New Artwork Revealed for Black Country Communion's new album - "2"

Black Country Communion, the English-American hard rock band featuring the talents of bassist/vocalist Glenn Hughes, blues rock guitarist/vocalist Joe Bonamassa, drummer Jason Bonham, and keyboardist Derek Sherinian, have released the artwork for their much-anticipated second album "2". The album will be released in the UK and Europe on June 13th by Mascot Records and in America on June 14th by J&R Adventures.

On June 9, the band will kick off a 7-date US summer tour in San Diego. The band will then embark on a UK/European tour. UK dates include Llandudno Cymru Arena (23 July), London's High Voltage Festival (24 July), Leeds O2 Academy (26 July), Newcastle O2 Academy (27 July), Glasgow 02 Academy (29 July), and Manchester Academy (30 July). 24 Hour Ticket Hotline: 0871 230 1101. Book Online: www.seetickets.com and www.thegigcartel.com.

Black Country Communion's self-titled debut album was released in Sept. 2010 to rave reviews (including our own). The album stormed the #1 position on the Official UK Top 40
Rock Album Chart; #13 in the Top 40 Album Chart and #2 in the Top 40 Indie Album Chart. It made #3 in Classic Rock's "Critics Album of the Year" poll,
while Planet Rock listeners crowned them Best New Band of 2010.

Recent live shows in the UK in December 2010 had the Birmingham Mail calling their performance "rip-roaring" and "breathtaking." Classic Rock reported "a scorching set from start to finish."

Fans can quench their thirst with a free download from BCC guitarist Joe Bonamassa's new critically acclaimed album "Dust Bowl". The album, Bonamassa's twelfth, entered the UK Album Charts this week at #12 and #10 in Germany, making this his best chart debut yet. Download the first single "Dust Bowl" at www.jbonamassa.com/DustBowl.

Chantel McGregor – Halifax Playhouse – 25 March 2011

Firstly a quick work about the venue, I‘ve not been to Halifax Playhouse before it is a lovely little venue that seats about 260 people, a credit to everyone involved with it.

For one reason and another I’ve only previously been able to catch half of a set from Chantel McGregor down at The Barge in Brighouse, which I really enjoyed so I was looking forward to tonight as Chantel moves onto bigger venues and hopefully a bright musical future. The set opened with Joe Bonamassa’s Bridge to Better Days and really set the scene of what we could expect all evening. As well as covers, we also got some self penned songs from Chantel’s forth coming debut CD, which is due out in April and they all sounded really great.
With the exception of a brief acoustic interlude, which ended a great version of Fleetwood Mac’s Rhiannon, Chantel was back up by drummer Martin Rushworth and Richard Ritchie on the Bass who provide a great driving rhythm section through the night.
Chantel now heads out a UK tour, if she is playing near you I would recommend attending, and of course the debut CD is out in April so you can also support her by buying that through her web site.
Before I close I’d like to briefly mention the support act, Patrick McCallion, who played a solo acoustic set. His songs have some great lyrics, which are really well observed.

NH

Accept - Relentless Garage London 17 March 2011

First up Wolf from Sweden who drink from the same cup as Priest,Maiden,Saxon and Accept.

Their 40 minute 9 song set went down well with the assembled masses with a cross section from their 5 album 11 year career. "Skullcrusher" of the soon to be released "Legion Of Bastards"cd was excellent.

I haven't seen Accept since the Metal Heart tour of 1985 and after missing the Islington show in May and with the release of last year's rifftastic "Blood Of the Nations"was looking forward to this immensely.


I wasn't disappointed.


The setlist was as follows.
Teutonic Terror
Bucket Full Of Hate
Starlight
Breaker
New World Comin'
Restless And Wild
Son Of A Bitch
Metal Heart
Neon Knights
Bulletproof
The Abyss
Aiming High
Princess Of The Dawn
Up To The Limit
Burning
Encores of
Fast As A Shark
Pandemic
Balls To The Wall
1 hour and 45 minutes flew past. From the minute they came on the crowd went mad.
Led by the pocket dynamo Mark Tornillo on vox who has filled Udo's shoes more than admirably.
His presence and vocal's do the the old music such a great credit. To his left with a mad grin/stare/smile was Wolf Hoffmann on geetar who had an utter ball all nite. His playing was excellent and always great to see a musician who has had a 30 year career still getting off on playing live.
Same for Peter Baltes on bass who hugged the stage edge all nite. His bass and geetar duel with Hoffmann was brilliant.
In the background we had Herman Frank on 2nd geetar who again had a ball and on drums we had Stefan Schwarzmann who led the decibel onslaught.

The 5 new songs all fitted in so well as I knew they would. Such great riffs and the crowd sang along to old and new songs alike. The 3 song encore was just incredible. 2 old classics with "Pandemic"sitting proudly in the middle with surely the best riff of the last 10 years. The perfect ending as all gigs should be. Sweat rolling down the walls,the crowd screaming along to every word and all leaving with a grin ear to ear and totally deaf!!

Contender for gig of the year already!!

12/10

Black Country Communion add extra date to July UK Summer Gigs

Black Country Communion have added another date to their upcoming July 2011 UK Summer Tour, with their first-ever Welsh concert at the Llandudno Cymru Arena on Saturday 23rd July.  


Tickets  go on sale in the UK on Monday March 14th at 9am via the 24 Hour Box Office: 0871 230 1101

www.seetickets.com and www.thegigcartel.com

The Llandudno date marks Black Country Communion’s first-ever concert in Wales, and will see the band perform songs from their highly anticipated second album, released in June 2011.  The critically acclaimed classic rock group features Glenn Hughes (vocals, bass), Jason Bonham (drums), Derek Sherinian (keyboards) and Joe Bonamassa (guitar, vocals).

BCC’s July UK tour dates in full:

Llandudno Cymru Arena (Sat 23rd July)
Leeds O2 Academy (Tues 26th July)
Newcastle O2 Academy (Wed 27th July)
Glasgow O2 Academy (Fri 29th July)
Manchester Academy (Sat 30th July)


(Photo copyright Nigel Robins)

Europe - Leeds o2 Academy – 26 February 2011

Not sure I can add much to the great review from the show at Oxford a few nights ago, but here goes.
Europe were in great form again tonight, really professional, the sound was really top draw and it was a pity that more people hadn’t made the effort to see them.
John Norum played a great set and wasn’t put off his stride by a string breaking during the open song Last Look at Eden. The broken string ended up in Joey’s mouth during the solo, Hope he wasn’t using it as dental floss, but perhaps that’s how you get those shiny white teeth.
The set mirrored the Oxford show and came to a great conclusion with the Final Countdown.
If you weren’t there you missed a great show.
NH

The Quireboys - Huddersfield Tokyo - 25 February 2011

A new music venue for, and I have to say it has a lot of potential as a venue. On the minus side though there was no beer on draft so I had to make do with over priced bottles of lager all night. That meant of course that I had to have a gypsies kiss half way through the night in the unisex toilets, er uhm, a bit continental for me!

So onto the music, the evening started with a great seven song set from local band Liberty Slaves. I’ll keep an eye open for them in the future.

The Quireboys set was just one big party from the start to finish. All the hits and more were in the set list. The whole band seemed to be having a great time and Spike had a smile that went from ear to ear all night. Lots of drinking, lots of singing and a great night was had by everyone.

 

 

Rock n Roll is still alive

and kicking with this band!!!

NH