BUY THESE DISCOUNTED RELEASES

Black Label Society - Live in Concert

The Palace - Melbourne, Australia

 

Excalibur!

September 24th 2006

The Palace seems to be single handedly bringing hard rock back to Melbourne. Just in the last month Danzig, Sebastian Bach and Zakk Wylde have all graced us with their presence. Now with COG, Malmsteen and many more to follow, things are looking good for the genre once again.

However early Sunday afternoon, there was no doubt who was in town this week, as hundreds braved the weather for more than 3 hours at a chance to meet Zakk Wylde. But disappointment filled the air as most of the loyal Melbourne ‘chapter’ (as they are referred) were turned away. It wasn’t enough to deter these fans though, as later that night they once again lined the streets of the Palace for hours, waiting for the doors to be open. Zakk and his boys would need to bring one hell of a concert, just to prevent a riot. Fortunately there was no riot.

The leather-clad chapter filled the room quickly to see their hero, and as red lights flashed and sirens sounded, the crowd hum turned to a roar. After a lengthy guitar-solo the band launched straight into the heavy rock that’s made them famous. Strangely enough the show started a little Luke-warm and it seemed maybe the fans wouldn’t get what they wanted at all. But Zakk was just getting started, and eventually transformed the night into one hell of performance.

Bleed For Me was an early favourite and got the crowd going, but that paled in comparison to the Mafia opener Fire It Up, which got the whole Palace moving. Zakk pulled every front man and guitar-god trick in the book. He climbed the fold backs to stir the crowd; he played his Les Paul behind his head, and even with his teeth. He was a real showman. Far from the typical skinny, clean cut, high vocalic front man. He resembled more of a waring Viking, out to rape and pillage. The crowd loved it.

After the first brutal onslaught of hard rockers, he settled down for a series of piano-based numbers. He dedicated new ballad The Last Goodbye to fallen Aussie’s Steve Irwin and Peter Brock, stating; ‘Those guys were the epitome of everything Black Label is about.’ He continued on with a slowed down version of In This River, tributed to Dimebag Darrel. After The Blessed Hellride he finished up with all guns blazing on the brilliant Stillborn and the lead off single from the new album Concrete Jungle.

The red lights flashed again and he left the stage. Everyone smiled as Pantera played over the P.A; Zakk Wylde had already left his mark. His old song Somewhere Between Heaven and Hell really epitomizes the man. On one hand he’s this blazing heavy metal god, spitting, swearing and punching his way through the set. Then on the other hand he is a sensitive God-fearing man, sitting at a piano, and pouring his heart out on another bittersweet ballad. He summed it all up in his final parting words; “God bless…motherf@#%ers!”

We also caught up with Black Label Society bass man JD - Read It Here

	Blessed Hellride

		"Godbless...motherf@#%ers!"

 

 

*The written portions of this article were also published in Beat Magazine, Australia

 

 

 

 

All images, logos, and pictures are trademarks or registered trademarks of Saviours Of Rock or their respective owners, and are protected by copyright laws in the USA, Australia and other countries.  Except as required for normal use by a viewer of this web-site, nothing pertaining to this web-site or  its contents may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or  by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the express written consent of Saviours Of Rock or its respective owner.

Copyright ©2006 Saviours Of Rock TM. All Rights Reserved.