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Black Country Communion News Updates (2010-2011)

SteveAJones

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SteveAJones

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Black Country Communion's second album on vinyl will be available stateside on July 12th and according to Rachael Iverson, marketing director for J&R Adventures, will include the option for a free digital download of the album as was offered with the first vinyl release.

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Black Country Communion's second album on vinyl will be available stateside on July 12th and according to Rachael Iverson, marketing director for J&R Adventures, will include the option for a free digital download of the album as was offered with the first vinyl release.

Cool. Thanks for the info, Steve. :)

R B)

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I'll be at the DC show doing "From the Fans".

Really looking forward to seeing them. The new stuff totally ROCKS!!

You're really on some quite of a U.S. tour Dave. Any plans to take it across the pond?

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SteveAJones

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This review of the Anaheim concert courtesy Aubrey Stewart via FBO - The Led Zeppelin Mailing List:

Date: Sun, 12 Jun 2011

From: "Aubrey Stewart"

Subject: Black Country Communion - Anaheim Friday Night

Flying from Dallas to LA Friday morning we flew for over half an hour south of the fires burning along the Arizona/New Mexico border. Smoke covered so much of the landscape you got the feeling the whole place was on fire. This is a huge area that is burning and you really got the sense of that from the air. Checked in to my hotel and then headed on over to City National Grove to see what was going on and got there about 10:30 in the a.m.

Trucks were being unloaded and there was a tour bus there but I believe it was for some of the crew. City National Grove is a nice place but the people who work there are as*holes and I'll leave it at that.

I came back around 6:30 as the doors opened at 7:00 and there were 20-30 folks already in line and there was also a VIP line around on a side entrance where there was about 20 people in line. The VIP folks were let in at 7:00 and they had the first tier of the venue reserved right in front of the stage. The rest of us were let in around 7:15 and we quickly started filling in the second tier of the standing room only sections closest the stage. There were some chairs set up in the back of the venue for those that didn't want to stand and though the crowd was lite at first, by 8:00 it had filled in nicely.

I did not bring my huge rig but opted for my daughter's much smaller digital SLR as I felt I would have a better chance sneaking it in. This camera is no slouch but really could have benefitted from some fast glass to help stop some of the constant movement of Glenn Hughes.

BCC rocked. They are excited about what they are doing and it showed. This was only their second US gig as a band as they played the previous night in San Diego for the opener. Glenn Hughes mentioned how they had waited for two albums to be released before they toured as they wanted to be able to put on a proper show and how uncommon that was in todays market. He also said they were just beginning to build something they all believed in and it sounds like they've made a long term commitment to it.

Glenn is the consummate performer and front man and he put on a hell of a show. They played most everything off of the first two albums, a Joe Bonamassa tune and closed the show with Deep Purple's Burn. The crowd was very responsive and you could tell the band really appreciated it.

I was able to gain access to the after show party with a bit of luck as the event spilled out of the arena and into a fenced in area behind the venue. The Anaheim Angels had just completed a game and we were treated to a nice fireworks show and eventually the band made it outside to watch. There were approximately 50 people with access to the party and as the band moved out into the mix Joe Bonamassa definitely had the biggest crowd of fans around him. I had spoken with several people in line prior to the show and they were Bonamassa fans and he seems to be really big on his own right now.

All of the band members were very approachable with the exception of Jason who was constantly on the go and he was being asked to stop and chat continually as he made his way back and forth from bus to venue to party. He also made it over to the fence (where I should have been) to chat with many of the fans who stayed to watch and to get a moment of his time. I was able to talk with Chad Smith (Red Hot Chili Peppers, Chickenfoot) for a bit and he was a very down to earth guy. Chuck Wright bassist for Quiet Riot was dressed in a suit and looked very dapper with his very attractive escort.

Glenn Hughes made it a point to try and talk with everyone and he expressed his appreciation for my support when I told him I had flown in from Texas to see the show. All they guys in the band were very humble and friendly and it was refreshing to see that.

