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Graham Clark
Music Features Writer
@Maxximum23Clark
12:52 PM 14th March 2015
arts

Black Star Riders And Europe - Leeds o2 Academy

 
Black Star Riders
Black Star Riders
Rock music appears to be back in fashion again. Black Star Riders new album, The Killer Instinct debuted inside the Top 20 of the UK album charts last week.

For those who do not know who Black Star Riders are, the group were formed by Thin Lizzy guitarist Scott Gorham and are fronted by ex-Almighty singer Ricky Warwick. Warwick does posses some of the vocal tendencies that Thin Lizzy frontman Phil Lynott had so when the band perform the old Think Lizzy tracks tonight such as Jailbreak, Are you Ready and The Boys Are Back in Town, it does sound convincing.

The aforementioned new album though has some good rock tracks on it and the band perform these during their 90 minute set: Charlie I Gotta Go, Soldierstown and the album title track, The Killer Instinct. Of course their past glories sound as good as ever but you can see hear the melody and Lizzy influences on their newer material Of course it would not have been complete without Whiskey in the Jar and Ricky Warwick's take on the track is as faithful to the Thin Lizzy version. Polished and professional the band was a pleasure to watch and hear.

Lead Singer, Joey Tempest - Europe
Lead Singer, Joey Tempest - Europe
Europe will always be associated with "that song", the Final Countdown is a rock music classic but like the Black Star Riders, the band have a new album to promote with the title track of the album, War of Kings opening the show.

His hair may not be as long as in the mid 80's but lead singer Joey Tempest can still pose and preen with the best of them, his mannerisms reminding me very much of ex Deep Purple and Whitesnake singer, David Coverdale.

Admittedly it is their older tracks which resonate best with the fans, Last Look at Eden, Superstitious and Rock the Night sounding as good as you remember.

With the 11pm curfew getting ever nearer the band culminated their set with the track that made them famous all over the world. They must have played the song thousands of times but they made the Final Countdown sound superb yet again.

A night of classic rock from two acts who are still writing and performing new tracks.