Players: Tony West, vocals; Carmine D’Amico, guitar, Nicky Shad, guitar; Blitch, bass; Sean Davidson, drums.
There aren’t many clubs on a Monday night, anywhere, that can boast a sold out show with live music with such regularity as the Key Club on the famed Sunset Strip. Success is due in large part to Steel Panther (formerly known as Metal Skool), but tonight the crowd packed shoulder to hip on the floor, in the VIP sections, and standing three deep at the bars, are eagerly awaiting the rock and roll explosion that is Blacklist Union. And tonight isn’t just some run of the mill Monday night at the Key Club either. Tonight is the CD release party for the band’s new disk "Breaking Bread With the Devil."
In true rock and roll fashion the lights darken, the PA crackles and zaps to life with instruments being plugged in, then the joint erupts. Blacklist Union is on stage and you better pull up your britches and hang on because one slip will leave you a dance floor skid mark. Opening the set with the new CD’s title track "Breaking Bread with the Devil," West, possessing a stray cat strut, an alligator smile, and a whole lotta piss and vinegar,
takes control front and center with his energetic stage presence and vocals, captivating the throng of Hollywoodites. But one man does not a rock and roll band make. Instead it’s a cast of characters.
Blacklist Union is a gang of rock and roll hooligans devilishly intent on kicking your ass. The backbone of the band’s sound is the product of the thunderous pounding by Davidson, who definitely understands the E=mc2 theory given how hard he hits the drums. And what’s thunder without lightning? In the case of Blacklist Union the lightning is provided by the dual guitar onslaught of D’amico and Shad. And last but not least are the monstrous bass rhythms by Blitch, whose musical debauchery ended with physical bass destructions. A clear message to the headliners - try and follow that, Steel Panther.
Blacklist Union is a band playing solid, straightforward rock and roll with attitude and presence reminiscent of a musical sound and look that once thrived along the Sunset Strip. With them comes a vigorously lively show, quality musicianship, and a commitment to their musical direction.
Contact: Fly PR, flypr@flypr.net; www.myspace.com/blacklistunion
