BLACK LABEL SOCIETY
La Cigale - Paris, France
February 25 2011

Parisian beer drinkers and bikers had an appointment tonight with their favourite modern-day berzerkers at this beautiful theatre called La Cigale.

Fans have been waiting for a long time for Black Label Society to come back, and the place was completly sold-out.

This was my first Black Label Society gig.
Back in 2005 I had the opportunity to see them at the Gods Of Metal in Bologna, but somehow, I messed the show.
By the way, we were staying at the same hotel in Bologna... so Zakk Wylde was having breakfast two tables away from my friends and I.

In 2007 I saw Zakk Wylde on stage with Ozzy Osbourne at the Graspop Festival and, to be honest, I didn't like much the show, partly because the sound was awful.

The stage was covered by a curtain with the Black Label Society Logo. A voice roared "Paris, France! please welcome the almighty Black Label Society!"
The curtain fell and the 4 rockers were on stage, in front of a beautiful backdrop with two dragons around a skull.

The sound was amazing but very particular. Very loud, and dense. I can't describe Zakk Wylde and Blacl Label Society's sound, but i can say that it's truly unique.

Well, I didn't really know what to expect before the show, but it didn't take long to realize that this concert was sold-out for good reason.

At the entrance of the venue there were hundreds of empty cans of beer. That's a usual sight in summer festivals, but I've never that many empty cans before a single gig.

Indeed, the atmosphere was almost like a festival.

The audience was completely crazy. The floor of the theatre felt like a trampoline, as dozens of people were jumping together.
Some crowdsurfers also came from time to time, and the folks in the first rows of the pit never stopped moshing during the show.

There were a few drunken guys who couldn't stand still, and a couple of girls showing their bra and more.

We also played with ballons during the song Fire It Up, like Alice Cooper or Metallica would do.

Zakk Wylde doesn't speak much on stage. The songs go on and on, he lets his guitar do the talking.
Nevertheless, he took the microphone to intoduce "the rest of the family": Black Label Society line-up.
Most people was surprised to find out Will Hunt was not behind the drums tonight, even if he played two days earlier in Bristol.

This was the first Black Label Society show with Johnny Kelly from Type O Negative, Seventh Void and Danzig.

Johnny Kelly has joined the band for the rest of the tour, as Will Hunt has been called back to Evanescence.
I don't know if Johnny has joined the band permanently, but it sounded as if he had been Black Label Society's drummer for a long time.

Nick Catanese is a great second guitar player. He's really talented, we all know it's not easy to back up someone like Zakk Wylde.
John "JD" DeServio is quite impressive. He did a short but amazing bass solo, played with his fingers.

Zakk Wylde has a real rock star attitude on stage. He drinks beer, spits in the air and had a microphone stand decorated with taste: a wooden cross and a handful of skulls.

He might not be the singer in metal, but he's an awesome guitar player. Let's say that he's a guitar hero with songs, making a real rock and metal show, not an instrumental demostration.

Zakk brought an amazing guitar collection.. he played with at least 6 different guitars tonight, all Gibson, all rare and all beautiful!

Zakk Wylde also plays piano and actually he does it well.
A keyboard was brought on stage, covered with a Black Label Society Flag.
Zakk played a nice solo which was followed by the song In This River... an intense and emotive moment dedicated to the late Dimebag Darrell of Pantera.

The band said goodbye after Stillborn, and the audience was screaming for more.
But like Sodom in Eindhoven two weekds earlier, no encores were added to Black Label Society's setlist.

1 hour and 20 minutes of good heavy rock passed too fast.

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Setlist Black Label Society – La Cigale - Paris, France – February 25 2011

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Black Label Society Line-up: