Black Stone Cherry – "We're excited about getting back to theatre-sized venues"

Released earlier this year, the band’s fifth album, Kentucky, was darker and heavier than some may have expected.

Maybe so, but we’ve always wanted to make a record like that. This time nobody was telling us: “That won’t work on radio.’ That’s been a pain in the ass for our whole career.

Like its predecessor Magic Mountain, Kentucky went Top Five in the UK. Has changing labels to Mascot put the band on a better footing globally?

We had a great ten-year run with Roadrunner but, like anything, sometimes you grow apart. It had gone as far as it could so it was time to try something different. This entire record was written and a few songs recorded before Mascot heard anything. They told us to make the record we wanted to make.

Were there any nerves in the dressing room prior to the Ramblin’ Man Fair, BSC’s first major spot as festival headliners?

Man, I was crazy nervous. It was terrifying. But the minute the lights went down, all of that fear went out of the window. We had an incredible time.

Your drummer John Fred Young must have been proud at the response to his dad’s band, the Kentucky HeadHunters?

That was among the coolest things of the day. For them to come to Europe for the first time, it was special. Especially as we pestered the shit out of them to do it.

It would be difficult to top that, so on this tour you’re playing more intimate venues.

Yeah. And we’re really excited about getting back to theatre-sized venues. Playing two sets of music, it’ll be awesome.

The band’s Facebook page warns fans: “We won’t be back for any festivals or big tours in 2017, this is it.”

We’ve hit the UK pretty hard over the last few years. We’ll return full force with another record when it’s time, but we’re going to take things easy for a while.

The last date of the tour is in Norwich on December 8.

Dave Ling was a co-founder of Classic Rock magazine. His words have appeared in a variety of music publications, including RAW, Kerrang!, Metal Hammer, Prog, Rock Candy, Fireworks and Sounds. Dave’s life was shaped in 1974 through the purchase of a copy of Sweet’s album ‘Sweet Fanny Adams’, along with early gig experiences from Status Quo, Rush, Iron Maiden, AC/DC, Yes and Queen. As a lifelong season ticket holder of Crystal Palace FC, he is completely incapable of uttering the word ‘Br***ton’.