We gave Zakk Wylde a call recently and the way he answered blew us away! Singing loudly, in his deep, thick Jersey/ New Yorker accent, "Hellooooww theeerrrrreeeeee!"
"To all the Black Label family in Australia, I’m looking forward to seeing you! We’re gonna have a baaaalllll!" Yeah! You read it right, Zakk Wylde’s Black Label Society is coming back to Australia, and he’s bringing his babies: 'The Grail' and 'The Rebel', and some of his designs from his custom line of guitars.
It’s been 11 years since Wylde and his crew were in the country. They’ve recorded a lot of good music since then, and there’s a bit of ground to cover. "We are going to touch on a little bit from every record on the Australian tour,” Zakk explains.
At a guess we could expect a set-list to look something like this:
Losin' Your Mind (Pride & Glory song)
Suicide Messiah
Road Back Home
Spoke In The Wheel
Guitar Solo
Play Video
Machine Gun Man (Pride & Glory song)
Sold My Soul
In This River
Scars
Empty Promises
Throwin' It All Away
The Blessed Hellride
My Dying Time
Stillborn
If you’ve been a fan of the wild man from way back, you would most likely have his first solo album in your collection, 'The Book Of Shadows'. It’s mostly acoustic-based and draws a lot from the lighter side of his previous band, Pride & Glory. It’s not as heavy as the BLS or Ozzy stuff, more classic folk-rock, like Neil Young or Stephen Stills/ Buffalo Springfield.
He reveals: "I'm putting down some stuff right now for 'The Book Of Shadows II'. I’m always working on something. When I wake up in the morning, or I’m out on the road, I just pick up the acoustic, or the electric, and start writing something. I get inspired and just start writing stuff."
Zakk doesn't come across as a complicated man, but there is something unique and striking about this big character.
We investigated just what makes Zakk Wylde, well, so wild. Twenty Things That Make Zakk Wylde:
• His beard. It’s enough to make any hipster head to the nearest barber shop.
• His bulls-eye/ vertigo doped guitars.
• The way he stands when playing the guitar. Beyond f’n cool.
• He likes to joke and have a good laugh.
• In the Guitar Hero World Tour game, he’s a playable character. He becomes unlocked upon defeating him in a guitar battle.
• He’s a real bogan. If Americans had bogans, he would fit the mould for sure.
• The voices: the rough, rusty belch, the deep, husky voice, and the soft, gentle voice.
• The rugged manliness. There’s no denying he’s a big hunky, chunky beast of a man. (He could do with a good shower or two say's my wife)
• His clothing line. Black, black, black and metal – how it ought to be. Oh! And that 'Odin Viking' beanie.
• His hair. Bald men can only watch and weep as he thrusts those long, blond locks around the stage.
• He’s been sober for six years. Kicked the habit; became a real man.
• He’s married. And his wife is the bad-ass band manager.
• He’s a daddy of four awesome kids: Hendrix, Sabbath, Jessie and Haley (girl).
• He’s been the lead guitarist and co-writer with Ozzy Osbourne.
• He has his own range of guitars and amps – Wylde Audio.
• The BLS logo. SDMF: Strength. Determination. Merciless. Forever.
• He’s a partner in Blair's Sauces & Snacks, which brew the spicy Berserker hot sauce.
• He appeared as the lead guitarist for a band called Steel Dragon in the movie 'Rock Star' starring Mark Wahlberg.
• He’s a genuinely nice guy.
• His guitar licks. I mean, enough said.
If you don’t get to one of Zakk Wylde’s Black Label Society shows you must be: “oouuut of your mind, oouuut of your mind, or you must be crazy or high".
Zakk Wylde Tour Dates
Wed 25 Nov - Metropolis (Fremantle)Fri 27 Nov - HQ (Adelaide)
Sat 28 Nov - The Roundhouse (Sydney)
Sun 29 Nov - The Tivoli Theatre (Brisbane)
Mon 30 Nov - 170 Russell (Melbourne)
Tue 1 Dec - 170 Russell (Melbourne)
