21st Annual CrueFest Hollywood with Blacklist Union, Black Valentine, LA Story and more – Live Review

LA Story – Photo by Cruella Photography

21^st Annual CrueFest Hollywood with Blacklist Union, Black Valentine, LA Story and more, The Whisky, West Hollywood, CA., July 27, 2024

The 21^st Annual CrueFest Hollywood event took place at the world-famous Whisky A Go Go on the Sunset Strip, featuring the participation of Black Valentine, Blacklist Union, Felony, Glamerica, the John McCloy Band, LA Story, Motley 2, Pump 5, and Vinyl Cats. Hosted by Erik Hatchett of LA Story, proceeds from the event would go to Letty’s Angels of Hope Foundation in the memory of Skylar Neil, the daughter of Motley Crue lead vocalist Vince Neil, who lost her battle with cancer at age 4.

Kicking off the night was LA Story, presenting their own devastatingly imaginative brand of rock and roll intrigue! LA Story is the road to a comeback, and we need to see a whole lot more of this powerhouse band in the future.  What a kickass way to start a night of music and memories to be sure!

Black Valentine – Photo by Enrique Sanchez

By the time Black Valentine made their way to the stage later on, the Whisky was packed! It was so great to see so many people out supporting a good cause and all the very amazing bands who played! Black Valentine was celebrating the release of their epic two-disc magnum opus entitled Heavy Hearts, and a good amount of the set featured several of these amazing new songs! Opening with a scorching rendition of the Led Zeppelin classic Kashmir, the Black Valentine power trio sent the iconic room spinning right off the bat!

Selections such as Easy Come East Go, She’s On Fire, and I Will from Heavy Hearts were unveiled, presenting the band at the very height of their creativity. And what a stunning conclusion to the show went Black Valentine unleashed a sparking version of Red Skies At Night by The Fixx, presenting their own wondrous rocking take on the classic alternative tune. The inspiring auditory visions of Black Valentine is brought to you courtesy of Frank Yanno on lead vocals and guitar, Duke Carpenter on bass and vocals, and Jesse Wolff on drums and vocals.  What other band would even dare to cover such diverse bands as Zeppelin and The Fixx in the same set and do it so damn well?  All that, and brilliant original compositions too!

Blacklist Union – Photo by Enrique Sanchez

Blacklist Union was up next, absolute legends of the Hollywood rock and roll underground who remain at the very height of their creative prowess. Fronted by the charismatic Tony West, Blacklist Union really know how to deliver a first-rate rock show, and their performance at CrueFest presented Tony West and his band in their finest hour. Opening with the title track from their latest album Letters From The Psyche Ward, Blacklist Union delivered the raging goods with a massive amount of passion and conviction.

And how terrific it was to hear three captivating new songs from an upcoming album, including Mississippi Moonhound, Up In Smoke, and Horns & Halos! Other Blacklist fan favorites such as Mirror Mirror On The Wall, Dirty Halo, and Back To Momo left a definitive impact!  And then for the grand finale, Blacklist Union performed Gates of Steel – a Devo cover – and the band brought some friends up onstage to rock out to this very exhilarating moment in time!

Such a memorable night in the wilds of Hollywood with so many music fans out showing their love and support! Here’s looking towards the next exciting edition of CrueFest Hollywood in 2025!

(Review by Ken Morton – Photos by Enrique Sanchez and Cruella Photography)

CrueFest Hollywood on Facebook
Blacklist Union on Facebook
Black Valentine on Facebook
LA Story on Facebook