Black Star Riders at the Granada
The boys are back in town! Well…almost. Black Star Riders, the latest line-up of Thin Lizzy, performed an intimate show to a crowd of a hundred or so appreciable fans on Sunday night. Though the gathering was small, the frenetic energy onstage, brought by front-man Ricky Warwick, Black Star Riders engulfed the audience in a burst of energy that would burn for their 75 minute set.
Thin Lizzy, having spent 2011 and 2012 on the road, wrote material for a new album, but decided to release it under a new moniker, “out of respect to Phil Lynott and the legacy he created” – but make no mistake, the material is classic Thin Lizzy. Starting the set out with their first single, Bound for Glory, the band seamlessly launched into Jailbreak, the title song from Thin Lizzy’s 6th album, and one I was surprised to hear so early in their set. This would be followed by Kingdom Lost, and Charlie I Gotta Go.
New material blended with the old throughout the night. Often, when classic bands release new material, it seems out-of-place, or just not the same, with the passing and departure of former members; with Scott Gorham sharing writing credit on many of the new songs, the classic sound of Thin Lizzy stays intact. Ricky Warwick also makes the songs his own, while staying true to the spirit of Phil Lynott. The sound is unmistakably Lizzy, but with his own voice.
At one point in the night, an extremely enthusiastic fan, whom collected several guitar picks from Scott through the show (and distributed them among him), shouted to Scott, “You are a GOD!” Scott was quick to say that he was not, and then proceeded to prove otherwise, with his expert guitar playing.
Black Star Riders is:
Ricky Warwick: Vocals/Guitar
Scott Gorham: Guitar
Damon Johnson: Guitar
Robbie Crane: Bass
Jimmy DeGrasso: Drums
Setlist:
Bound for Glory
Jailbreak
Kingdom of the Lost
Charlie I Gotta Go
Hoodoo Voodoo
Soldierstown
Are You Ready
Bloodshot
The Boys Are Back in Town
Through the Motions
All Hell Breaks Loose
Emerald
Finest Hour
Rosalie
The Killer Instinct
Whiskey in the Jar
