Live report BLACK STONE CHERRY & THE GEORGIA THUNDERBOLTS, Markthalle, Hamburg – September 14th, 2022

Black Stone Cherry are on tour in Europe at the moment. One stop on this tour is Hamburg and it is the legendary Markthalle that welcomes the four Americans. Black Stone Cherry share the tour bus with their label mates from The Georgia Thunderbolts, one of the rising stars in southern rock.

Show start is at 20:00 sharp when the five guys from Rome, GA take the stage to bring 40 minutes of next generation southern rock to the people. Even though the Markthalle is not completely sold out, it is noticeable that many fans of energetic rock music already left the beer stands and found their way into the hall during the opening act.

The Georgia Thunderbolts have released an EP and their debut album ‘Can We Get a Witness’. Kicking off the evening is ‘Midnight Rider’, a The Allman Brothers Band cover, from the debut and it is immediately obvious that here is a band on stage that has potential for more.

With TJ Lyle the quintet has an excellent singer in their lines, who interprets the songs with the necessary roughness and is able to create goosebump moments with a lot of sensitivity. In addition, the guys have with Riley Couzzourt a whirlwind on the guitar who has both, good riffs in the toolkit, and also does not stand still for a second. A dervish on the guitar.

With songs like ‘It’s Alright’ you just can’t stand still and so the temperature in the big hall of the Markthalle quickly rises to a tropical level. The Georgia Thunderbolts are convincing all the way and have not only taken on the role of an opener this evening. These five guys play southern rock that comes straight from the heart and they are thus the perfect start for an evening full of good music.

After a short break it’s up to the headliner to continue the good vibes. At this point it should already be said that Black Stone Cherry manage this without any problems. For the electric start into their set, the quartet has chosen ‘Me and Mary Chain’ from the 2014 album ‘Magic Mountain’. High octane rock, that’s what the fans in the very well crowded Markthalle get served. It’s exactly what the band is all about and even the swap of Robertson’s pedalboard right at the beginning of the show couldn’t stop the energy.

The evening’s setlist is a career-spanning mix, with an emphasis on the earlier records. ‘Black Stone Cherry’ and ‘Between the Devil & the Deep Blue Sea’ contribute a total of seven songs, including the well-received smash ‘White Trash Millionaire’ with fans loudly chanting along.

But it’s not only the older hits that generate ecstasy in the audience. Songs like ‘Ringin’ in My Head’ from the latest album also invite to a sing-a-long. In this context, a girl in the front row is mentioned, who sings every song with full euphoria. This of course recognised by the band and the girl’s passion is rewarded. At the end of the show frontman Chris Robertson hands over a signed setlist, which is a great gesture.

Black Stone Cherry deliver a great rock show. Powerful songs, full stage presence and a lot of adrenaline, that’s what makes the Markhalle boil this evening. The quartet ends this successful evening with ‘Peace is Free’, which follows a short announcement by Robertson. Peace is what this world needs at the moment and after all the turbulences of the past years. Black Stone Cherry reminds us of this; not only musically. A special treat at the end is that the four guys invite The Georgia Thunderbolts singer TJ Lyle to perform the song together with the band. The end of this evening with two very good bands could not have been better and it is sweaty and satisfied fans who make their way home shortly before 23:00.