In 2024, “rock is dead” has become an almost cliché admittance, peddled by old-school success stories like Gene Simmons to describe the fall of rock from its place at the forefront of popular culture. While guitar-forward bands may not be dominating the charts like they might’ve back in the eighties, the fact remains that rock music is as beloved and revered as ever before, even if its new home is slightly less decorated. Nothing could prove this better than the sheer excitement and energy in Cardiff’s Utilita Arena on Sunday night as droves of fans flocked together to see hard rock’s darling ‘Black Stone Cherry,’ wearing their metal merchandise loud and proud. The beers were flowing and, to no-one’s surprise, the bluesy riffs went down a treat: what was shocking, however, was how tender and sweet the show turned out to be. Though we missed Ayron Jones’ supporting set, we did catch Skillet’s, and the show as a whole was far more compelling than we expected.

Skillet are a ginormous act, having gone double platinum before in the US: you might think BSC would support them rather than the inverse, but regardless, they put on an excellent show. John Cooper was an electrifying frontman, bounding out onto the stage to kick off ‘Feel Invincible’ like it was the last time he’d ever get to, and drummer Jen Ledger was another joy to watch, bashing her way through the group’s lengthy set with no sign of slowing down. The entire band seemed overjoyed to get to perform— shocking, considering this wasn’t the biggest venue for such a successful act— and pulled the crowd in thoroughly, getting everyone singing along to hits like ‘Awake and Alive’ or ‘Monster’ to a deafening degree. Between the furious head-banging, the inspiring speeches and even the use of handheld smoke machines by Cooper, it’s hard to argue that they didn’t go all out for this one.

We haven’t been particularly kind to Skillet in the past, writing a particularly scathing review of their 2009 album ‘Awake.’ We’re incredibly pleased to report, then, that Skillet absolutely brought the heat at Cardiff, elevating their crop of tracks to newfound heights. The group’s live mix was impeccable, sporting clear yet satisfying drum sounds that hit you right in the chest and dialling in a guitar tone that, while lacking some bite, fit the music well. Seth Morrison was obviously having the time of his life during every solo, shredding incessantly over him as he melted the face off of everyone there— each member got to shine in their own way across the set, as a host of keyboard accompaniments and vocal cadenzas made this a surprisingly varied show. The band even had an electronic cello supporting them for some slower, moodier cuts, developing their live sound into something more complex and evocative. Not every issue had been ironed out, in fairness— the group’s songs still suffered from repetitive and uninspired drumming, as well as some shaky and often off-pitch vocal deliveries. Even still, it’s always wonderful to see a support act take to the stage with the energy and confidence of a headliner, and Skillet knew just what to do to blow us away.

When the lights went down behind the curtain, it was ACDC’s ‘Hells Bells’ that rang out across the arena, setting the epic tone before the band launched into fan-pleaser ‘Me and Mary Jane’— it’s an obvious opener for a reason, smacking you with every reason the band are so loveable right off the bat. Black Stone Cherry certainly looked the part, emblazoned with Led Zeppelin merch and aviator sunglasses, and acted it as well, running this way and that across the stage with massive grins on their faces. Every member was a joy to watch at any time, though drummer John Fred Young was certainly the standout as he put his all into the performance, whipping his hair around like an animal! Ben Wells and Steve Jewell Jr. wanted all the room they could get to dash around madly, leaving the staging fairly minimalist save for a ‘BSC’ banner and, later, a Welsh flag: the lighting, meanwhile, was constantly evolving.

The group plowed through much of their opening crop of tracks with very little talking, letting the songs do all the work. Despite this being the ‘Screamin’ at the Sky’ tour, only two tracks from that album made an appearance here, though the ones that did (‘Out of Pocket’ and ‘When the Pain Comes’) both went down extremely well, allowing the guitars to really rip and tear their way across the venue. Instead, Black Stone Cherry picked out tracks from across their catalogue, even if 2011’s ‘Between the Devil & the Deep Blue Sea’ reared its head more frequently than others, and the end result was a set full of twists, turns and surprises. The live debut of ‘The Mess You Made’ had the crowd in a frenzy, while the drum solo before ‘Cheaper to Drink Alone’ (last at least five minutes!) had us spellbound as Young showcased the extreme extent of his technical ability while keeping things rhythmic and infectious, adding heaps of variety to the show. The group also brought out Ayron Jones and John Cooper to debut their collaborative cover of The Cult’s ‘American Horse,’ bringing yet another foot-stomper into the fold, and the entire set was a non-stop marathon of bluesy riffs and ripping solos all-around, with Chris Robertson’s voice sounding even better here than on the records.

What delighted us most, however, was the tenderness and love that Black Stone Cherry embodied through the show, seeming genuinely touched by the outcries of devotion from the fans. Chris Robertson took to the stage alone at one point to sing ‘Things My Father Said’ in dedication to his dad, even if he himself admitted that “I’m scared sh*tless right now.” He couldn’t made it all the way through without choking: in response, the crowd applauded him before helping him to finish the track, making this a real tear-jerker. The band’s encore was another sweet moment: with big hits ‘White Trash Millionaire’ and ‘Blame It on the Boom Boom’ having been played earlier in the show, Robertson came out into the crowd to play ‘Peace Is Free,’ ending things out on a far more contemplative and wholesome moment than you might expect from a Black Stone Cherry show. The group elevated their performance to something more in these moments, and we were all-around impressed with their vulnerability.

Make no mistake though: despite tender moments from both acts that we saw, this was a night of stomping riffs, massive sing-along choruses and hard rock celebrations. Though we were anticipating a good time, our expectations were blown out of the water as both Skillet and BSC brought their absolute a-game in terms of musicality, showmanship and heart. One thing’s for sure: rock is not dead, and as long as bands and fans like this are around, it ain’t on its last legs either.