Review by Rock Over America
Black N Blue played Count’s Vamp’d on Saturday, November 16, 2013, with Cyanide as the opening act.
Black N Blue was one of the most sorely unappreciated bands of the 1980’s. Hailing from Portland, Oregon, the band was fronted by Jaime St. James, and also featured guitarists Tommy Thayer and Jeff “Woop” Warner, bassist Patrick Young, and drummer Pete Holmes. Heavier than many of their so-called “glam” contemporaries but having a sound that could hook wide varieties of listeners, these guys have a strong fanbase to this day, even if they never truly got their dues or the widespread mainstream popularity they certainly were deserving of.
The group released their self-titled debut in 1984. Produced by Dieter Dierks (Scorpions), it was one of the best hard rock records of the year, with “Hold On To 18” becoming something of a minor classic, along with other hits like “Chains Around Heaven” and “School of Hard Knocks.” Sadly, follow-up records from the group, featuring other classic hits like “Miss Mystery” and “Nasty Nasty,” never quite managed to break the band into the mainstream. They ultimately disbanded in the late 1980s, with sporadic reunions occurring over the years. Jaime St. James even served a brief stint as the vocalist for Warrant, while Pete Homes played with Michael Schenker, and Tommy Thayer became the guitarist for KISS. The current lineup of the band features St. James, Holmes, and Young, alongside two new guitarists.
This was the first time I had ever seen Black N Blue do a show as a whole band. Prior to this, I had only seen St. James and Holmes as members of a classic hard rock tribute band called Hard Rock All Stars, who had also played out at Vamp’d on a number of occasions. When I heard they were coming, I knew this was a show I did not want to miss.
I was definitely eager to hear how the band expected, not really knowing what to expect with two new guitar players in the band’s ranks. Sometimes band member changes can derail a band, sometimes they end up being a smart decision that works wonders for the group in question.
Fortunately, right from the get go, any doubts I had were immediately shattered. Despite walking to the stage with very bizarre and questionable entry music (Isaac Hayes’ Shaft Theme), they started rocking out the classics right away. A band like Black N Blue definitely has some noteworthy 80s hits to their name, but my hat goes off to the band for not being afraid to dig into the back catalogue and pull out a few of the lost classics. Obviously we heard things like “Hold On To 18,” “School of Hard Knocks,” and “Miss Mystery,” but as a fan of their classic records, it brought me great pleasure to hear oft-forgotten classics like the “Strong Will Rock,” “Autoblast,” and “Stop The Lightning.” The band knows fans want to hear the classics above all else and smartly restricted songs from their new record to a single track, and even that song was great. This is one of the few shows I have ever actually been to where, out of sheer curiosity, I actually found myself wanting the band to play MORE songs from a more recent record!
As far as the actual performance itself goes, the band was dead-on throughout. The two new guitarists fit in great with the group and the “classic” members remaining are on fire. Jaime St. James is hands down one of my favorite 80s rock frontmen, always very charismatic on stage and full of energy; even three decades after the debut the guy still looks and sounds exactly the same – how many other 80s rock singers can you say that about? This is a band that does not let age or changing music trends catch up with them. They are five guys on a stage, doing what they do best, still rocking out better than most men half their age are capable of. With “between the songs” banter and grins on their faces throughout the show, you can tell they still love what they do.
Overall, Black N Blue put on a phenomenal show at Vamp’d, and I hope they return to town in the near future. It will be interesting to see what the future holds for the band, and perhaps if any new albums, side projects, or other surprises are in the future. These guys rock like no other band of their era, and they rock just as hard in 2013 as they did in 1984. If they come to town, go to the show. If you are a rock fan, you will not be disappointed.