Black Star Riders Announce New Guitarist and 2023 Anniversary Tour Dates

Hard rock band Black Star Riders have announced the replacement for Stone Sour / Corey Taylor guitarist Christian Martucci, who parted the band earlier this year.

Sam Wood, from Wayward Sons, joins the band and his first dates will be the UK shows this coming weekend in London (the band’s label Earache’s 35th Anniversary party) and Trecco Bay in South Wales for Planet Rockstock.

Frontman Ricky Warwick had this to say about Sam:

“I first saw Sam back in 2019 when Wayward Sons were guests to Black Star Riders and I was absolutely blown away! I had Sam join me for some Fighting Hearts dates a few months back and knew he was the guy for us. If ever there was a new GUITAR HERO waiting in the wings, then it’s Sam! Black Star Riders have had some of the World’s finest guitar players in their ranks and Sam is truly up there as one of them. We couldn’t be happier!”

The line-up for the two aforementioned shows together with the 10TH anniversary UK tour in February 2023, will see Black Star Riders welcome back guitarist Scott Gorham and original drummer Jimmy DeGrasso for the celebrations.

Ricky adds “we are really looking forward to playing with Scott and Jimmy again and this is the only time you will get to see us all together again for this 10th anniversary of the band. After February Zak will be with us for all future dates. The set list will be tracks from the new album Wrong Side Of Paradise to start the show then we welcome Scott on stage for the “greatest hits” set to celebrate our 10 years.”

Tour Dates:

02/11 – Belfast, Limelight
02/13 – Nottingham, Rock City
02/15 – Norwich, UEA
02/16 – Ipswich, Corn Exchange
02/17 – Manchester, O2 Ritz
02/18 – Wolverhampton, KK’s Steel Mill
02/19 – Leeds, O2 Academy
02/21 – Cardiff, Tramshed
02/22 – Bristol, O2 Academy
02/23 – Glasgow, SWG3
02/24 – Newcastle, O2 City Hall
02/26 – London, O2 Shepherds Bush Empire

Special guests are Michael Monroe and Phil Campbell and the Bastard Sons on all shows except Belfast where Trucker Diablo open.

The band’s forthcoming album Wrong Side Of Paradise is released January 20th, 2023 on Earache Records.

Artwork for Black Star Riders 2023 Tour