Black Star Riders performing their Heavy Fire Tour at Rock City Nottingham on Tuesday 14th march 2017


Images and Review by Kevin Cooper

Five piece band Black Star Riders have evolved from a touring version of Thin Lizzy to become a great rock band in their own right, as they showed an enthusiastic crowd at Rock City last night.

Showing that their decision to record their own material was the right choice, they are touring to promote their latest album, Heavy Fire. And with two previous albums in the bag it now means that they can showcase their own material which they did last night.

BSR are an impressively tight bunch, with lead vocalist Ricky Warwick having grown immeasurably in stature over the years, whilst lone classic Thin Lizzy member Scott Gorham often leaving most of the lead guitar work to the younger Damon Johnson, who particularly excelled on Hey Judas, a song from their debut album All Hell Breaks Loose.

Opening with Heavy Fire, they followed up with Bloodshot before the fist pumping anthemics of The Killer Instinct had the crowd fired up. Other new tracks were given an outing such as the lovely Cold War Love and the bounding Dancing With The Wrong Girl which had the crowd singing along. All Hell Breaks Loose was well received after a show stopping dramatic Soldierstown.

Without doubt many of the crowd were waiting for the Thin Lizzy material and may have been disappointed, but with the first chords of The Boys Are Back In Town, the crowd erupted. With that being the only nod to the great Phil Lynott, it was a night for BSR to shine. With songs like Hoodoo Voodoo, Blindsided and closers Bound For Glory and Finest Hour, they have certainly broken out of the shadows of Thin Lizzy and are moving forward into their own musical territory. Without doubt, they are now a band to put on your must see list.