LINKS:

blacklistunion.com

I started out my career as a music writer in the late 60`s, and ended my career in the early 90`s with the birth of so called "grunge rock". I've worked for Creem Magazine, Rolling Stone, the Village Voice and others. I have seen it all and have seen most of the so called "legends" rise from the street and go on to greatness--acts like David Bowie, Black Sabbath, the Sex Pistols, the Ramones, the Clash, Guns and Roses, Jane`s Addiction, Nirvana, Soundgarden and on and on.

It`s been 13 years since I started my lucrative real estate business after deciding to drop out of the cut throat music business for good, but that all changed Friday night August 5th at the Roxy after seeing THE next big thing. The next rock band destined for greatness: Blacklist Union.
This band was on fire from their 1st song to their last, and their energy was absolutely electric. The jaded Hollywood audience was so responsive it was mindblowing. Girls were literally screaming at the top of their lungs, guys were headbanging and the Roxy was standing room only.

Members of Velvet Revolver, Weezer, Disturbed, Saliva and music industry insider Barry Squire were among the audience. Even HR from the legendary punk rock band The Bad Brains was there. Much like Jane`s Addiction did in the height of the Hollywood glam slam, Blacklist Union are definitely going against the grain, not following any formulas & paving their own road, making no apologies for it.

Musically the material is heavy rock with beautiful melodies and big catchy choruses. Blacklist union is fronted by Tony West, who not only knows how to perform and sing, he also knows how to work his audience. It was definitely a sight for sore eyes and very refreshing. It`s been well over 10 years since I`ve seen it last. Along with lead guitarist Mark Fain, these two are the next Tyler/Perry, Jagger/Richards combo for the new millennium.

They played at least 3 or 4 songs that have absolute hit single written all over them, out of an 8 song 35 minute set. "Beauty in Disguise" "Another World" & "Back to Zero" were stand out songs, as was "Dying to Live" which was a slower Mother Love Bone-type song dedicated to the late Bianca Halstead of Betty Blowtorch. After the set, the curtains went down and the audience literally chanted "one more song" for at least a good five minutes.

Later, I caught Tony West outside of the Roxy arguing with the promoter, who claimed that since they only counted 75 people who paid to get in, the band would not be getting paid since the quota was 80 people. Well, I can tell you there were at least 250 people in the club for these guys. I guess some things never change.

Speaking with Tony West & Mark Fain (the founders of bl.u.) after the gig, I was amazed at how humble and modest these two future monsters of rock were and how they took time to talk to their fans, and to me for that matter. This band is on top of their game, and they are simply impossible to ignore. With all their street promotion and street teams handing out flyers for their shows, their quarter page ads in the LA Weekly and the Blacklist Union banner hanging over the awning at the world famous Whiskey-a-Go-Go, it is nice to see that a band with so much hype can actually deliver for once.

The world has been waiting for this band, and they are now officially here.

Their name is Blacklist Union. Check them out. You`ll be glad you did.