Black Star Riders

In May 2010, Thin Lizzy lead guitarist Scott Gorham announced the latest incarnation of the group, which had toured sporadically with various line-ups since 1996, after the death of band leader Phil Lynott in 1986. This marked the return of the original drummer Brian Downey and longtime keyboard player Darren Wharton, joining Gorham, bass guitarist Marco Mendoza, and vocalist and occasional guitarist Ricky Warwick. The other lead guitarist role was initially filled by Vivian Campbell, then by Richard Fortus, before Damon Johnson joined the band in August 2011. As the band toured throughout 2011 and 2012, they composed new material for possible release as a Thin Lizzy studio album, and demos were recorded in June 2012. In October 2012, it was announced that the new material would not be recorded under the Thin Lizzy name, and that a new band name would be used for the new songs. According to Gorham, this was "out of respect to Phil Lynott and the legacy he created", though he confirmed that the new material would feature the classic Thin Lizzy sound. He later confirmed that the decision was taken by himself and Downey, with the support of the other members of the band, and that the Thin Lizzy estate (controlled by Lynott's widow Caroline) had also been uncomfortable about new Thin Lizzy studio recordings. Warwick has acknowledged that a significant portion of Thin Lizzy fans were also against the idea of Thin Lizzy studio recordings without Lynott. He later confirmed that he had been troubled by the idea of using the Thin Lizzy name, and that as a fan, had the band recorded an album under the Thin Lizzy name with another singer, he would have been against it. As the new material was being written, it became clear that Downey and Wharton would not be involved when the final recordings were made. Downey required a break from the heavy touring schedule, and Wharton wanted to return to his own band Dare, and to work on a film project. Warwick confirmed, "Brian and Darren just don't want to be on the road 150 days a year, and that's completely understandable. But we do." Gorham has stated that Thin Lizzy will still perform as a band in the future: "Thin Lizzy isn't gonna die," he said. With reference to the much-publicised Lizzy "farewell" tour in late 2012, Warwick confirmed, "All that 'farewell' meant is that we're not going to do 150 Lizzy shows a year... those were just the last shows for a while." Thin Lizzy completed a short tour of Australia in March 2013, with Downey and Wharton as part of the line-up. ==Black Star Riders==

