Zakk Wylde really is one of the most recognisable modern-day rockstars. His long hair and beard, large muscular build, funky guitar art and wearing a kilt on stage make him unmistakeable enough. Throw in his many years as Ozzy Osbourne’s right-hand man and you have a bona fide rock legend! A starring performance at this year’s Brit Awards (yes… real rock music at the Brits!) during an Ozzy tribute with Robbie Williams wouldn’t have done him any harm with the majority non-rock, trend- chasing audience and if there’s any justice in the world, some of the millions of TV viewers might even have checked out the guitarist’s very own, well established band, the hard rockin’, speaker shakin’ and altogether brilliant Black Label Society. If you needed any evidence of Wylde’s popularity with rock fans, the massive queue at his signing appearance at the Guitar Guitar shop in Glasgow prior to Black Label Society’s show in the city is proof enough. Fans young and old waited patiently to see the famously amicable rocker and judging by the number of videos circulating on social media, a fun time was had by all! But the real fun was to be found when the vocalist/guitarist took to the stage at the city’s O2 Academy with his Black Label Society bandmates Dario Lorina (guitar), John DeServio (bass) and Jeff Fabb (drums). Support acts Dark Chapel and Venom Inc brought something very different to the Glasgow audience, who had piled into the venue early on to ensure a decent crowd. Las Vegas band Dark Chapel, featuring Black Label Society’s very own Dario Lorina, were dark, heavy and loud… but the melodic and a times even bluesy side of their music meant that the attempt to start a mosh pit by the biggest haired punter I’ve seen in years (complete with football socks?) didn’t quite catch on. Still, it was a slick set of polished music and will have won them some new fans in Scotland. Venom Inc, formed by former members of late-70s metalheads Venom, were a bit more on the extreme side of heavy music in comparison, running through a set of metal originals from their two albums and very much showing they’re not simply a tribute band with Motorhead vibes. The big-haired dude definitely got the mosh pit moving with Venom Inc… and the football sock didn’t move an inch! It was 9.30pm before Black Label Society came onstage, which a few years ago wouldn’t have been an issue for this now seasoned rock and metal gig goer! But with an arthritis-wracked body and not much room to move in the sold-out crowd, I mused that perhaps 8.30pm headline slots are more my kind of thing now to prevent painful joints and much yawning! However, as the large curtain fell and jets of smoke fired into the air, Zakk Wylde bounded onto the stage, bekilted (of course) and full of energy. His stage presence and the heavy, chugging juggernaut riff of opener ‘Funeral Bell’ jolted me back to life as I joined the throngs in pumping my fist and bopping my head. The pain dissipated as the music worked its magic in the same manner as the strongest medication as I watched Wylde start his masterclass. ‘Name in Blood’ from new album Engines of Demolition continued Black Label Society’s signature sound of the darkest, heaviest, rip-off-your-face riffs but with melodic-edged choruses that will have you singing along. ‘Destroy and Conquer’ is no less heavy but has a more upbeat vibe in contrast to the first two songs, whilst ‘A Love Unreal’ reeled the audience in with the most beautiful intro that breaks into a monster riff that caused small shavings of paint to fall from the venue ceiling. Wylde’s ability to play shredding solos one minute and more emotional rock solos the next was clearly on display on the opening four songs, showing the depth of talent and skill that must’ve attracted the legendary Brummie Ozzy Osbourne back in the day. It was a breathtaking opening salvo! The more frantic ‘Heart of Darkness’ and some classic banter with the audience led to a snippet of Ozzy Osbourne favourite ‘No More Tears’, with Wylde ripping through the famous guitar solo with the same gusto as he did during his Brit Awards rendition of the song. The number of mobile phones filming the moment was testament to how special the songs is to fans before the guitarist showed his softer side by taking to the piano to play a stirring and emotional ‘In This River’, dedicated to the late and much missed Pantera due Darrell ‘Dimebag’ Abbott and his brother Vinnie Paul, with their images showing across the speaker stack. ‘The Blessed Hellride’, the pure unadulterated heaviness of ‘Set You Free’, the catchy chugginess of ‘Fire It Up’ and the headbanging, fist pumping pleasure invoked by ‘Suicide Messiah’ brought the show to a poignant tribute to Ozzy Osbourne, with the tearful ballad ‘Ozzy’s Song’ from latest album Engines of Demolition. It was an emotional moment and perhaps an opportunity for some to say a proper final goodbye to the legendary frontman, helped by a large curtain backdrop of photos of Ozzy in his heyday. But of course, no Black Label Society gig could end on a sad note, so the amps were turned up to max one more time for fan favourite ‘Stillborn’. The hordes of rock and metal fans, with dishevelled hair, sweat soaked clothes and high-pitched tinnitus-like ringing in their ears, left the venue and headed out into the Glasgow night knowing that they had witnessed something really special. You see, Black Label Society in a live setting isn’t just another live rock show. It’s worshipping at the altar of rock and metal, loud, proud and unapologetic… and Zakk Wylde is the messiah!

