I can’t believe it’s only just shy of two years since Black Stone Cherry last rolled into town, their previous visit being on an equally chilly January night in 2023. That night was a double-header with The Darkness and was quite the party. Tonight they’ve gone with a more traditional three-band lineup, bringing new-to-me Ayron Jones, and the hard rocking Skillet in support.
It also turned out to be quite the Moshville Times get-together! I was there with our photographer for the evening Angela, and writer Emma. While picking up our tickets we met Gary and Gavin who were covering photos for other publications, and in the audience were our husband and wife / writer and photographer duo Kristal and Jack. Lovely to see so many of us together, especially Kristal and Jack who weren’t actually married the last time I met them in person!
We got there shortly into Ayron Jones‘ set after queuing for merch, and I’m glad we didn’t miss him and his band. With a hard rock / blue sound that was perfect for the evening, Ayron and friends worked hard to warm up the fairly small crowd, garnering some cheers and hands in the air throughout their set. A hat tip to bassist Bob Lovelace (I hope I’ve found the right name) who was very active during the set and obviously having a great time bouncing around and posing.
Typically for an opener at the Hydro, the sound wasn’t bad if a little echo-y due to them not ramping up the volume, and served the band well. With only six songs to impress the audience, there was little time taken for anything other than blasting tracks and they did it well. As the audience gradually swelled, so did the response they gave the band and I’m sure Ayron left with a few more fans and Spotify streams to look forward to.
The last time I saw Skillet was in this very venue, back in 2013 (as singer John Cooper correctly stated during their set) supporting Nickelback. However, what I saw of them that night was them saying “thank you and good night” as they left the stage due to their early stage time, and me having children to feed before I could leave the house. Finally I got to experience a full(ish) Skillet set, and I wasn’t disappointed.
I’m not hugely familiar with their output, but on the strength of their performance this evening I will definitely be checking them out – and keeping an eye out for future dates, which we were promised. The sound was a bit pants at the start and I thought Cooper’s vocals were very rough… until I put my earplugs in and it turns out they’d just been distorted by the increase in volume after the opening band.
Their music is good – generally empowering in terms of lyrics – but it was their energy that really impressed. Cooper didn’t seem to know how to stand still, and worked through second song “Invincible” without his bass so that he could stride around and get to know the audience a little better. It’s not just the frontman who puts on a show, though. Guitarist Korey Cooper is constantly in frenetic motion and it’s almost exhausting watching her. Then there’s drummer Jen Ledger who impresses on more than one front. Have you ever tried talking while you run and are out of breath? That must be what singing while pounding the skins is like, yet she managed to do the two simultaneously while sounding like she may as well have been at the front of the stage singing into a mic stand.
Indeed, this she did later on, being given the chance to show that drummers (like Angela Ripon – old readers will get that reference) have legs, even if you can’t see them most of the time. Joining Cooper for vocals for one of the songs, someone else – a drum tech – covered battery duties. And just for variety, they threw a cello into the mix for a couple of songs. Fans will know which ones, I’m just happy to say I saw it, heard it, and thought it really added to an already impressive set.
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If there is a theme in the bands tonight, outside of their musical styles, it’s “energy”. From Lovelace’s audience-pleasing poses to all of Skillet to Ben Wells taking all of that and wrapping it into one hyperactive high-kicking package. True to form, the curtain drops, the first chords of “Me and Mary Jane” ring out and Ben is virtually airborne as Black Stone Cherry start their show. I swear the man has springs in his legs.
Even Chris take a shot at a high kick now and again throughout the night, with Ben’s energy being somewhat infectious and the band as a whole rock their way through yet another set filled with classics. John Fred continues to impress as one of the hardest rocking drummers out there, and something about his performance tonight really seemed special. While Arejay Hale may have a bit more flourish, JF (for my money) has the primal edge and is great to watch as he hammers on the untuned percussion. Relative new boy Steve Jewell continues to justify his position after taking over from Jon Lawhon three or four years back, and prowls the stage as if he’s been there from day one.
We do get to compare the acts directly as Jones and Cooper reappear for the three-band cover of The Cult’s “American Horse” that was released pre-tour. This coming together of tourmates seems to be a bit of a thing nowadays, and it’s nice to see bands are more than just people who happen to be on the same bill each night.
A trio of tracks from the band’s latest release Screamin’ At The Sky get an airing throughout the show: “Out of Pocket”, “The Mess You Made” and “When The Pain Comes”. All are well received, but predictably the crowd reaction is more obvious for the better established numbers. The air is punched, claps are synchronised and voices are raised for the likes of “Lonely Train” and “Rain Wizard” from the self-titled 2006 debut album, and Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea justifies its place as one of my favourite of their releases with five songs on the setlist.
It’s Folklore and Superstition, though, which has arguably the best-loved songs. Along with “Blind Man” there are two songs in particular which are always going to engage the audience.
It says something about Black Stone Cherry’s music when the most powerful and well-received songs of the night are ones about loss and togetherness. “Things My Father Said” was originally written for and about others many years ago, but Chris lost his own father not long before this tour started (almost two years ago) which obviously has made the song far more personal to the man himself. He admitted that he doesn’t know on any night whether he’ll end up smiling or crying by the end. Taking on the song solo, not including the audience, this was as poignant a rendition as ever and is always a highlight of their show.
Wrapping up the performance was “Peace is Free”, and halfway through this number Chris climbed the barricade and entered the crowd. Walking pretty much into the centre, surrounded by fans, he gave a great speech about letting everything go, even if just for a moment. As such, the show finished with one member not even on the stage!
Watching from the seated area near the ground floor, it was obvious that the venue wasn’t sold out, certainly not close to the volume of bodies that were present last year. The tail end of the year is always a challenge for bands, with so many tours taking place at the same time, and budgets being monitored as Santa Time approaches. However, this gave plenty of space for some audience members to swing their hips and have a proper boogie!
This was yet another packed show from Black Stone Cherry who routinely bring value-added support. Skillet were well worth the wait to finally see, and it was a pleasure to be introduced to Ayron Jones. I’m already looking forward to the next tour!
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Photos by Skull Lens Photography