Damon Johnson has revealed that Gorham was against any name for the new band that was related to Thin Lizzy, "because this band has to stand on its own". The first single was "Bound for Glory", which received its first airplay on March 21, on Ken Bruce's mid-morning show on BBC Radio 2 in the UK. The single was released on March 24. Touring and The Killer Instinct Appearances at festivals accompanied the album release in the summer of 2013, followed by a worldwide tour. In an interview in December 2012, Gorham confirmed that the new group would still pay homage to their Thin Lizzy origins: "Obviously because everybody knows where we came from and what we do, it is kind of a must. We will be playing most of the Black Star Riders album but I don't think we'd get away without playing a few Thin Lizzy songs." Black Star Riders played their first concert on May 30, 2013 at the Marshall Amps Theatre, Bletchley in Milton Keynes, In 2014, the band played 13 shows in the US during May, followed by three dates in Japan on May 20–22, followed by 25 further shows in the US. The band then returned to Europe for 19 shows in the UK, Germany, Norway and Sweden in July and August. 2014 Recording for a second album was announced during late 2013, and on January 27, 2014, it was announced the band's second album would be recorded in Dublin in October, and would be produced by Def Leppard vocalist Joe Elliott. Elliott had previously worked on Ricky Warwick's solo albums, and also with Scott Gorham on archival Thin Lizzy releases. However, Elliott pulled out of the project in August due to conflicts with Def Leppard's schedule. He was quickly replaced by Nick Raskulinecz, and recording took place in Nashville, Tennessee in September. The album was released on February 20, 2015. On May 30, 2014, it was announced that Marco Mendoza would be leaving the band to pursue other projects. He officially left Black Star Riders after the end of the US tour on June 22. His replacement is Robbie Crane, formerly of Ratt and Lynch Mob. Mendoza said, "I am sorry to be leaving the band but I feel it's time for me to pursue other avenues, some of which I have already been working with, all of which I am very excited about. I wish the guys all success in the future and I am very happy that my friend Robbie Crane will continue to blaze with BSR." Gorham and Warwick confirmed that the separation was amicable. In January 2015, Warwick recalled that Crane played "The Boys Are Back in Town" at his audition for the band, and Gorham had felt it had been the closest to the original since Phil Lynott had played it. On November 21, 2014, the second album was named as The Killer Instinct and would feature ten tracks. Johnson explained how producer Raskulinecz had examined all the songs the band had written prior to recording, and ensured that the band "focused on the material to best represent Black Star Riders in 2015." In March 2015, a tour of the UK and Ireland with Def Leppard and Whitesnake was announced for December, preceded by a European tour in November. Heavy Fire In January 2016, Ricky Warwick revealed that recording for the third album would begin later in the year, again produced by Raskulinecz, with release scheduled for early 2017. In August, it was revealed that the title of the third album would be Heavy Fire, and the release would be accompanied by a sixteen-date tour of the UK and Ireland in March 2017. Support on the tour was provided by Gun, plus The Amorettes on the first five dates, with Backyard Babies on the remaining eleven. The first single from Heavy Fire, "When the Night Comes In", was first broadcast on Planet Rock radio in the UK on November 16, 2016. The album was released on February 3, 2017, and reached #6 in the UK, and #11 in Germany. In March 2017, one month after its release, the album won a Planet Rock award for Best British Album. Lineup changes It was announced on March 29, 2017 that Jimmy DeGrasso had left the band by mutual consent, having completed the UK tour. After further touring in the US, it was announced that Johnson would be leaving the band at the end of 2018 to concentrate on his solo career and session work. His replacement was to be Christian Martucci of Stone Sour. The band undertook a tour of South America in November with Luke Morley of Thunder deputising for Johnson, before Johnson returned for further performances in the UK at the end of the year. Martucci joined the band in the studio in early 2019 to record their fourth album, Another State of Grace. Johnson stated, "Three excellent albums in six years with this great band is one of the proudest achievements of my career, and it has been glorious." He will continue to work with Thin Lizzy and with Warwick as part of the Warwick Johnson acoustic duo. Another State of Grace The band's fourth album, Another State of Grace was released on September 6, 2019, and was accompanied by a tour of the UK and Europe. It is the first of their albums to feature Martucci, and ultimately the only album to feature Szeliga, and was produced by Jay Ruston. The album was announced alongside a new track and video "Better Than Saturday Night", as well as a 10th Anniversary UK tour for February 2023. Scott Gorham and Jimmy DeGrasso were to rejoin the band for the UK tour dates as part of the 10th Anniversary commemorations. Wood featured in the video for the band's next single, "Riding Out the Storm", released on December 2. Wood remains a member of Wayward Sons alongside his role in Black Star Riders. In 2024, the band announced a one-off show at KK's Steel Mill in Wolverhampton on November 15, to mark the 25th anniversary of Planet Rock. For this performance, the band consisted of Warwick, Wood and DeGrasso, with bass guitarist Marco Mendoza returning after ten years as Crane is busy with other commitments. A new single, "Why Are the Rats?", was released on July 26. The song was recorded during the Wrong Side of Paradise sessions in 2021 and features Warwick, Martucci, Crane and St. John. The same lineup of Warwick, Wood, Mendoza and DeGrasso will tour across mainland Europe in September and October 2026 as part of a double-headline tour with Tyketto. ==Personnel==

• Ricky Warwick – lead vocals, rhythm guitar, acoustic guitar (2012–present), lead guitar (2021–present) • Robbie Crane – bass guitar, backing vocals (2014–present) • Zak St. John – drums (2021–present) • Sam Wood – lead and rhythm guitar, backing vocals (2022–present) ==Touring members==

• Marco Mendoza – bass guitar, backing vocals (2012–2014 (full member), 2024, 2026 (touring)) • Jimmy DeGrasso – drums, percussion (2012–2017 (full member), 2022–23, 2024, 2026 (touring)) Former members • Scott Gorham – lead and rhythm guitars, backing vocals (2012–2021 (full member), 2022–23 (touring)) • Damon Johnson – lead and rhythm guitars, backing vocals (2012–2018) • Chad Szeliga – drums (2017–2021) • Christian Martucci – lead and rhythm guitars, backing vocals (2019–2022) Touring members • Luke Morley – guitars, backing vocals (2018) Timeline ==Discography==

Albums Singles • "Bound for Glory" (2013) • "Hey Judas" (2013) • "Kingdom of the Lost" (2013) • "The Killer Instinct" (2014) • "Finest Hour" (2015) • "Charlie I Gotta Go" (2015) • "Soldierstown" (2015) • "When the Night Comes In" (2016) • "Testify or Say Goodbye" (2017) • "Heavy Fire" (2017) • "Dancing with the Wrong Girl" (2017) • "Another State of Grace" (2019) • "Ain't the End of the World" (2019) • "Tonight the Moonlight Let Me Down" (2019) • "Candidate for Heartbreak" (2020) • "Better Than Saturday Night" (2022) • "Pay Dirt" (2022) • "Crazy Horses" (2022) • "Riding Out the Storm" (2022) • "Why Are the Rats?" (2024) ==References==