Having finished the mainland leg of their latest European tour in Leuven, Belgium two nights previous, all-American bluesy hard rockers Black Stone Cherry begin the UK stint in Cardiff. We get two solid sets from tour supports Skillet and Ayron Jones – who, as ever, are also well represented by their own loyal fans – before the main act.

It would be charming to think that the vaguely ordered chaos was all carefully choreographed with minutely precise timing, but it wasn’t. However, for two hours fans are treated to Black Stone Cherry at their very best: a relentless barrage of 18 classic cuts from the Kentuckians’ back catalogue. Opening with Me And Mary Jane, from fourth BSC album Magic Mountain, its gritty chorus tells us the spirit of rock’n’roll is alive and kicking in Cardiff tonight. The band don’t let up with the onslaught, either: Again, Out Of Pocket and Blind Man all provoke mass delirium.

The audience remain euphoric throughout, although the greatest reaction of the evening may well be when Chris Robertson soloes into Things My Father Said. The arena is jumping as devotees sing along to White Trash Millionaire and Lonely Train, making for an intoxicating sound – it’s like being massaged by an earthquake.

This powerhouse performance illustrates the multifaceted abilities of Black Stone Cherry, enabling guitarist Ben Wells and bassist Steve Jewell to roam the stage and indulge their muse with supreme assurance. Strong, confident and in all-out kickass mode, interlacing hits with songs from the band’s latest album, this was a concert that will stay etched in the memory – and here is a band that are one of the all-time great exponents of that sweet thing we call rock’n’roll.

Black Stone Cherry, Skillet + Ayron Jones, Utilita Arena Cardiff, Sun 17 Nov

words COLIN PALMER photos JON HERRON