Joe left a bit early to head to the bus but Glenn and Derrick Sherinian stayed until the end and Jason was still flitting about as people started heading towards their cars. They band headed for the bus and Jason headed for a flight to Salt Lake City as they said he wasn't going to do the bus thing tonight. If you get the chance, go see these guys you wont' be disappointed.

Photo Gallery:

http://www.imagesbyaubrey.com/bcc

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Black Country Communion Rocks San Diego

San Diego Gets Rocked

06.10.2011– Black Country Communion rocked San Diego last night at the San Diego Civic Theatre. With a packed house for their debut first US show on their first World Tour, the crowd was ready to rock.

The smokey got dark and exploded with the sound of BCC's self titled first track from their first album Black Country Communion. The Civic Theatre erupted in cheer with BCC performing tunes from their first and new second album. Black Country Communion's new album '2' will hit the store June 14th.

If you want to hear the future of rock by musicians that live the life you must check out Black Country Communion. Glenn Hughes sounds better then ever, lifting the roof off with his amazing vocals. Joe Bonamassa rips through the crowd with fast and loud guitar solos. Derek Sherinian with his trade mark keyboard style fills the melodic undertone creating epic music. Last but not least Jason Bonham channels the spirit of his father John Bonham (Led Zeppelin) and drives the band forward with the sound of thunder.

Check out Black Country Communion's new music video of their hit single 'Man In The Middle' at www.youtube.com/bccommunion

http://www.pitchengine.com/pitch/151528/

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Black Country Communion Burns at the Grove

June 11th, 2011, 3:00 pm posted by ROBERT KINSLER, FOR THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

A chance to watch singer-guitarist Joe Bonamassa (right) perform is reason enough to get any fan of virtuoso fretwork out on a Friday night. But when one of the world's best happens to be just another member of a hard-rocking supergroup - one that includes bassist-vocalist Glenn Hughes (of Deep Purple and Black Sabbath fame), drummer Jason Bonham (son of Bonzo) and one-time Dream Theater keyboardist Derek Sherinian - well, it's just too good to be true when that lineup sets up shop in your backyard.

And so it was Friday night, as Black Country Communion headlined City National Grove of Anaheim before a near-capacity crowd, timed just before the release of the quartet's sophomore effort, imaginatively titled 2 and expected in stores and online on Tuesday, June 14.

The group's 16-song set was comprised mostly of original material, even if there is a good argument to be made that the sonic stamp of Led Zeppelin and Bon Scott-era AC/DC, not to mention Sabbath and Deep Purple, is all over their music. Yet, rather than be swept away by the nostalgia of their influences, the four members of BCC truly recast the heavy rock of the '60s and '70s and yank it into the 21st century as well as anyone in recent memory.

The key to the band's unique style is how they take the classic sound of early British rock and inject it with a hearty dose of the blues. The group's especially strong performance in Anaheim showcased that winning approach, with highlights built around haunting moods ("Faithless") and infectious riffs ("Sista Jane"). All four skilled players deftly brought those elements together without overplaying even the heaviest of songs not an easy task when all of them have spaces to solo.

Hughes handled the majority of lead vocals, his high tenor used to good effect throughout the show. But his singing with Bonamassa on "Song of Yesterday," and the latter's lone voice on his blues rocker "The Ballad of John Henry" further broadened the overall approach.

I've seen Bonamassa perform several times over the past several years, but it never gets old watching the 34-year-old New York native tear up on his array of axes. Many guitarists can play fast, countless others deliver obvious feeling, but only a handful of living masters somehow have the intangible ability to play with the power, speed, passion and originality that Bonamassa displays whenever he takes the stage.

This magical night flew by but didn't end until the band charged through a high-octane version of Deep Purple's "Burn," giving the relatively intimate Grove into the feel of a huge arena.

