The joint will be jumping this Saturday when the Ozzy Osborne/Black Sabbath Tribute Band Blackdaze rocks Outlaws Saloon, with special guests, local rock band Bogtrotter.
Blackdaze is Russ Graham on vocals, his brother Rich Graham on drums, Darren Jones on bass and Todd Flodstrum on guitar.
“We’ve always been hip to play music together and have formed different bands,” says Rich. “We started Blackdaze a little over two years ago with two friends from Kamloops.”
The four men started playing together and, after three enjoyable weeks, started kicking around ideas, including who knew how to play what.
“Somebody said ‘how many Black Sabbath songs do you know, and how much Ozzy Osbourne do you know?” says Rich. “We had about 20 songs we all knew and as much as it’s covers, it’s a vehicle for artistic music expression.”
Rich said one of the reasons the band decided to come to Salmon Arm is that they had just completed a successful tour through Western Canada.
“One thing that resonates with that material is for some reason Ozzy has become massively popular,” he says.
He believes that is, in part, because of the exceptional musicians he has backing him.
“They all play custom instruments built, shaped and modified for them,” he says. “And we’ve all come into our own too. We have a great, great time on stage and we try to emulate the Ozzy musicianship.”
While he knows the vibe is not for everyone, Rich points to the cultural richness of the Shuswap and Thompson-Okanagan region, and says the Armstrong Metal Fest attracts many fans.
“There are documentaries about heavy metal and the way people gravitate to it, from lawyers to teenage kids,” he says, noting Blackdaze plays early metal. “It’s a curiosity thing; it gets associated with other subcultures like skateboarding and mountain biking.”
He says Blackdaze has a powerful sound playing huge hits, like Mama I’m Comin’ Home, War Pigs, Over The Mountain and I Don’t Wanna Stop.
Enthusiastic about the band’s Dec. 6 gig in Salmon Arm, Rich is also excited about the opening act – the Bogtrotters comprised of popular Jazz Club players Blair Shier and Jordan Dick.
Doors open at 9 p.m. Admission is $10 and tickets are available at Acorn Music and the Shuswap Pie Company.
