Black Veil Brides

Empire | 10/31/13

By Jay Oakley

Ok, earlier this year, I saw Black Veil Brides and I followed it up with a review and rant about how the Black Veil Brides stand out from the terrible state of current and sucky bands that have come out in the last ten years. This will be gentler. While I still think that the current crop of new and young bands are weak this is about BVB's killer set.

BVB delivered a great show as usual. Vocalist Andy Biersack can really own a stage and has an amazing vocal delivery. Bassist Ashley Purdy is a rock star all his own, working the stage and giving very solid backing vocals. The band was amazing, shredding the stage and covering songs from all three albums including great covers of Billy Idol's "Rebel Yell" and The Misfit's "Fiend Club."

This was a shorter set then the first leg of the tour but but they still burned the place down. Opening with "Shadows Die," "I Am Bulletproof" and "Nobody's Hero." The second half of the set featured "Let You Down," :Wretched And Divine" and "Perfect Weapon" which set up for the perfect conclusion. "Fallen Angels" and "In The End" are just such killer songs and deliver a lights out ending.

This leg of the tour continues the promotion of their latest record, Wretched and Divine: The Story of the Wild Ones. A packed venue that still featured tons of love-struck teens but it was still a killer show and a great way to spend Halloween.

Rams Head Live | 1/18/13

Being around this music for the better part of 20 years is what makes me as vocal and blunt as I am about it.

I've been a fan of music my whole life and my personal passion is hard rock and heavy metal. I started with influences I got from my parents. My mother surrounded me with classics, everything from Bach to Beethoven, folk to Motown. My father introduced me to harder bands like Genesis, Steely Dan, and John Fogerty. I detoured in the late 80s, early 90s to heavy bands like Mötley Crüe, Kiss, Van Halen and punk bands like Green Day and The Misfits. That's where I knew I belonged. That's the music I loved and in particular the LA glam/hair metal scene was the best fit for me. So in watching all these bands like Skid Row and Poison, bands that generally looked similar, it was interesting to know what separated them from the pack and made them successful.

When it comes to bands that have emerged in the last decade, most of them I couldn't care less about. They just aren't interesting; they’re boring, repetitive clones, and lame. It's important for bands to have their own identity, their own style, and a way to really grab a person's attention either through sharp playing or song writing. Now I'm not saying that a band can't show their influences and show their appreciation of the bands they grew up on. That's a great thing. That is what gives them the desire to pick up their instrument or a microphone in the first place. Still, they have to do things their own way. 

Black Veil Brides is the one band of the last ten years (they came out in 2006) that grabbed my attention early and I very much enjoy them still. I describe the Brides this way to friends and casual contacts: Black Veil Brides is what you would get if Mötley Crüe and Kiss made a baby. The face and body paint remind me of Kiss and Alice Cooper and they dress like modern-day Mötley. 

The show was great and full of energy, fully sold out and everyone had a blast. The Black Veil Brides are touring in support of their third record Wretched and Divine: The Story Of The Wild Ones. They had a terrific set with excellent playing and great songs, two things I said were important for new bands to have.  Opening up with "I Am Bulletproof," "New Religion" and "Wretched And Divine," their set featured tunes from all three records and even included a great cover of Billy Idol's "Rebel Yell." "Nobody's Hero," "Youth And Whiskey," "Rebel Love Song" and "Resurrect The Sun" was and amazing grouping of songs that was a highlight of the night. "Fallen Angels" was the first encore and "In The End" featuring an appearance from opener and touring guest William Control brought the evening to a stellar close. They gave me one of the most exciting times I've had.

The only annoying part of the show? The crowd of love-struck teens screaming for Andy to marry them, what with BVB having such a breakout career and getting so much exposure through stores like Hot Topic and Spencer's. Look, I was a kid too and I'm not going to get all bent out of shape over kids living it up when I was having a good time too. But really—where’s the appreciation of the music?