Photo Gallery: http://soundcheck.ocregister.com/2011/06/11/black-country-communion-burns-at-the-grove/52755/

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Black Country Communion 'Went from a Side Project to a Band,' Says Bonham

by Gary Graff, Detroit | June 09, 2011

It's almost unheard of for any band these days to release two albums just nine months apart, but Glenn Hughes says that's one of the things that makes Black Country Communion "a freak of nature.""I've never been in a situation in a band before that's like this," Hughes tells Billboard.com of Black Country Communion, the all-star group that also includes guitarist Joe Bonamassa, former Dream Theater keyboardist Derek Sherinian and Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham's son Jason, who's played with both Zep and Foreigner. Its sophomore album, simply titled "2," is due out June 14, with tour dates starting today (June 9).

"I've always been in a band that rehearses or writes extensively for six months...This band is not like that. It's very focused. The musicianship is of the highest quality, and also we're all good friends, which is very important to me. All the bands in the 70s were fighting each other, shagging each other's wives, dabbling in all kinds of substances. We were young and bulletproof. This is a different era."

And it's even a different band from its first go-round, according to Bonham, growing into a group consciousness after essentially being put together by producer Kevin Shirley for 2010's "Black Country."

"It went from a side project to a band," Bonham explains. "The new album...is definitely more of a group effort. I was able to get involved more with the writing part of it this time. It went very, very well."

Bonham, in fact, is responsible for bringing in one of the album's highlights -- "Save Me," a song he, Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones began after the 2007 Led Zeppelin reunion show at London's O2 Arena. Hughes recalls that Bonham "kept playing me that riff over and over, and I was interested. It's a great riff, and he wanted me to write something really desperate. I finally got (Bonamassa) over to my house and said, 'Listen, we really should finish this song,' and we did, and it really turned into something special."

As for the general approach of "2," Hughes says, "I just figured the direction of the first one was continued on the second one. We didn't want to do a Led Zeppelin III or IV and start playing acoustics. We're a rock 'n' roll band. I just thought we should make it a big-sounding record that was fitting for rock 'n' roll, and the thread between ('Black Country') and '2' should be very obvious."

Hughes concurs with Bonham that Black Country Communion has turned into a more cohesive group between albums, too. "The chemistry was there from the beginning," he notes. "It's a really easy band to play in. I think there was some fear we were going to implode -- one album and that'd be it. Obviously we're not. We've got tour dates booked, plans for DVD recording this summer. Obviously this is a real band, which is something we all wanted to be in."

Black Country Communion hits the road on June 9 in San Diego, with eight U.S. dates before heading to Europe for a combination of festival and headline dates, including a slot on the High Voltage Festival on July 24 in London. More shows are expected to be announced soon. Meanwhile, Hughes has published a limited edition coffee table autobiography, "Deep Purple and Beyond: Scenes From the Life of a Rock Star," in Britain. A paperback edition, "Glenn Hughes: The Autobiography," is due out in the fall. Bonamassa's latest solo album, "Dust Bowl," came out in March.

http://www.billboard.com/news/black-country-communion-went-from-a-side-1005225842.story#/news/black-country-communion-went-from-a-side-1005225842.story

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Glenn Hughes interview: Black Country Communion 2 on the way

Wednesday 1st June 2011

BCC1.jpg

Black Country Communion's debut concert at Wolverhampton Civic Hall. Photos by Ian Harvey.

For a few months now, in a hush hush campaign, copies of Midlands rock supergroup Black Country Communion's second album have been circulating in the music business and around key players in the media. Ian Harvey talks to frontman Glenn Hughes.

CD2.jpg

'2' by Black Country Communion

The idea of the pre-release campaign is to build up a strong word of mouth for the 11-track album, called simply '2' before it is released on June 13.

And the buzz is good. Very good.

It is an album which Cannock-born lead singer and bassist Glenn Hughes is rightly proud, a step up from their highly acclaimed debut album, a bolder, more inventive, more "widescreen" statement of classic rock intent.

And astonishingly it comes just nine months after their debut album was released and fewer than six months after their proper full debut concert at a packed Wolverhampton Civic Hall last December.

"I think this album is deep," enthuses Hughes, sitting in his luxurious London hotel suite.

