Black Stone Cherry, Wolverhampton Civic Hall - review

The band are fresh from Carnival of Madness with a new, intimate tour especially for their fans.

It reaches Wolverhampton's Civic Hall on Tuesday when the boys will be showcasing Kentucky, their fifth studio album, which feels like both a love letter to hardcore fans and their home.

Kentucky is the most aggressive and heaviest album since their eponymous debut back in 2006. It is filled with infectious drum sequences, jam packed riffs and vocals that will make your mind turn to a gooey mess.

What can Wolverhampton fans expect?

"No clothing. We'll do it in our underwear," drummer John Fred Young jokes.

Really? That definitely would be a memorable show.

Roots

Recorded a stone's throw away from their homes in Glasgow – no, not Scotland, we're talking Glasgow, Kentucky – in Barrick Recording, Black Stone Cherry have gone back to their roots by using the original studio which kick-started their career back in 2001.

Their self-titled album was recorded in the same analogue, old school studio.

"It was great going home to do this record," said Young.

The band's 14-date UK tour runs across November and December and follows the release of Kentucky, which came out in April this year.

"We're thrilled to bring this unique experience to the UK," says Young. "We have never done anything like this before."

The simplicity of the set will be a fresh new take for the heavy rock quartet, removing extreme light rigs and pyros that are the norm for rock shows.

Black Stone Cherry formed in 2001 in Edmonton, Kentucky, and comprises Chris Robertson on lead vocals and lead guitars, Young banging the drums and providing backing vocals, Ben Wells on rhythm guitar/backing vocals and even more vocals and bass from Jon Lawhon.

Chris and John have been friends since they were teenagers playing music together.

"We've known each other since kindergarten, so about 26 years," said Young. "We muck about all the time. The other night we hammered each other over who has perfect pitch."

This year's tour will be very different from previous shows. "It really warms me that we are so well received in the UK. Some of the fans we've seen still wear the shirts from our first tour. I've had fans come up to me with our logos. Even now just talking about it raises the hairs on my back," he said.

In addition to five studio albums, the band also issued a live album which was recorded at the Astoria, London, back in 2007. It was exclusively sold to the crowd immediately afterwards.

The value of that recording has skyrocketed over the years, with mint copies selling for hundreds of pounds.

Young said: "If it wasn't for the fans across the pond, we hillbillies would've been back home doing nothing."

Young hails from a musical family. He is the son of Richard Young, the founding member – alongside his brother Fred – of Grammy Award-winners The Kentucky Headhunters, who also hail from Edmonton.

Black Stone Cherry began working at The Kentucky Headhunters' old practice house and held numerous shows in the local area. They gained a large following in all age groups and in 2003 they released a demo entitled Rock n' Roll Tape. They stepped across the pond four years later.

"The first time we came over was in 2007. It was a massive culture shock since I'd never even stepped out of the US. The furthest I'd got was Canada, I think. My friend was heaving over with laughter with us four looking up at everything in the city, taking a mental picture."

The band were picked up by Roadrunner Records and launched four studio albums that catapulted them from small town in the south onto the world stage.

Their self-titled debut work was released in 2006 and their second outing, Folklore and Superstition, reached number one in the UK rock album chart in 2008. Subsequent albums also achieved high placings in the UK rock chart and top 40 of the US Billboard 200.

"It was good when we were first picked up, but then it became corporate, so it was more challenging creatively," said Young. "We threw a massive party when we got released in 2014."

Black Stone Cherry were eventually signed up by Mascot Label Group.

"We wrote a ton of songs on the road, played at great festivals. We toured the whole year. We were worried we weren't going to be picked up by another label. But thankfully, Mascot were onto us as soon as we were released.

"We met label owner Ed van Zijl over lunch in Switzerland and it was great that we could speak to an executive who actually understands music, what pickups we use, and types of guitars and so on. It was very refreshing."

A fresh opportunity to showcase new songs, Black Stone Cherry's tour will also feature their extensive back catalogue including fan favourites Blind Man, Lonely Train and In My Blood.

"I think it's going to be great," said Young. "We are happy that we can do it the way we can. I don't want to give too much away about the show. I don't want to make it any bigger than it will be," he said.

By Michelle Martin