Ricky Warwick at Rascals Live -- April 26.
Saturday, April 26, 8 p.m.
Rascals Live, 1414 15th Street, Moline IL
Touring in support of this year's Blood Ties, and album that Louder says finds its creator "sharper than ever," Black Star Riders, Thin Lizzy, and The Almighty lead singer Ricky Warwick makes his eagerly awaited return to Moline's Rascals Live on April 26, his latest recording also hailed by Cryptic Rock as "an intense, raw experience through heartache, personal reflection, and the tattoos that life leaves on the soul."
Warwick was born in northern Ireland's Newtownards, County Down, where he spent his formative years, and he received his first guitar at age 14. He was soon playing along to songs by various rock and country acts such as Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan, and Johnny Cash, although Warwick quickly migrated to the music of harder-edged acts such as Motörhead, MC5, Stiff Little Fingers, and The Clash. The nascent rocker got his first break in the late 1980s when he was invited to join New Model Army as a rhythm guitarist on their The Ghost of Cain album world tour. After departing New Model Army, Warwick formed The Almighty in 1988 with guitarist Andy "Tantrum" McCafferty and two of Warwick's former schoolmates: drummer Stump Monroe and bass guitarist Floyd London. Warwick was the lead vocalist and played guitar in various formats of the band, and although all four founding members had a strong background in punk rock music, The Almighty took a more heavy metal/hard rock orientated musical direction.
Years later, in September of 2009, Warwick was invited to join the latest lineup of Thin Lizzy and joined them as lead vocalist and guitarist. Warwick took part in Thin Lizzy's 2011 European tour commemorating 25 years since the death of original frontman Phil Lynott. In December of 2012, Warwick went on to co-found the Thin Lizzy spin-off band Black Star Riders in order to release new material largely composed by Warwick with guitarist Damon Johnson. Black Star Riders' first album All Hell Breaks Loose was released in May of 2013, and the following year, Warwick recorded a second album with the Black Star Riders titled The Killer Instinct. Alongside his touring commitments with Black Star Riders in 2015, Warwick toured the U.K. with his bandmate Damon Johnson, performing acoustic sets of Thin Lizzy and Black Star Riders songs, plus various covers and selections of Almighty and solo material. More recently, Warwick performed with Black Star Riders on their 2023 album Wrong Side of Paradise, and as a soloist, prior to the U.K. smash Blood Ties, the rocker delivered his ninth studio release in 2021's When Life Was Hard and Fast.
Ricky Warwick brings his tour to Moline on April 26, admission to the 8 p.m. concert event is $15-25, and more information and tickets are available by visiting Facebook.com/RascalsLive.