"What you hear on this album is a finely tuned machine . . . and that's from a band that's only done two shows."

Black Country Communion features Hughes, formerly of Deep Purple, Black Sabbath and Trapeze, Dudley-born Jason Bonham, son of Led Zeppelin drummer John, American guitar virtuoso Joe Bonamassa and former Dream Theater keyboard player Derek Sherinian.

Hughes explains how plans for the second album were put in place even before their debut was released.

glenn1.jpg

Glenn Hughes

"Our producer Kevin Shirley came to me after I played at the High Voltage Festival last year and said to me and Joe I want you guys to go and write a new album to record in January.

"I don't really write that much on the road, so I decided I would take three months off tour and I came in with 12 or 13 songs. My writing partner Joe didn't come in with a lot of material because he normally writes it with me in my studio, but Joe spent Hogmany with his girlfriend Sandy Thom in Scotland and when we finally got to meet the day before the studio we had no time to write.

"So the glorious thing about this record for me as a writer is I got to really flex my muscles on this one. The backbone of the album is a Glenn Hughes musical record for rock. And as you know I've switched gears now from the funk stuff to rockster again."

Although it's like asking someone which is their favourite child, I ask if Hughes can pick out any particular tracks on '2' of which he is most proud.

"I can say every one of them," he replies without a pause. "But special moments for me are Faithless, the first song I wrote ("'My lack of faith has no shame and is reckless' . . . where the hell did come from?" he laughs).

"You know me, how much faith I have in God, and how much love and spirituality I have for people but listen to the lyrics on this album, there's so much darkness on this album because of the stuff that I'm digging up from the 80s.

"Cold is about grief about people dying. The Outsider - I've always been an outsider. This album is a darker album, and let's face it, I ain't singing about puppies on this record. I'm singing about life on life's terms and rock fans want to hear some dark stuff.

joe1.jpg

Joe Bonamassa

"The biggest success I will ever have - and I'm talking spiritually now - even if BCC become the biggest band in the world, is my recovery from drugs. But I am a messenger, that's the messenger part of it. I've come back from that dark, dark place and here I am fronting Britain's new biggest rock band."

Two of the songs on the album, The Battle For Hadrian's Wall and Save Me have a real Led Zeppelin vibe, in the case of the latter that's not entirely surprising as it's based on a riff that Bonham came up with after he sat in for his late father on drums at the Led Zep reunion concert in 2007.

And then there's Smokestack Woman, a song built on a monstrous Hughes-penned guitar riff, which makes this writer wonder if it's based on any real-life Black Country girls from Hughes' shall we say "interesting" past.

"No," he says, bursting out laughing. "I'd love to tell you a fib but it's not."

He explains how the song came about: "Every Friday night I drive out to the movies in LA, myself and a friend, and I take a Dictaphone and if I'm in the movie and I feel a song coming on I go out into the bathroom, into the lobby and sing whatever.

"And I started singing this "Smokestack woman" (he breaks into a falsetto voice) and I went . . . 'Is that too tongue in cheek because it's, like, Black Country?'

"I said wait a minute, this is something that the Stones or AC/DC would have done years ago, let's just embrace the whole Black Country thing, writing the song about the woman from the Black Country. "

We get round to talking about that debut concert at the Civic on December 29, 2010.

jason2.jpg

Jason Bonham

"It was a real hairs on the back of the neck moment," says Hughes, "Joe - and Joe plays in the UK all of the time - said he'd never had a reception like that.

"And this is the beauty of Joe. He's a really nice guy and he was so happy for Jason and me knowing how important the Civic Hall is to me and Jason - especially to me because I've been playing it forever. You couldn't have scripted it, better than that, could you?"

So we can look forward to seeing Black Country Communion at the Civic again?

"Oh God! Yeah! Hell! Absolutely . . . you're kidding me.

"Everybody wants us to come back, like, now but we are playing mostly in the north. We deliberately stayed out of the Black Country for the next event. I know that everybody would love another Christmas show from us but we'll have to see.

