Shinedown
Wulfrun Hall, Wolverhampton
Concert review by Ian Harvey

Relentless touring is paying off for Florida rockers Shinedown as they packed out the Wulfrun Hall in Wolverhampton.

Along with the likes of Black Stone Cherry and The Answer, Shinedown are among a select group of bands threatening to break into the rock elite with a seemingly non-stop touring schedule.

This tour marks Shinedown’s third visit to these shores this year, including a triumphant appearance at Download Festival.

Last night, frontman Brent Smith took command of the Wulfrun from the opening notes of Sound Of Madness to the closing crescendo of Devour.

It was a set which encompassed the band’s range of sounds, with all-out Nickelback-style rockers like Cyanide Sweet Tooth Suicide and 45 giving way to heartfelt slower moments, like the truly beautiful If You Only Knew, Second Chance and The Crow and The Butterfly.

Some have criticised Smith for his between-song banter, which can verge on being motivational speeches at times, but last night he proved his is a true star in the making, controlling the ebb and flow of the evening with effortless command and a flawless performance.

Shinedown’s music is hard-hitting and uplifting in equal measure. Backed by guitarist Zach Meyers, bassist Eric Bass and dreadlocked drummer Barry Kerch, Smith took the sold-out Wulfrun (if the Specials weren’t performing next door they would surely have been promoted to the larger Civic Hall) on an emotion-packed journey.

Three albums in, and with an audience ranging from the Guitar Hero generation to 40-somethings and beyond, Shinedown look set to storm rock’s premier league.

Support came from Counterpart and the returning Soil, whose singer AJ Cavalier performed a death-defying leap from the speaker stack in the climax to their well-received set.