INTERVIEW: PARADISE CITY – RICKY WARWICK BLACK STAR RIDERS

Black Star Riders recently returned with their explosive new album Wrong Side of Paradise. This is a release which has witnessed great success for the band, reaching #6 on the UK Album Chart as well as #1 on the UK Rock Album charts. After 10 years together, the band are still going strong. 

Wrong Side of Paradise was recorded in Autumn 2021 at Dave Grohl’s Studio 606 in Northridge California, and Toochtoon Sound in Redmond Oregon, with the band’s producer and long-time associate Jay Ruston.

The poetic title of the album encapsulates the sense of division that frontman Ricky Warwick witnessed in his formative years, as well as that which is witnessed in society today. “Sadly, I grew up with walls and barricades being from Belfast in the 70s and 80s, there were barricades and divisions and walls everywhere. And that was part of my childhood. There was a sense of wonderment. Why is there a wall halfway down the street? What’s beyond the wall? Are they different from us? Is it nicer over there? What’s going on and just trying to understand that,” explains Warwick. “Going through life and seeing how we put up divisions everywhere we go, pretty much in everything we do as a species, which is really sad. We build walls when we should be building bridges, I think that’s the thing that gets to me most So really, the song was a reflection of that. Why do we keep dividing?”

Perhaps one of the most unlikely songs to appear on the album is the band’s cover of The Osmond’s Crazy Horses. By his admittance, Ricky says: “I’m the guilty one for that”. Although it may be a song that you wouldn’t expect to hear in a hard rock style, it truly works. “I’ve always loved that song. I remember watching The Osmonds playing it on TV way back when I was super young. And it just resonated with me and stuck with me ever since. I just thought one day, I’m going to be in a band, and we’re going to cover that song,” explains Warwick. “Thankfully, the guys in Black Star Riders shared my love of this song, and we were jamming it. And it’s such a great riff; it’s so heavy. And we were just jamming it on. And we’re like, oh – we’ve got to record this. This is really good. So, we did, and that was it.” 

Ricky adds: “Black Star Riders have never done a cover version. It’s the first cover that we’ve ever recorded. So, we thought let’s pick one that nobody would have thought we would probably do. So that was another reason behind it, but it’s just a great rock and roll song. I’m glad we were able to do it to do some kind of justice.”

During their recent single Pay Dirt Warwick sings the line ‘My heart belongs to Belfast, my soul belongs to Glasgow’. Really powerful and somewhat poetic lyricism from the frontman. Speaking about the song he says: “It’s a bit autobiographical. It’s singing about my struggles trying to make it as a musician. Growing up in Belfast, moving to Glasgow, and forming the Almighty in Glasgow. How important Glasgow is as a city to me as much as Belfast is,” explains Ricky. “It’s one of my favourite songs on the record.”

Although Scott Gorham didn’t participate on the band’s latest album, the talismanic guitarist returned to the fold for the group’s UK tour. “I love him to death,” said Ricky. “Scott’s been my bro for over 30 years. Long before we were in Lizzy or Black Star Riders together. Scott was a really good friend of mine and I love him to bits, and I admire him. He’s a legend. There’s nobody like Scott Gorham. Nobody plays the guitar like Scott Gorham. Nobody’s ever been fired from Black Star Riders. People have left and gone on to do the stuff that they want to concentrate on in their lives. The door’s always open for anybody. So, for Jimmy and Scott to come back, it’s a no-brainer.”

Ricky Warwick was recently acknowledged for his work at the HRH Awards in Great Yarmouth. “It’s always nice to be recognized for what you do, and for what you love, and for what your chosen vocation is. So that in itself is lovely. I’ve been doing this for a long time, and I know that I am still as passionate and hungry about it as I was when I was 14 years old. So, it’s lovely to have the recognition for that.”

Throughout the remainder of 2023, Black Star Riders will continue to promote their new album on tour. “During the summer, we’re looking at Europe. Obviously, Europe is a bit of a mess at the moment with Brexit and everything. So, we have to weigh up costs and all that kind of stuff. Before, it was a case of alright – let’s just go – it’s great. Let’s do three months, let’s go two months. Sadly, you can’t really do that anymore because of the costs involved. So, you’re having to put a bit more thought and time into what you can actually do, but we’re trying to figure it all out. Obviously, we want to play anywhere and everywhere, and that’s what we’re trying to plan to do. But we don’t want to take a huge financial hit by doing that, so we have to be smart, and we have to tour smart. So, we’re looking at all the implications of that. We will be busy next year. There’s no doubt about it.

Wrong Side of Paradise by Black Star Riders is out now via Earache.

Words by Adam Kennedy

Photo Credit: Ross Halfin & Robert John