"Our main focus now, as I said to Joe, a few times this year, is we have to invest in to Black Country Communion. I need this band to be viable in today's market and you'd think so because we're putting so much effort into it."

Before a string of dates in the north, Wales and Scotland, Hughes will bring the rest of Black Country Communion along to the second High Voltage festival in London's Victoria Park on Sunday, July 24.

HAH.jpg

Tony Iommi and Glenn Hughes at High Voltage 2010

Hughes' appearance there last year was singing with Heaven & Hell in a tribute performance to that band's late singer Ronnie James Dio, alongside band members Tony Iommi and Geezer Butler, founder members of the mighty Black Sabbath.

Just moments before our chat, Hughes had been interviewed by a video crew from High Voltage itself.

"They asked me what it was like to play there. I said I'm not going to answer that because it was sad," he says.

"I'd got two dour Brummies either side of me, Tony and Geezer," he delivers their names in a fabulous, morose Birmingham accent.

"It was sad because Ronnie was the icon for our fans but he was our friend. He was our brother. It's daunting, it was a sad occasion.

"But now we can come back with my band and it's like an exclusive festival debut of my band. We're serious about who we are and what we want to do and I'm really glad that exclusively we get to play one festival and I'm glad that it's High Voltage."

'2' isn't even in the shops yet but I can't help asking if they're already planning to record album number three.

"Bloody hell!" he replies. "I can tell you - and this might not happen - but Kevin wants to record next summer, 2012.

BCC3.jpg

Black Country boys Jason Bonham and Glenn Hughes

"You never know what's going to happen these days. I can tell you this though, we're shooting this tour, we're doing a BluRay and DVD on this tour, which will be released in the autumn for Christmas. '2' is coming out this year, and in the autumn we're going to have a full-on DVD.

"We're digging deep into our pockets to make this real, investing into our own career here, which bands used to do in the 70s.. You're going to see a bitchin' DVD!"

Hughes is clearly on a roll.

"We want to embrace and establish our brand. We are serious about planting the flag," he says.

"I joined this band to play live, I have to play live. I have to play with Black Country Communion and with GH solo. It's in my blood. But it's only going to help my solo career now because I'm going to be getting so many offers to do more things.

BCC2.jpg

Black Country Communion at Wolverhampton Civic Hall

"My first love is the band. When people think of Glenn Hughes I'd like them to think of Black Country Communion because I'm sort of the mouthpiece and the guy that carries the ball.

"This is my gig 24-7. Jason's got the Led Zeppelin Experience, Joe's got a long, long career.

"For me, I haven't taken my foot off the gas on the solo thing but I'm very much running with Black Country Communion as a flag planter."

  • '2′ is released on June 13, 2011.
  • Black Country Communion play the High Voltage Festival in London on Sunday July 24 – visit www.highvoltagefestival.com
  • The band then heads out on the road with gigs in Llandudno, Leeds, Newcastle, Glasgow and Manchester. see www.bccommunion.com
  • Music photography by RocktasticPix.com

http://www.expressandstar.com/entertainment/2011/06/01/glenn-hughes-interview-black-country-communion-2-on-the-way/

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Glenn Hughes Launching Radio Show

05/29/2011

Glenn Hughes, the Deep Purple, Trapeze and now Black Country Communion singer and bass guitarist will begin a one hour weekly radio show on Planet Rock (planetrock.com) on Sunday June 5th at 6pm GMT.

Every week, Hughes will choose his favorite rock songs and tell stories from his long and glittering career. "I would like to thank Planet Rock for giving me the opportunity to share with listeners the songs that have shaped my life," said Hughes in a statement. "Every song is chosen by me, and there will be rock 'n' roll stories along the away. I am a messenger."

