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Tonight’s show was always going to be an emotional one for a few reasons. It’s the opening night of the 18-date UK & EU leg of the ‘Be Right Here Tour’ tour that spreads into October before the mammoth US leg that ends on New Year’s Eve with a homecoming show in Georgia. Opening nights are always filled with emotion and excitement, not just for the band.
But tonight was special for another reason; it’s the first visit to these shores since the sad passing of Blackberry Smoke drummer Brit Turner, and it falls in the same venue where Brit received a lengthy, and heartfelt, ovation when he was introduced to the crowd last time around back in March 2023. Taking his rightful place behind his kit after his illness forced him to miss a few shows in Europe, the image of Brit Turner beaming from ear-to-ear as he soaked up the genuine, rapturous applause is a heartwarming image that will live forever in the hearts of everyone in attendance. Tonight is a celebration of the huge role that Brit played in Blackberry Smoke. And later in the evening when ‘Smoke frontman Charlie Starr introduces the band during ‘Azalea’, he asks for a big hand for “Brother Brit Turner” – the response is deafening and goes on for quite some time. RIP Brother Brit Turner.
With the original supporting act The Steel Woods sadly deciding to call it quits and pass on the tour, Missouri-native now Nashville-based singer-songwriter/guitarist Bones Owens grabbed the opportunity with both hands. Offering more of a muscular blues-rock-meets-rock-and-roll approach than the straight-ahead country rock of The Steel Woods, Bones Owens, and his two compadres (Doy Gardner on drums, and Sonny Remlinger on bass, and keys) make one hell of an impression: Jeez, they are loud. Maybe it is because Gardner is set up at the lip of the stage, or it’s because he hits those drums with such immense power that every hit results in a blow to the guts of those in front of the stage, or maybe it’s because Owens himself goes with one gorgeous Gibson after another (including a Firebird, and a Flying V) but these guys are loud.
The first thing of note is that Bones Owens sounds WAY heavier live. The new album ‘Love out of Lemons’ (available at the merch desk) is quite polished, but here in front of a few thousand people who are potentially hearing these songs for the first time; that polish is replaced by a gritty rawness with added weight. Owens is vastly experienced (lots of time with Yelawolf), and dressed all in black, and looking like Conor McGregor at his leanest, he knows how to make an instant impression.
Set-opener ‘Get It On’ has a fantastic strut about it, and Owen’s finger-picking style of playing is easy on the eye, within a few moments the notion that Bones Owens is anything Country-related is blown out of the water. Instead, there are hints of The Black Keys, maybe even early Kings of Leon, and a snifter of Led Zeppelin here and there – were there a few hits of ‘When the Levee Breaks’ added during a breakdown at one point, maybe during the killer live version of ‘Rambler’? Anyway, Bones Owens is a revelation. A power trio in every sense. Don’t be tardy, get in early. He starts sharpish. And these guys will blow you away. Literally.
Anyone late into the packed auditorium is met by the bizarre sight of Charlie Starr sans-guitar. The smiliest frontman on the planet is having some tech issues with his trusty Gibson and his having to perform the set-opener ‘Let Me Help You (Find the Door)’, well, in a sense, naked. No matter what his tech tries; the guitar is stubborn and refuses to play ball. Starr takes it all in his stride though, and laughs as he performs like a traditional lead singer; pulls some poses with the mic stand and busts a move or two when fellow guitarists Paul Jackson and Benji Shanks step in. No primadonna tantrums or throwing the guitar down. This is Blackberry Smoke after all, and they don’t do that shit. They are so laidback they don’t walk: they glide.
Normal service has been resumed and Starr is back fully clothed as the familiar strains of ‘Good One Comin’ On’ start up and the first mass singalong of the evening kicks in with the crowd in great voice as they promise to “…keep this party rockin’ till the break of dawn…”. There is something almost congregational-like about a Blackberry Smoke gig. The lines between performer and audience are faint, and there is very much a feeling of togetherness and everyone has their part to play. Paul Jackson? His part is to smile all night as he makes eye contact with as many people as possible. Whereas Richard Turner’s role tonight is of the coolest bassist on the planet. The audience knows what is expected of them and when the singing-guitar intro of fans-favorite ‘Pretty Little Lie’ kicks in – sporadic signs of dancing can be seen everywhere, and judging by the about of guys screaming out the last line “Yeah you a damn liar” there are quite a lot finding the lyrics relatable.
A two-hour 21-song setlist can be quite a slog at times, but Blackberry Smoke are old-hands at mixing it up and usually tinker with the setlist to not only keep it fresh for themselves but also for the fans who will be making multiple nights on the tour – many seem to be hitting both Scottish stops on the five-date UK leg and there are also several that are also heading over the border for the Manchester show. Going by past tours, their dedication will be rewarded by anything but a cookie-cutter setlist.
Tonight though, it’s all about the contrasts to be found in the material on offer. You want heavy? Strap on the likes of ‘Waiting for the Thunder’, ‘Crimson Moon’ (Brandon Still on the keys is crucial to this one, as he is most of the night), or ‘Dig a Hole’ for size. Something lighter? Here comes ‘Hey Delilah’, ‘Ain’t Got the Blues’, a gorgeous version of ‘Azalea’ where Starr’s fingers are hypnotic as he discards a pic to go with fingerpicking style, and the ludicrously talented Benji Shanks steals the show with his mandolin, or ‘One Horse Town’ which stills packs the same almighty punch that it did years ago when Blackberry Smoke first broke the UK. You want to kick up some dust? Here comes Charlie Starr with his cowboy hat for a knockout one-two encore of ‘Don’t Mind If I Do’, and ‘Ain’t Much Left of Me’ (“Well my fall from grace was a sight to see” has to be one of the great opening lines).
Special mention has to go to the stellar work of Kent Aberle behind the drumkit in what must be an incredibly difficult situation. Constantly paying tribute to Brit Turner, he plays out of his skin, and Mr. Turner is surely looking down on him, nodding his approval.
Blackberry Smoke makes it look simple, when in fact it is anything but simple. And that truly is the mark of a special band. A band with an incredible legacy and loyal fanbase who are there for the long haul.
Catch one of the remaining dates in the UK:
Manchester – September 12th
Birmingham – September 13th
London – September 14th
All further dates can be found HERE
Live images – Dave Jamieson
A superb write-up of an amazing evening. You’ve put into words what has been going through my head since last Monday. I’ll be digging a lot deeper into Bones Owens and binge-listening to Blackberry Smoke (again) for the next few weeks.
Thanks for taking time to comment! It was a special night wasn’t it, and yes, dig deeper in Bones – the new album is amazing