Pictures (C) Robert Sutton / Robert Sutton Photography
Arguably the unluckiest band in rock history (the most notorious incident being the plane crash which killed 3 band members including vocalist Ronnie Van Zant), up until his death, guitarist and founder member Gary Rossington was very much looked upon as the final thread holding the Lynyrd Skynyrd name together. Rossington passed away in early 2023 with very little media fanfare, in fact there was so little coverage of his death that I didn’t learn of it for a couple of weeks afterwards and was quite appalled at the lack of recognition for this extraordinary musician, a man who was responsible for one of the most recognisable and iconic guitar riffs of all time. Perhaps considering the bands history, it wasn’t dramatic enough to warrant much media attention.
Of course, it was taken for granted in music circles that the passing of Gary marked the end of Skynyrd and therefore, the end of an era. When surprisingly, Skynyrd announced their current tour, there were widespread murmurs that they would be nothing more than a tribute band – as without one single original member, how could it possibly be Lynyrd Skynyrd? But lets rewind slightly and try this from a different angle…
Following the devastating crash in ’77, Skynyrd were on an indefinite hiatus until Van Zant’s brother Johnny stepped up as lead vocalist and songwriter a decade later. Having toured steadily thereafter, with his stint of 38 years heavily outweighing his brothers, how can this front man still be viewed in any way as an imposter? Granted, replacing a vocalist, is, in my opinion, always the biggest risk for any band but these guys were brothers and surely that can only be seen as the greatest honour to both of them – the fact that they not only sound alike but look alike isn’t lost on me either. Throw the supremely talented Ricky Medlocke into the mix (having played on some of the very early Skynyrd tapes, he was invited to rejoin the band, by Rossington in the late 90’s) and a tribute act this most certainly is not…
As a band who have made some of my favourite music of all time, I was first scheduled to see them in 2020, the year the (live) music died and the lock down robbed me of all my plans so, no matter who was in the line up, I wasn’t missing out on this current tour.
Blackberry Smoke
And so, onto a very packed out Wembley Arena on Saturday past; Blackberry Smoke proved a fantastic and complementary opening act with a surprising amount of those in attendance donning their Smoke T-shirts, a testament to the widespread popularity of this band. An all seated event, many fans stood, singing and swaying throughout their 12 track set which included tunes such as ‘Hammer and the Nail’, ‘Let it Burn’, ‘One Horse Town’, and the finale ‘Ain’t Much Left of Me’ (cover of Zepp’s ‘When the Levee Breaks’). I’ve had the privilege of seeing Blackberry Smoke on a few occasions, all of which have been fantastic so its little wonder they have such a well established fan base.
Lynyrd Skynyrd
A bit of indoor thunder and lightning preceded Skynyrd taking to the stage with ‘Workin’ for MCA’ which kicked off the set to heavy applause. They ploughed their way through tracks such as ‘Saturday Night Special’. ‘Gimme Back my Bullets’, and ‘Tuesday’s Gone’, amidst a stunning backdrop featuring some previously unseen photographs of those sadly no longer with us – the names of all the band members displayed with candles lit above them was a lovely touch as was the ‘Smokes’ from the back cover of the ‘Pronounced’ album simply stating ‘Their Legacy Lives On’. Another backdrop was very fittingly dedicated to Gary Rossington which read:
For Gary.
For our leader.
Our brother.
Our Freebird
Van Zant addressed the audience a few times between tracks, enthusing on how pleased they were to be playing London and emphasizing the bond between the US and the UK, he also asked for crowd participation on several songs including the simply stunning ‘Simple Man’, and I couldn’t help but notice what a gentle speaking voice he has for someone who can sing so powerfully.
To my absolute delight, some of the lesser known Skynyrd tracks such as ‘Cry for the Bad Man’ featured in the running but perhaps did not get the recognition they deserved. Without a doubt the legendary ‘Sweet Home Alabama’, which wrapped up the set, stole the show – but that was just predictable. They played only one encore, but what an encore it was. A flawless performance, the spiralling guitarwork of ‘Freebird’ had the audience on their feet and rocking, it created a buzz that for me, lasted long into the night. A lengthy track anyway, it was, as expected an even longer live version and I was quite surprised to see some of the audience beginning their exodus before it had reached its pinnacle.
In all, a fantastic and highly emotive night of musical delights. I was always expecting great things from Skynyrd but they absolutely exceeded all expectations; not sure that the crowd response was commensurate with the level the band were playing at, the audience appearing quite static at times – or possibly just unfamiliar with certain tracks.
This band are not done, not quite; they say that someone is never truly gone until you stop remembering them and this tour is very much a memorial for the past, performed by a band very much thriving in the present; the talent and passion of this current line up is all pervasive.
Lynyrd Skynyrd – the legacy lives on, the music lasts forever.
SETLIST
Workin’ for MCA
What’s Your Name
That Smell
I Know a Little
Saturday Night Special
Down South Jukin’
Gimme Back My Bullets
Cry for the Bad Man
The Needle and the Spoon
Tuesday’s Gone
Simple Man
Gimme Three Steps
Call Me the Breeze (J.J. Cale cover) (with Charlie Starr)
Sweet Home Alabama
Encore:
Freebird
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