Blackberry Smoke
When: 9th September 2024
Location: O2 Academy
Blackberry Smoke are the hard-working Southern rock outfit in thrall of the greats, from Skynyrd to the Allmans. Coming to Glasgow’s O2 Academy on 9th September 2024.
As Southern as grits and gravy, Georgia’s Blackberry Smoke are a band out of time, doing it just like Skynyrd did, with more than a little Waylon stirred in for good measure.
Formed in 2000 by frontman Charlie Starr, guitarist Paul Jackson, bassist Richard Turner, Brandon Still on keys and drummer Brit Turner, Blackberry Smoke set out their stall right away, taking their bluesy, deep-fried, countrified rock ‘n’ roll on the road with forbearers such as ZZ Top, George Jones and Skynyrd themselves.
Their debut Bad Luck Ain’t No Crime landed in 2004, but it would be four years before the quintet followed it up with the self-released EP New Honky Tonk Outlaws. Things started to pick up speed from there with an EP and album, both called A Little Piece Of Dixie, coming in 2008 and 2009.
The band continued to split the difference between outlaw country and Southern rock with The Whippoorwill in 2012, their relentless touring turning the band into a water tight unit. That was never more evident than on the considerable upgrade of 2015’s Holding All The Roses, recorded with mega-produced Brendan O’Brien (Bruce Springsteen, Pearl Jam).
Now on a roll, the band took the tireless work ethic with which they approached touring and applied it to recording. Like An Arrow came hot on the heels of Holding All The Roses, earning the band comparisons to The Black Crowes. Find A Light arrived in 2018, with a guest appearance from Amanda Shires.
In 2021, Blackberry Smoke released their seventh studio album You Hear Georgia, their worn-in, old-school rock ‘n’ roll undiminished and giving no quarter to trends or time. To support the album’s release, they announced a UK tour for February and March 2022. The group announced that their eighth studio album, Be Right Here, would arrived in February 2024.
