This past Thursday in the peak of Glasgow summer (the random four days we get in May), a mass of metalheads young and old descended on the O2 Academy. The gig was sold out well in advance to see what was Black Label Society’s first Glasgow show since their 2015 gig at the departed ABC. Legends Venom, Inc. and relative newcomers Dark Chapel were the support line-up, and I doubt this did much to hinder ticket sales.
After I managed to conquer the queue to get through the door and found myself a space, Dark Chapel were already half-way through their set. From the looks of the crowd though, it seemed a good majority of them were better prepared than me and had got down nice and early because the room was pretty busy. Led by Black Label Society guitarist Dario Lorina, Dark Chapel play good old-fashioned heavy metal which worked perfectly as the opening act of the night.
The band are a great showcase for Lorina, allowing him to be the frontman and take centre stage, which I don’t imagine is always possible in his main job. In the half a set I saw, there were riffs, there were solos, and there was a cover of the Bill Withers classic “Ain’t No Sunshine” that breathed a heavy new life into the song, with soulful gritty vocals and tight guitar playing. They didn’t seem out of place on the massive stage of the O2 Academy, in front of what was a fairly sizable crowd, and they did a great job in getting everyone set for the rest of the night.
By the time Venom, Inc. took the stage, I reckon the majority of the sold-out 2500 crowd were in the building and keen for some British Black Metal. The band duly obliged. There was no messing about and no gimmicks, just a 45-minute set that showed why Venom, Inc. are one of the most respected and influential bands in the scene. Tony “Demolition Man” Dolan made sure there was nobody left wondering about his nickname, as he and his bass smashed their way through song-after-song of the finest and heaviest of black metal, with Marc Jackson and Curran Murphy adding their weight to proceedings with guitar and drums.
The three of them played heavier and more extreme than a band with double the members (and half the age) could, and the crowd was loving it. There wasn’t any let-up in their playing and they gave the crowd exactly what they came for. An inspired choice as the main support, Venom, Inc. could easily have been the headliner based on their set and the reception they received.
After all that, the crowd were ready for the main event. The energy and excitement were palpable as the crew started prepping the stage for our headline act, all under the big curtain of secrecy. Although the mystery was punctured somewhat by an Ultimate Warrior mask-clad Zakk Wylde coming out to film some Instagram content with the crowd.
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When the curtain finally dropped and Black Label Society roared into “Funeral Bell”, the place went feral, and for the next near hour and a half the energy didn’t let up. It took about 30 seconds for the first crowd surfer to go over the top, and they just kept coming; special mention to the guy crowd surfing in a kilt, and also the poor folk under him who must have had quite the view.
The set was the perfect mix of songs from across the albums including recent release Engines of Demolition. By my count the first five songs were each from different albums, showing the breadth of hits the band have. The night’s mid-point saw Zakk and the band in a reflective mood. A man who is lucky enough to have called some of the biggest and most influential names in heavy metal his friends, Wylde and the band took some time to pay tribute to those that he had lost.
A ferocious version of the Ozzy classic “No More Tears” and an emotional rendition of “In This River”, dedicated to Dimebag and Vinnie Paul, which saw Zakk take to the piano, brought some real emotion to the room. Despite this heavier moment, the energy never dropped, with the crowd and the band still having a lot left to give.
As you would expect from a Black Label Society gig, and any gig involving Zakk Wylde, the guitar playing throughout was phenomenal. I lost count of the number of different axes he wielded over the course of the night and watching him play, fully decked out in a kilt, was something to behold. Not to forget the rest of the band, who as Zakk introduced them one by one made sure we all knew they didn’t love Glasgow as much as he did.
Dario Lorina pulling double duty and never faltering for a second, John DeServio and Jeff Fabb’s rhythm section must be one of the tightest about, they never stopped. “Fire It Up” and “Suicide Messiah” were the highlights of the night, and a one-two punch that saw the band go all out; there were solos aplenty all over the stage and at one point atop the piano.
Before the night was done, there was time for one last tribute to Ozzy, with “Ozzy’s Song” from the band’s latest release before “Stillborn” sent everyone into the warm Glasgow night buzzing, having just witnessed a band at the top of their game play a belter of a show. It was the type of gig that reaffirms your love for live music. So if you ever find yourself doubting your love for heavy metal, or just music in general, go see Black Label Society and you’ll remember why you love it.
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Photos by Axelle Champion
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