Lynyrd Skynyrd
- Rock Metal Machine
- Jul 22
- 4 min read
Artists: Lynyrd Skynyrd/Blackberry Smoke
Venue: Birmingham: Utilita Arena
Date: 17 July 2025
They followed this with another ballad in the form of ‘Simple Man’, which always seems so much heavier and intense when performed live, with Van Zant encouraging the willing audience to light up the arena with their phones.
The Florida Legends of Southern Rock returned to Birmingham (not the one in Alabama!) and brought with them the natural successors to their crown as support, for an excellent night of Southern Rock.
My fondness for Georgia’s Blackberry Smoke has waned in the last few years, as I’ve felt they have become a little too laid-back and plodding musically over recent albums, so I was looking forward to seeing them again to hopefully reignite my affection for them. They are renowned for altering their setlist every show so you never know what to expect, and while there were some choice nuggets selected, others didn’t exactly set things alight. Opening with ‘Workin’ For A Workin’ Man’ and ‘Hammer And The Nail’, it was the golden oldie ‘Good One Comin’ On’ that really got things going for me. Songs like ‘Hey Delilah’ are amongst the ones I feel are too plodding, but on the flipside the gorgeously melodic ‘Run Away From It All’ is, for me, Blackberry Smoke at their very best.
‘The Whipporwill’ album is usually plundered heavily for material, and while ‘Pretty Little Lie’ and the lovely ballad ‘One Horse Town’ are very welcome, ‘Sleeping Dogs’ and regular closer ‘Ain’t Much Left Of Me’ always seem to be included, both of which are dragged out into lengthy jams with other song interludes (Creedence Clearwater Revival’s ‘Midnight Special’ and Led Zep’s ‘When The Levee Breaks’) – I think that with only an hour’s support ‘Sleeping Dogs’ should have been dropped, feeling that the set was crying out for something really lively like ‘Six Ways To Sunday’ or ‘Shakin’ Hands With The Holy Ghost’, and there was nothing chosen from my favourite BS album ‘Holding All The Roses’.
That said, I’ve always thought frontman Charlie Starr is one of the finest lyricists around and is a fantastic guitarist, and was certainly on top form tonight, bringing along his arsenal of guitars that was too numerous to count. While I kind of enjoyed seeing Blackberry Smoke again, it hasn’t made me want to rush to see a full set any time soon.
Lynyrd Skynyrd have always been about their legacy, so though there are now none of the original members left, they always pay homage to their dear departed brothers and sisters, so I believe they are justified in continuing. Plus, Johnny Van Zant has been keeper of the flame for some thirty-eight tears now since replacing his brother Ronnie when the band reformed some ten years after the fateful plane crash, while Rickey Medlocke is also seen as an integral member, having recorded with the original line-up in the seventies and returning to the fold in 1996. Former Black Star Riders and Brother Cane guitarist Damon Johnson was drafted in as cover for Gary Rossington while he was undergoing surgery, so when the sole remaining original member sadly passed away in 2023 Johnson was the ideal full-time replacement; a perfect choice who handles Rossington’s guitar parts respectably.
The only problem with maintaining that legacy is that Lynyrd Skynyrd only ever seem to perform songs from the classic 1970’s line-up of the band, so much so that you can virtually predict what they are going to play, it’s just the running order that differs. They have released some excellent albums since reuniting, in particular ‘Vicious Cycle’ and ‘God & Guns’, so it would be nice to hear a couple of the newer tracks interspersed with the oldies – but that’s the only grumble as Skynyrd are still, and always will be, awesome live.
The opening salvo of ‘Workin’ For MCA’, ‘What’s Your Name’, ‘That Smell’, ‘I Know A Little’ and ‘Saturday Night Special’ flash by without the band pausing for breath, before Van Zant introduces ‘Down South Jukin’’ which begins another uninterrupted four-song salvo. They only slow the pace down when they reach ‘Tuesday’s Gone’ which is lovingly dedicated to Gary Rossington, with old and more recent images and videos of the guitarist on the screen for the entire seven-plus minutes of the song; I admit I never took any notice of the band on the stage in all this time as it was so emotional to watch.
They followed this with another ballad in the form of ‘Simple Man’, which always seems so much heavier and intense when performed live, with Van Zant encouraging the willing audience to light up the arena with their phones. Then came the big run-in to the end of the set, with ‘Gimme Three Steps’, ‘Call Me The Breeze’ and the inevitable ‘Sweet Home Alabama’; it’s frustrating to see how many people jump up and start dancing when they played this – as if it’s the only song they recognised!
Of course, there’s only ever one encore, and ‘Freebird’ is emotional and thrilling at the same time; I love how Johnny Van Zant leaves the stage and leaves his Ronnie to sing the second verse from the big screen, with his big brother’s old hat perched atop the microphone stand. When they also pay homage to all the other previous members who have passed away over the years it’s quite scary to see how many have left us over the years – sadly I didn’t have time to count all the names as there are so many. And then there is THAT guitar solo… I seriously don’t know how Rickey Medlocke’s guitar survives the battering every night!
I’m sure that when I last saw Lynyrd Skynyrd in 2019 it was billed as their farewell tour… thankfully it seems like they’re not actually planning on going anywhere just yet – long may the Skynyrd reign!
Review: Ant Heeks
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