"Hughes continues Planet Rock's tradition of bringing rock's biggest names to the airwaves," said Planet Rock's Program Director, Trevor White. "After a career spanning 40 years, he brings a wealth of stories from his life on the road, in the studio, his friendships with the likes of Keith Moon and Bonzo, the highs, the lows, and of course, the excesses. His choice of music will make the show a must listen."

http://www.antimusic.com/news/11/may/29Glenn_Hughes_Launching_Radio_Show.shtml

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Black Country Communion brings together Hughes, Bonham, Sherinian, Bonamassa

By David Burger

The Salt Lake Tribune

Published Jun 09 2011

Cream. Blind Faith. The Highwaymen. The Traveling Wilburys. Temple of the Dog. Them Crooked Vultures.All these so-called "supergroups" bring together talented musicians from other bands into one high-powered unit. Now you can add Black Country Communion to the list.

The quartet, headlining Salt Lake City's The Depot on Saturday, features musicians who have played with some of the best bands during the past quarter-century:

• Glenn Hughes, 59, bassist and former frontman of Deep Purple and Black Sabbath, on vocals.

• Jason Bonham, 44, son of late Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham and in-demand session player, on drums.

• Derek Sherinian, 44 — called "King of the Keys" by Guitar World magazine — who has toured and recorded for Alice Cooper, Billy Idol, KISS and Alice In Chains, as well as being a member of Dream Theater.

• Joe Bonamassa, 34, blues guitarist phenom and singer whose reputation suggests the label "virtuoso."

Each member has a packed schedule on his own — Jason Bonham's Led Zeppelin Experience performed at The Depot on May 21 — but the quartet is coming together for a whirlwind eight shows in just 11 days. They'll be performing songs from the band's first self-titled album, released in September, and the second album, "2," to be released June 14. "It was fate," Hughes said in a phone interview. "It was supposed to happen."

The seed for the band came from Hughes and his longtime friend Bonamassa, who had been jamming for several years before performing together at the "Guitar Center: King of the Blues" show in Los Angeles in late 2009. The performance felt so organic that the two decided to write and record together.

They brought in Bonham, who had recorded before with Bonamassa and had known Hughes since he was a child — Hughes was a contemporary of his father. Resolved not to be a power trio, they enlisted Sherinian to round out the group.

Bonham, in a conference call with other media outlets, was also struck by how easily the band fell into play.

"I am very, very pleased with the new album," he said. "It's definitely more of a group effort on this project. It went from a side project to a band."The band's hard-driving, groove-infused bluesy rock came together quickly, and Hughes, tasked with writing much of the new material, has been invigorated. He has written enough songs that the band will release two albums in less than a year.

"I'm kind of the flag-holder," he said. "This is my baby."

Hughes hasn't been the only one to write, though. Bonham worked on a song that started as an idea that he and Led Zeppelin members Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones jammed on when the three were considering launching a reunion tour several years ago. The song, "Save Me," wasn't finished until Bonham collaborated with Hughes. Now it appears on the album "2."

Bonham and Hughes have a special connection: Both were born in England's coal-rich Black Country, in the West Midlands near Birmingham. During the Industrial Revolution, the area became a polluted steel and manufacturing center.

"Liverpool has the Beatles," Hughes said. "Manchester has Oasis. Jason and I are paying homage to where we came from, a working-class upbringing."

http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/entertainment/51954463-81/hughes-bonham-black-band.html.csp

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Last night at the Pageant In St. Louis was needless to say, an amazing expierence. The band was tight, mistake-free. Just simply amazing music, musicianship at its finest. Really lowered my respect for a lot of the wannabes out there. Joe was just perfect, Jason was spot on all night and Glenn Hughes ran that stage showing the expierence. Me and my brother got to meet Jason and Joe before the show. then met all 4 of them after the show, got them to sign BC1 Booklet, and I got jason to sign the stick be broke a few weeks ago at the zep expierence in KC. Then he gave us a stick he played last night, signed as well. Jason told us there would be another zep expierence tour in the fall and it would be full of obscure songs this time around, and was going to definitely be for the 'die hards'.

I shall post pics soon!

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Glad you had a good time at the show. Good to hear a 3rd tour would be going on this fall.

Hope they add Atlanta to it (in addition to the makeup concert dates out on the west coast in October).

R B)

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