Black Label Society At MTelus

We're a little bit backed up on getting my concert photographs up here on The Old Blog.  I suppose we will catch up at some point, but this would be a good time to remind you that my concert photographs can be seen in a much more timely manner by visiting V13 Media, which you can do by following the link.  If you'd like an even more direct route to my photographs, you can visit my personal page over there but using the following link.  During his prime, James Brown was known as ‘The Hardest Working Man in Show Business”.  If there was a similar title awarded to a group, the guys from Black Label Society would definitely be in the running.  They were in Montréal this week for a ceiling shattering performance at the MTelus.  But they didn’t just headline the show, various members of the band were also involved in all of the opening acts as well.  Though we had already seen all of them already, it was time for Black Label Society to hit the stage.  Though they had already been battered by heavy riffs and hard music, the fans seemed to have only gotten stronger.  The first body surfer went by my head mere minutes after the band opened their set with “Funeral Bell”.  The bodies kept coming in fast and furious during “Name In Blood”.  So much so, that security made the call to clear us photographers from the pit before our third song, “Destroy And Conquer” was only just beginning.  At one point, I had looked behind me and there were ten bodies coming in.  The rest of their set featured a heavy selection of hits.  Zakk Wylde and his signature guitar riffs were on full display and I must admit that I was under their spell.  It was so cool to see this guitarist who I had been listening to since I was a teenager and be able to capture some awesome shots of him in action.  The band worked in the final sequence of Ozzy Osbourne’s “No More Tears” on to the end of “Heart Of Darkness”.  As the song ended the entire building was chanting “Ozzy! Ozzy!  Ozzy!” as Zakk raised his arms to the sky in a show of respect to his former boss.  A very fun moment was when Zakk introduced all of the brothers of the band.  As Zakk would name them, he would add that the mentioned Brother was a fan of certain rivals of our local hockey team.  The crowd would boo, to which Zakk would respond, “But that’s okay because I love the Montréal Canadiens!”  The Ozzy chants also returned a little later, as we heard “Ozzy’s Song”, a tribute to Ozzy from Black Label Society’s latest album, Engines Of Demolition, which was released only four days before this show.  The show came to an end with “Stillborn” as the sweaty and satisfied masses raised their fists in the air and let out a final deafening roar.  All in appreciation for the evening of hard rock and unrelenting riffs that they had just experienced.  There was certain to be some rough voices and sore bodies the next morning, but I’m sure that they would all do it again.  Is it possible to have too much of a good thing?  The fans inside of the MTelus certainly didn’t think so.  Certainly not when Zakk Wylde and the rest of Black Label Society are involved. All of the photographs were taken at f/3.2 while using various different shutter speeds, ISO settings and focal lengths.  Here are the rest of the photographs that I took of Black Label Society while they performed on the MTelus stage.

 

If you would like to find out more about Black Label Society and their music, you can do so by following the link to their website. If you would like to see the photographs that I took of Zakk Sabbath and Dark Chapel, who performed earlier that night, you can do so by following the respective links.  Much thanks goes out to Black Label Society's management team at BRXND Management, Evenko and Christopher Gonda at V13 Media for getting me a pass to photograph that show.  As always, it is very much appreciated.  Black Label Society's North American Tour continues until Mid-May.  Sure to leave a wake of crowd surfers in every city that they visit.  Don't you dare miss it when they play in a town near you.

Zakk Sabbath At MTelus

We're a little bit backed up on getting my concert photographs up here on The Old Blog.  I suppose we will catch up at some point, but this would be a good time to remind you that my concert photographs can be seen in a much more timely manner by visiting V13Media, which you can do by following the link.  If you'd like an even more direct route to my photographs, you can visit my personal page over there but using the following link.  In the big picture of things, I haven't really been covering concerts for very long.  I know that I have come nowhere close to seeing it all, but there are certain things that I didn't think I would ever see.  So of course, that happened next.  We had a streaker hit the MTelus stage.  Not your usual streaker though.  It was a wild haired man in a kilt wearing an Ultimate Warrior face mask and clutching what appeared to be some action figures in his hand.  One was a tiny Ozzy Osbourne, whose presence would be felt a few more times before the night was over.  Who knew that Zakk Wylde had a secret identity.  Once our ‘mysterious’ stalker had left, Zakk Sabbath hit the stage.  Zakk Sabbath is basically Zakk Wylde, doing Black Sabbath songs.  And since you can’t really see Black Sabbath anymore, they are more than a worthy replacement.  John “J.D.” DeServio on bass and Jeff Fabb on drums, also all full Black Label Society Brothers, round out the trio.  They do a terrific job in bringing the songs to life.  They opened with the classic “Children Wear Boots” and followed up with “Snowblind”.  Both of which appear on the awesome double album of Black Sabbath covers, Doomed Forever Forever Doomed. It was released back in 2024.  Zakk Wylde playing Sabbath is a winning combination and the crowd roared their approval with every song.  I got a little carried away myself and took way to many photographs.  And how could I not.  One of the great guitarist of my youth was killing it right in front of me.  However, it wouldn't take long for the universe to equal things out.  The final double shot of “N.I.B.” and “War Pigs” threatened to send the roof to the moon long before the Artemis mission even lifted off.  Zakk took a trip in to the crowd to play a solo during “War Pigs”.  As security hustled him back towards the stage, he roared “F--- yeah!” as he walked past where I was standing.  I couldn’t have said it better myself.  All of the photographs were taken at f/3.2 while using various different shutter speeds, ISO settings and focal lengths.  Here are the rest of the photographs that I took of Zakk Sabbath as they performed on the MTelus stage.

 

If you would like to find out more about Zakk Sabbath and their music, you can do so by following the link to their website.  If you would like to see the photographs that I took of Black Label Society and Dark Chapel, who also performed that night, you can do so by following the respective links.  A Zakk Sabbath show is an experience that must be had at least once.  There is nothing like it.  Don't you dare miss it when they perform in a town near you.