“There aren’t any ‘real’ rockstars today,” is a common complaint that I seem to hear more frequently with each passing year. On their latest tour celebrating their album, Kentucky, and first return to Brighton in almost three years, Black Stone Cherry take that idea, blow it out the water and then stamp it back into the ground through the form of hard-hitting riffs, the vocal strength of a freight train and an overall performance which is simply mesmerising.

As the Brighton Dome begins to fill, tonight’s support is… Black Stone Cherry. Yes, the band are opening tonight with an acoustic set of some of their favourite tracks which didn't quite fit the bill for the rest of the show. Beginning with an acoustic rendition of ‘In Our Dreams’, from the moment vocalist Chris Robertson begins, his voice invokes a level of power which is unlike anything I have ever heard. His tones hold a deep sense of anger yet are traced with aspects of compassion and sorrow, similarly, backing vocals from the remainder of the band are phenomenal. Being together for over fifteen years, each of the band have clearly been able to learn each other's capabilities inside and out and capitalise on them to generate a sound which borders on the divine. The first half of the show is varied and inflicts a far greater level of emotion than expected from a hard rock band. Tracks such as ‘The Rambler’ offer an incredibly touching aspect to the evening, you can clearly see how much each lyric means to Chris as every word is delivered with an almost quivering resonance. The acoustic set ends with a crowd favourite ‘All I’m Dreamin’ Of’, which in amongst the power of Chris’ vocals, he delivers a speech concerning the severity of mental illness today and his own battle with depression, an incredibly moving moment and thought provoking end to the acoustic set.

As nice as acoustics are, Black Stone Cherry are a band who thrive on heavy riffs and pounding drums. From the second they return to the stage and the opening riffs of ‘Devil’s Queen’ begin, it is almost unbelievable this is the same band from before! The crowd are instantly on their feet and jumping into one another, regardless of their age. Guitarist Ben Wells is a mad man, he is always running, leaping and kicking his way across the stage yet this bouncing in no way reduces his playing capabilities. Not only is not a single note dropped, his solos are fulfilling and immensely quick to an almost otherworldly standard.

Across the five albums Black Stone Cherry have released, none compromise on quality in any sense of the word and it is evident that every audience member also knows this. Both the older and newer material are greeted incredibly warmly, both with equivalent levels of passion and chanting. An awful level of thought has clearly gone into tonight. Everything from the set list to the strobing intensity of the lighting are executed as though each second has been mapped out, the luminous green lighting for the track ‘Me And Mary Jane’ brings a particular smirk to the faces of many. Chris too is a frontman like few others, not only does his style draw the eye whilst he plays, his multitude of solos and phenomenal powerhouse vocals are simply mind blowing. During song intervals he is more than happy to crack a few jokes to the audience, typically at the expense of the other members, yet all are in good humour. The overall effect of all of these factors offers a perfect representation for not only what Black Stone Cherry are all about, but sets an entirely new standard for other aspiring vocalists to strive towards.

Overall, Black Stone Cherry offer an evening which would be upright foolish to ever pass up on. These guys are what real rockstars are all about, it’s not about having that one catchy song everyone knows, but offering five albums worth of material an entire room is able to bond over, which when accompanied by kick-ass production levels, few would argue that tonight has been one of the best shows they have ever been to. Kentucky is one hell of an album and Black Stone Cherry clearly have far more rock to bring to the world. On their next return to Brighton, these Americans are sure to supply nothing less than the divine calibre of musical beauty they graced this crowd with tonight.
Ben Walker

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