NEW ALBUM "COME THIS MADNESS" OUT ON SEPTEMBER 25 

Tickets will go on general sale on Friday 5 th June 2026 at 9:00 AM

Out Now via Frontiers Music Srl

As a typically rain-threatening Edinburgh evening unfolded, it set the tone for Beth Hart’s return to the Usher Hall. Opening act, Wille & The Bandits, reduced on this tour to Wille Edwards and multi‑instrumentalist Harry Mackaill drew the crowd in. Intimate and quietly confident, their acoustic set was sprightly, earthy, and immediately engaging. A timeless quality characterises Edwards’ vocal style, which occasionally recalls Mike Scott’s rugged clarity and Mark Chadwick’s melodic grit. With a stripped-back arrangement, his voice could shine, and the audience reacted with genuine warmth. Although brief, the set effectively prepared the room for the main event.  Beth Hart’s sultry, unhurried performance of ‘Tell ’Em To Hold On’ saw her step into the spotlight, sitting at the stage’s extreme edge as if she were serenading everyone in the room. Half confessional and half theatrical, that immediate closeness established the tone for the early part of the evening. A sexy swagger, carefully controlled to avoid excess, defined her Parisian-style rendition of Melody Gardot’s ‘If I Tell You I Love You.’ With the band already locked in, they provided tight, understated support, and guitarist Jon Nichols delivered the first of several inspired solos that would punctuate the night. Bill Ransom’s crisp percussion propelled ‘Love Gangsta’ into deeper blues territory. The opening trio of songs evoked a feeling of being transported to a smoky back room far from Edinburgh, where the blues simmer rather than shout. Arriving loud and full of playful bravado, ‘Wanna Be Big Bad Johnny Cash’ gleefully shattered that illusion. Hart’s vocals, delivered with a knowing glint in her eye, were fully aware of the fun she was having as the band launched into a lively rendition of Cash’s signature “boom-chicka-boom” rhythm. The evening then unfolded as a journey through various blues styles, which were by turns raucous, reflective, tender, and mischievous. Hart included a couple of early-set covers, with the first being a piano-led performance of Bobby “Blue” Bland’s ‘I’ll Take Care of You.’ Nichols’ guitar, which complemented the song without overpowering it, subtly enhanced Hart’s vocals. Leaning into the off-kilter charm of Tom Waits’ ‘Chocolate Jesus’ while preserving its emotional weight, they turned the tune into a waltz. Supplying the bulk of the seventeen-song set, however, was Hart’s own catalogue. In a reflective mood, she chose songs for her set list, which she alters almost nightly, to explore vulnerability and fire. Matching Hart’s intensity as she growled her way through each line, the band delivered ‘Fire on the Floor’ and ‘Saviour with a Razor’ with raw energy. Anchoring the chaos with a steady pulse, Tom Lilly’s bass work was particularly strong here, while Nichols’ guitar cut through with slashes of electric punctuation. Speaking openly about her hardships and then performing ‘St. Teresa’ as an intimate solo was one of the night’s most moving instances. ‘Leave the Light On’ followed. Sitting alone at the piano, Hart bared her soul with a level of honesty that left the hall silent. This served as a reminder that the artist, despite her swagger and powerful vocals, had genuinely experienced everything she performed. With the full band back for a series of acoustic-leaning songs including ‘Baby Shot Me Down,’ ‘Fat Man,’ ‘Broken & Ugly,’ and ‘House of Sin,’ the mood brightened once more. With a sense of camaraderie and looseness, these songs closed out the main set, as the musicians clearly enjoyed the chance to strip things back and play with a different texture. As Hart and the band left the stage, the audience’s enthusiastic standing ovation was understandable. They returned quickly. Earlier in the evening, Hart had revealed that a bug was going around the band and that she wasn’t feeling her best. That truth, however, only amplified the impressiveness of her performance. She opened the encore with a sublime rendition of ‘War in My Mind,’ her delivery imbued with a depth that showed she was tapping into emotional reserves instead of physical strength. Following that was a minor rebellion. Although the venue’s curfew was approaching, Hart persuaded her husband and manager that there was still time for an additional song. A gift to the audience, the rarely played ‘There in Your Heart’ emerged as a tender and understated duet performed by Hart and Nichols. This offered a beautiful finale that fitted perfectly with the tone of the evening’s set. The crowd delivered a thoroughly deserved second standing ovation, rising to their feet once more after the final encore. Throughout the evening, Hart was tender, fierce, loving, a bit naughty, and entirely captivating. Her stage presence vibrated with genuine electricity. One of the most expressive and emotionally fearless performers in today’s blues and soul scene, she continues to impress. Hart provided a performance that seemed both refined and unplanned, supported by her exceptional touring band: Jon Nichols on guitar, Tom Lilly on bass and upright bass, and Bill Ransom on drums and percussion. Her live performances come highly recommended for anyone with even a slight interest in the blues. Having been a superb night out, rich in sentiment, mirth, and musical brilliance, the Usher Hall patrons left with the distinct impression that they had witnessed a truly special occasion.

