig. But more importantly, it had been this long since our headline act last graced the UK shores. Birmingham was ready to scream and shout, for the return of the mighty Black Veil Brides!
Kicking off this sold-out tour was California’s own, Cemetery Sun. Even though they had their gear stolen the last time they were in the UK, this certainly didn’t dampen the band’s spirits. As this four-piece put on one hell of an energetic set, with tracks such as ‘Fake Love’ and ‘Fly.’ I have to say, there were times when if I closed my eyes, I could have sworn I was listening to Linkin Park! Primarily from lead vocalist Josh Doty, who had a very Chester Bennington influence in his voice.
I had heard a lot of great things about our main support, and it’s safe to say I wasn’t disappointed. As we were treated to a performance from the queen… sorry… KING herself; Lilith Czar. Safe to say Lilith was enjoying her time across the pond but spent most of the night making sure she was pronouncing “Birmingham” correctly. I’ll admit, I wasn’t sure what to expect for this set, but Czar and her gang put on a high-octane, rock ’n’ roll show like no other. Including a fun rendition of Stevie Nicks’ ‘Edge of Seventeen.’
The slowed-down performance of ‘Lola,’ from her debut album Created From Filth and Dust, really touched home for Lilith. As the English crowd lit up the entire room with their mobile phone lights. But the female-empowerment-themed ‘King’ and ‘Anarchy’ brought this sensation to a close. I got to give a special mention to the drummer, Lindsay Martin, whose power and energy behind the kit nearly brought the house down!
After a short intermission, the lights dimmed and the ominous organ from ‘Phantom of The Opera’ bellowed throughout the venue. Yes, it was time for these goth icons to take to the stage. There had been a couple of minor sound issues at the start, but this didn’t stop the BVB train. As they bulldozed their way through such crowd pleasers, as ‘Rebel Love Song,’ ‘Wake Up’ and ‘Scarlet Cross.’
While all voices were loud and clear, all eyes (including this reviewer’s wife) were on the handsome devil himself; lead vocalist Andy Biersack. Who took every moment he could to appreciate the UK crowd for continuing to love and support the band – even after a long wait to come back! Dual guitar harmonies from both Jinxx and Jake Pitts were certainly impressive, but it was when Jinxx brought out his violin during ‘Shadows Die’ and the moving ‘Lost It All,’ that was more impressive. As it just added a different dynamic to the night, plus it was fun to watch Jinxx shred a violin.
Unfortunately there was a brief show stoppage, as the band were made aware off a couple of fans who had fallen ill during the set. But when all was said and done, Biersack thanked the professionalism of the security and the crowd for spotting the incident, as he dedicated ‘The Legacy’ to such a supportive audience. The massive hits of ‘Fallen Angels’ and ‘In The End’ brought this outstanding show to a close; and while the BVB Army gagged for more, we can only hope it’s not too long until the band return again.
Review & Photography: Marc Leach
Black Veil Brides have an announced a UK tour in February 2023. The run begins on 14 February in Norwich and culminates in a London show on 25 February at The Troxy in London. Tickets go on sale at 9am on Friday 28 October. The full list of dates can be found here:
Tuesday 14 February UEA, Norwich
Wednesday 15 February 02 Academy, Bristol
Thursday 16 February 02 Institute, Birmingham
Saturday 18 February Rock City, Nottingham
Sunday 19 February NX, Newcastle
Monday 20 February 02 Academy, Glasgow
Wednesday 22 February Academy, Manchester
Friday 24 February 02 Guildhall, Southampton
Saturday 25 February Troxy, London
NEW EP THE MOURNING IS OUT NOW
VIA SUMERIAN RECORDS
https://sumerian.lnk.to/TheMourning
Black Veil Brides have recently released their new EP The Mourning. The new 4-song EP was released on October 21st via Sumerian Records. The Mourning was produced and mixed by Erik Ron (Godsmack, Bush and The Faim) and can be pre-saved via the following link: https://sumerian.lnk.to/TheMourning.
Find Black Veil Brides online:
Website: http://blackveilbrides.net
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/blackveilbrides
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blackveilbrides/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/blackveilbrides