Halestorm are back (from the dead) I mean in Australia oh man that was terrible. Let’s start again… Halestorm are back in Australia for Knotfest and Sydney is lucky enough tonight to get one of the two side shows they have. It’s always a great night with Halestorm and tonight Skindred jump on board to make it even better. So let’s go!
Australia’s Reliqa open the night and they are wild, a mix of so many genres and technicalities, they are playing to a mostly already full room, so it’s great to see, and with a few more of these under their belt I’m sure they’ll settle into a field and be amazing there.
Skindred I’ve only ever seen once before and they impressed me to no end so I’m excited to see them again tonight. Coming on to the best mix of the imperial march ever, yeah this is gonna be wild and from the immediate get go they are not messing around! An impromptu Wonderwall was fun before exploding back into their set. They truly are amazing at getting the crowd involved and are so much fun. ‘That’s My Jam’ is amazing and they are commanding this crowd perfectly. This is so entertaining that I can’t even put it into words. This is how you put on a live show. These guys are something else. I urge you to see Skindred should you ever get the chance.
Halestorm hit the stage with Lzzy solo singing us in before the band join her and they jump straight into ‘I Miss The Misery’ which is a brilliant and unexpected opener with some amazing harmony guitar work from Joe and Lzzy to close out the song gets everyone going. Not wasting anytime they count in ‘Love Bites (So Do I)’ and this is awesome. What a 1 2 punch to start things off. A quick guitar change and ‘I Get Off’ begins and continues to blow things up this is a rock show. Joe and Arejay leave the stage and Josh takes the keys and Lzzy belts it out in a huge mid section before the band returns to close out the song. The last note rings and they take it straight into ‘Freak Like Me’ which is as good as you’d expect as it is almost a theme songs for the fans here tonight. ‘Amen’ kicks in and keeps that up tempo going, and also allows Joe to shine as he solos this one out into a very, very extended outro. Things finally slow down a little to let the band catch their breath as only Lzzy and Joe stay on stage and start off ‘Familiar Taste Of Poison’ and is it starts to build Josh and Arejay are back to belt out the rest of this one. As Lzzy heads off stage for a sec the band play this one out. These extended outros man, they’re great but too many?
Up next is ‘Takes My Life’ and its almost sleazy rock vibe keeps things moving, then the drums ring in as Arejay gets his time for his amazing solo with of course the giant sticks, he’s just so entertaining to watch. The band return for ‘Back From The Dead’ and that one rocks the hell out, what an amazing live track, and truly a staple now in the Halestorm set. Band introductions and into ‘Apocalyptic’ and you can tell we’re getting towards the end as ‘Mz Hyde’ starts and it was good as your expect. ‘Bombshell’ gets things heavier for a few minutes and all night the band is so tight they haven’t missed a note. It’s so damn impressive. ‘Rock Show’ is where we are and what we love and this groove is always a treat.
The band leave the stage only for Lzzy to return solo with the keyboard and a beautiful speech before ‘Break In’ which was so haunting you could hear a pin drop in here. Then into ‘Raise Your Horns’ and as Lzzy belted it out like it was last song she’ll ever sing, there was so much heart in this version tonight. The band return for the closer ‘Here’s To Us’ and it’s the ultimate thank you and celebration of this band and their fans. They take their kudos as we give them the thank you they deserve.
Halestorm are a kickass live band, the songs, the hooks, the playing, they have it down and they’re a band I never miss when they’re here, and I’ll always walk away happy. This is the power of live music and the power Halestorm have.
Essential Information
Venue: Liberty Hall
Date: March 20, 2024
Presented by: Destroy All Lines
Special Guests: Skindred, Reliqa
Website: http://www.halestormrocks.com
Set List:
I Miss The Misery
Love Bites (So Do I)
I Get Off
Freak Like Me
Amen
Familiar Taste Of Poison
Take My Life
Drum Solo
Back From The Dead
Apocalyptic
Mz. Hyde
Bombshell
Rock Show
Break In
Raise Your Horns
Here’s To Us