They say that if life gives you lemons, you should make lemonade. In her own words, Cassidy Paris “went through some shit last year”. In rock & roll / Spinal Tap terms, you could say “if life gives you shit, make a shit sandwich”, or, as Cassidy has done – turn all the crap, setbacks and trauma into a bitching good set of songs and get back out there. And so, it came to pass, that the young Aussie rock chick did come back to finish what she started – stronger, older and wiser after a string of recent positive experiences, and with a second album ‘Bittersweet’ to share. To start the show, Cassidy is in ‘Bad Cop’ persona for ‘Walking on Fire’ and the set includes other fan favourites from her very strong debut album ‘New Sensation’ including ‘Like I Never Loved You’ and ‘Danger’, plus a throbbing and pulsating ‘Midnight Desire’. Incidentally, The Dreadnought is perfect for midnight desires on a Saturday night, as its upstairs rock club is open until about 3AM. Equally, it is also good for a quick getaway back to Edinburgh, with trains at 22:46 and 23:16 from the nearby station and there were quite a few Edinburgh folks in the crowd after this gig was switched from the now under-renovation Bannerman’s Bar. I’m sure most of them saw it as an upgrade in terms of facilities. The bitter and the sweet are on show from that second album, including ‘Butterfly’, ‘Wannabe’ and ‘Getting Better’ and for sure, Cassidy is getting better. Her voice seems even stronger, she’s got some kick-ass stage moves and she is very mature, polished, entertaining and professional. Her mix of big 80s rock (a hint of Heart and Pat Benatar here and there) blended with a modern diva vibe (think Lzzy Hale or P!nk) is ready for the big stages, and that’s where she’s been already this year. Not only did Cassidy play alongside some big-name label-mates at Frontiers Festival in Italy recently, she also compered the show, and did a fantastic job by all accounts. Prior to that, she also appeared on the Monsters of Rock Cruise with another batch of mega-names. Cassidy is used to mixing with the stars, in fact she was born into it. Her dad, Steve Janevski is one of Australia’s top blokes and top guitarists and he is known for his stints in Black Majesty, The Radio Sun and now Wicked Smile. He’s on guitar duties again on this tour, alongside drummer Pete Newdeck and a sexy Brazilian bass-playing guitarist called Vinnie Tex. A highlight on the ship was singing Danger Danger’s classic song ‘I Still Think About You’ with that band’s legendary singer / good guy Ted Poley – twice actually (his set and hers). Cassidy went solo on that one tonight, to great effect, but she does get to duet with her new BFF, Russ from Fireheart, on ‘Nothing Left to Lose’ later. After her “Annus Horribilis” last year, Cassidy is having an “Annus F*cking Great-is” this year and it’s not over yet. She’s back in July for a few more dates, including the Maid of Stone festival, and it sounds look like there’s more great stuff to be announced shortly.  Fair play to Cass. She did come back to complete what she had commenced, but she’s not finished yet. Not by a long way. Watch this space.

Released 3rd July on Fireflash Records

Where was Bret Barnes?  He was probably deep undercover on a top-secret mission. He might have been breaking into a hollowed-out volcano and beating up dozens of bad guys with his bare hands, while saving damsels in distress. I asked Carly Simon and she said “he’s where he should be all the time, and when he’s not, he’s with some underworld spy or the wife of a close friend.” She also said “Nobody Does it Better”, which is true, but fortunately, Daniel Hundson out of For the Forsaken was able to stand in on bass for this gig supporting Cassidy Paris in Bathgate. Fortunately, Bret’s backing band Fireheart were on great form as usual. They had made a few friends in these parts supporting Dan Byrne in Edinburgh, so there was a good turnout down the front for their set and they certainly made a few more new friends after what was only their 16th show ever. At first, I thought Fireheart was maybe a naff generic random-generated name, but now that I’ve seen them twice, it is clearly very appropriate as they play with fire and passion and a lot of heart. They are very good and already have some monster songs with big hooks, even bigger harmonies and some euphoric melodies. That starts with ‘Wild Hearts: Wild Nights’ which sets the tone, and continues with more great and uplifting songs from their ‘Rise’ EP like ‘(Good is) Good Enough’ and ‘I’m Not Dreaming’. There is a soul to this band and a sense of fun too. They’ve been making some hilarious social media videos with Cassidy and her crew on the tour and they carry that onto the stage. Russ Grimmett is an engaging presence and he can certainly hit some notes. He’s backed up by Kev Baker on “woah-ohs”, jokes and wacky facial expressions. Russ later joined Cassidy for a song and they’ve got a playful ‘sneak a specific word into the stage chat’ game going that Russ won for the first time with “eyebrows” while young Cass failed on “carburettor”. At this stage, Fireheart are recognisable faces but still relatively unknown as a band, but everywhere they play they get a great response and that leads to repeat customers, good vibes and word-of-mouth recommendations. They are making a name for themselves in the best way. Tonight’s set featured some unreleased new songs and there is an album in the works, so the path to global domination seems clear. Just don’t ask Bret Barnes where he’s been. If he tells you, he might have to kill you.

