The rock gods smiled on Calgary, and blessed us with BLS

MacEwen hall was chalk full of rockers on Saturday night, the industrial looking college venue in Calgary making a perfect escape from the cold. An enthusiastic and heavily branded crowd greeted us as we walked into the large room, fired up from openers eyehategod and eagerly awaiting Corrosion of Conformity. There was puke on the floor, the beer lineups were ridiculously long, and the women were as pretty as the beards. It was it was the kind of show where everyone was there for the music. Like, there was this beautiful, unspoken sense of camaraderie. One dude just going around and taking selfies videos with everyone, I don’t even know if he realized BLS was playing but he was super stoked about the whole thing. It’s like we’d just gotten home.

Watching seasoned veterans, CoC just celebrated their 25th anniversary, perform is a different kind of concert experience. What they lack in youthful sweat they more than make up with with confidence, swagger, and flawless performance. Pepper Keenan, Woody Weatherman, Reed Miller, and the always recognizable Mike Dean put on a solid 45 minute minute set. Playing old favourites and tracks of their new release “No Cross No Crown” which have been in my personal rotation since it’s release date “sometime this January” according to Pepper.

 

Waiting by the side of the stage for the Black Label Society banner to drop, I was afforded a unique view of the band, huddled around the drumset, performing their pre show ritual. Their intro music, featuring the Oz-man himself played on as an anxious crowd chanted B.L.S., B.L.S. …. and I just waited like a kid at a candy shop. And then the curtain dropped. Red lights flooded the stage, the band split off to their respective homes, and the spectacle began. The legendary Zakk Wylde standing tall at the front of the stage, waving his hair and pounding out of riffs through the wall of amplifiers behind him. Obviously a guitarist raised on the greats (before he became one) the stage show he puts on is like a lesson in Rock ‘n Roll badassery.

I’ve been a Wylde fan since I saw Rockstar (with Mark Whalberg) in 2001. I’d never head someone do on a guitar what he did in that movie, and it was game changing for me. I’ve since seem them perform live a number of times, and the awe has not even begun to wear off. Over the years I’ve seen bands that display a similar level of musicianship, and a few of the arena rock acts still touring can come close to the level of showmanship, but I have yet to see it all put together in a neat package like this anywhere else. If you are a fan of face melting rock and roll, and Black Label Society is within a days drive of where you, I highly suggest checking out a show. You will not be disappointed. 10/10 would recommend.

Zakk recently launched Wylde Audio, and has replaced all of his Gibson guitars and Marshall amps. He carried signature lines with both of them, and was one of only two to have a Marshall amp to his name. The other being Slash. Having seen him twice with his old rig before the switch, I can say the new gear is not lacking. The wall of Wylde audio branded 4x12s that made up their backline did not disapoint. Many a squeal was nailed, and for my first three in the pit, it was like a waterfall of sonic bliss falling on my ears. Going to be making a trip to the local guitar store to check out some gear. Don’t tell Natalie.

Later in the 90 minute set, the grand piano was rolled out, and BLS performed “In This River”. A moving tribute to Dimebag Darrel, the iconic Pantera guitarist, who was shot and killed at a concert Dec 8, 2004, this song is a staple of the BLS setlist, and Zakk and Dime were very close. Closing the set with favourites Blessed Hellride and Stillborn, once again Black Label have proved why they are and always will be the gold standard of hard rock. It was an honour to report on them, and I again strongly urge you to check these guys out if you ever have a chance. “You will not be dissapointed” is ridiculous understatement. Just do it.

Photos and Review by Dave Di Ubaldo and Natalie Fay. We are photographers based in the Canadian Rockies and if you thought these photos were cool, feel free to check out more of our work at www.wornleathermedia.ca