From Pyrotechnics to Pink Glitter Guitars: Halestorm’s latest gig in Manchester

Halestorm took the stage at the AO Arena in Manchester on Monday night, and they did not disappoint. From pink-glittered guitars and latex knee-high stilettos to bursts of fire and smoke, the band took the crowd on an unforgettable journey of emotional lyricism and banging drum solos. After their slot at Ozzy Osbourne’s farewell show, Back to the Beginning, they began with a playlist dedicated to the Prince of Darkness, filling the room with a sense of remembrance and nostalgia.

Before diving into the ins and outs of their incredible performance, I have to dedicate an important mention to the support acts of the evening. Kelsey Karter and the Heroines delivered a stunning set of their songs, her powerhouse vocals setting the tone for a night led by female empowerment – something that has only grown more prominent within the metal scene over the past two decades. This representation is thanks to bands such as Halestorm themselves, who have grown in popularity due to their strong performances as a female-fronted band. Then came out the phenomenal Bloodywood, whose music fuses traditional Indian instrumentation with notes of both nu-metal and heavy metal. They channelled the rap-scream energy of 90s icons Linkin Park and Limp Bizkit, yet their style shone through and was completely unmatched by anyone I have ever seen before. They riled up the crowd by initiating mosh pits and circle pits, and it was clear that the support band choices from Halestorm couldn’t have been picked better.

Returning to the star of the show now, Lzzy Hale, the lead singer of the group, took a moment to share how happy the band were to be surrounded by their friends on the night, nodding towards their close relationship with the support acts. With Bloodywood and Halestorm set to appear at Download Festival later this year, the Manchester show felt like the perfect preview of what’s to come at the UK’s biggest rock and metal event. One of the most memorable moments from the night was certainly the drum solo, a spectacular performance that included the use of drumsticks so enormous that they were practically the length of the drummer’s arms! Before the crowd knew what had hit them, the drummer made a proposal: “Let’s try something that has never been done before – a guitar moshpit!” The fans did exactly that, forming a chaotic moshpit that broke out to the drum solo. Despite the chaos, there was a consistent feel of belonging and everyone looked out for each other in the crowd, making everyone feel even more connected than before. The set struck a perfect balance between slowed songs on the piano and fast-paced heavy guitar riffs, taking the crowd through a journey of raw emotion and adrenaline. During the song ‘I Gave You Everything’, the fans in the pit punched the air in time with each drum kick, just moments before an enticing solo from the lead guitarist, Joe Hottinger, who sent the energy in the arena soaring.

Before the encore, the audience erupted into chants of ‘Hale-storm!’, and as expected, they made another grand entrance to the stage. They filled the room with red lighting and eerie smoke, launching into ‘I Am the Fire’, complete with fire pyrotechnics and warmth that you could feel from across the room. With Lzzy in the spotlight, she paused to perform a heartfelt tribute: “This song goes out to the man himself, Ozzy Osbourne!” Gratitude for the late singer of the legendary Black Sabbath threaded through the entire show, evoking emotion in the crowd and bringing a sense of connection between the band and the listeners through a moment of loss. Lzzy ended the performance with a farewell to us all – “Here’s to Manchester, all of you beautiful people and live music! Here’s to us”, and fittingly played their final song ‘Here’s To Us’. By the end of the night, the venue was strewn with confetti, streamers and the inevitable sheen of sweat from the night’s relentless moshing. It was, without question, a night to remember.

Words by Katie Hawkins