Alice in Chains/ Black Rebel Motorcycle Club
Birmingham Arena 24/05/19
Review by; Danny Price
Seattle based band Alice show absolutely no signs of slowing down as they showed how it’s really done in a set packed with hits from start to finish.
AIC started life out as a high school band way back in 1987, and have continually had a growing fan base. Their latest album, Rainier Fog, was their first ever top ten album, and was nominated for a Grammy shortly after its release.
The evening begins with support from Californias Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, who have been around since the late 90s. Their performance was at best average, it lacks the energy a support band is there for and gets off to a slow start. They do very little to excite the waiting AIC fans.
Anyway, by the time AIC get on stage, the room has almost completely filled and the excitement in the room is notable. Casually walking on stage and without a word they went straight into “Bleed the Freak”, a track from debut album Facelift. It sets the tone for the rest of the gig, which is most defiantly a trip down memory lane as it is to showcase the band’s more recent material.
Frontman William DuVall is in the unenviable position of being the replacement for the late lead vocalist Layne Staley, who for many fans, marks the era of the ‘real’ AIC. But make no mistake, if anyone on this planet should be there instead of Layne, it is William.
After a great start they went into a personal favourite of mine “Check my Brain” as Jerry Cantrell slowly bends the low notes on his low strung guitar. “Them Bones” and “Damn That River”, off the album Dirt, completed the opening trilogy like a concrete block to the face, a huge slab the very best guitar riffage you could possibly want!
New songs “Hollow” and “Voices” followed and fitted in very nicely and in time I’m sure these will be added to the growing list of AIC favourites. Moving later in the set was “Nutshell” opened up with a nice gesture from Jerry saying “We’re gonna play this one for Layne (Staley)”, who was the bands late singer and lost his short life to drug addiction battle 11 years ago.
The evening was tipped off with a four song encore, with “Would?” and “Rooster” to finish and leave a mass of Brummies in awe of the perfect Seattle sound.
4.5/5
Alice in Chains are;
William DuVall – Vocals/Guitars
Jerry Cantrell – Guitars/Vocals
Sean Kinney – Drums
Mike Inez – Bass