If you are looking for an unbiased or critical review of last week’s Christopher Cross show in Edinburgh, this is not for you. I am a confirmed fan-boy, as evidenced in my gushing review for Rockfiend on what I thought at the time would be Christopher’s one-and-only Scottish concert in 2019. (link at the end). Since then, he’s been very sick and recovered from illness, and now he’s come to my home town to play in the magnificent Usher Hall in front of another enthusiastic audience – a fitting stage for his talents. To start the evening, Chris Difford from Squeeze ambled on for a hilarious stand-up comedy routine interspersed with some groovy Squeeze tunes performed solo acoustically. His name-dropping stories are as funny as, particularly when talking about some of the “wankers” he met when filming Top of the Pops back in the day, and playing darts with Peters & Lee (allegedly)! The “Deptford Dylan” isn’t that marvellous a singer, but his historical South London musical street poetry is still first-class, with ‘Up the Junction’ and ‘Cool for Cats’ being particularly well-received. A national treasure, bless ‘im. The stage was already set up with a giant backdrop of “that” album cover. The flamingo has long been the easily-recognisable symbol for Christopher’s music, but I’m not sure how appropriate it is really. The exotic pink birds are nice to look at obviously, but they’re also a bit smelly, make a dreadful honking noise and are famous for standing on one leg, so maybe Jethro Tull might have been more appropriate? Apparently, Christopher had the album art work long before the first album was made and the rest, as they say, is history. That self-titled debut was released a few months after my 18th birthday on 27th December 1979, so effectively, it was the first great album of the 1980s. For me, it is one of two “perfect” albums that I own; every song is genuinely great, and there are some all-time classics on there, but as well as Christopher’s own performance, it also features the very best backing singers and musicians of the day and it is beautifully produced. The only other album that gets a “perfect” rating from me is ‘Bat out of Hell’ by the way. Although all the songs from the debut album were played, the show opens with the brilliant ‘All Right’ from the excellent follow-up ‘Another Page’. There’s a very cool jazzy feel to the arrangement and that continues throughout the set, with groovy bass, classy piano and whiplash-smart drumming, and of course, the ever-present Andy Suzuki blowing the sax and other assorted horn-style thingies to great effect. When the great man starts to sing, the timbre of his voice is unmistakable, but sensibly, he’s got three very fine lady backing vocalists along to share the heavy lifting and his guitar playing is still outstanding too.  The whole set is deliciously laid-back, fragrant and “yachty” in the best of ways. A short acoustic interlude includes ‘Spinning’, ‘Words of Wisdom’ and ‘Back of My Mind’ from the 1988 album of the same name. If you happen to paint the Mona Lisa on your first trip to an artists’ studio then it’s good news and bad news. Your finest work will be immortal but everything else will be in the shade by comparison, no matter how good. Christopher actually has a flamboyance of flamingo-covered albums and they are all full of juicy goodness. He seems to be at peace with that, judging by his self-deprecating comments and his joking reference to any “weirdo obsessives” in the crowd that might recognise ‘Dreamers’ from the flamingo-less ‘Doctor Faith’ album from 2011, although he did note that it was currently trending on Spotify for some reason - “whatever that means”! Of the classics, ‘Sailing’ evokes swoony noises from the mature audience and ‘Arthur’s Theme (Best That You Can Do) is the most filmed, but all of the not-so-deep cuts are absolutely gorgeous in their re-mastered form. It ends, of course, with ‘Ride Like the Wind’ which even provokes some unwise dancing in the aisles, but everyone goes home happy. Earlier this month, Christopher celebrated his 75th birthday with a show at L’Olympia in Paris which was recorded for posterity. With Alan Parsons on production duties, it should emerge as a live album shortly. It should be a fine record of a classic artist and I hope we will see him back on these shores again some time.