BLACK DIAMOND

Friday 18th September, Retro Bar

** BLACK DIAMOND **

&
Vice
Even When Dead

Liverpool's hight-impact, hard-hitting rock band.

You may know them from supporting such bands as Motion City Soundtrack, We Are the Ocean, Kobra and the Lotus, The Struts, William Control, Dana Fuchs and many, many more...

Press

"A swaggering meat fest from eye-wateringly youthful Liverpudlian rockers. Stranglehold packs a hard grooving punch, with a nice edge of wooziness, ones to watch our for" - Classic Rock Magazine

"...perfectly rehearsed and all prodigiously talented musicians. We've got a soft spot for these lads" - Getintothis

"To watch Black Diamond is to know that the future is safe." - Liverpool Sound and Vision

There are two things that smack you round the face about Black Diamond. The first is that the average age of the band is 18, which is not what you'd guess from the band's weight of sound and maturity of material. The second is that this is a proper rock band from Liverpool, a city best known of late for cosmic Scousers and their associated indie pop. It's as if every other band in the city got bogged down in Revolver and bongs while Black Diamond headed straight to Helter Skelter and cranked up the volume.

Playing live is key to Black Diamond. Rock bands - as all true fans of the genre know - can't fake it, and driven on by the lead guitars and searing vocals, this band bang it out so heavy live that local bands have refused to go on after them. No wonder the Diamond are snaffling up the very best of Liverpool's support slots, including The Struts, Natives, William Control, Natural Child, Kobra and the Lotus at venues like O2 Academy, Parr Street, EVAC, Jacaranda and the legendary Zanzibar.

So what's next for Black Diamond? An album is in the pipeline. There's a national tour coming later this year. There is already record label interest, with key execs twitching excitedly at the possibility - at last - of having a northern rock band that can occupy and own the space once frequented by the Gallaghers. And yes, before the old fella starts mouthing off, we can confirm that this band are proper lads. The real deal. Which is why they are going all the way.

Doors 6.30pm | £5adv | dustypop.com