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HALESTORM // Photo – Glen Morgan

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HALESTORM
+ Theory Of A Deadman
@ Enmore Theatre, Sydney,
4th February 2023
(Live Review)

Review by Amelia Torresan

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HALESTORM // Photo – Glen Morgan

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If you’re a freak like me, you’d know that Halestorm is a band that is truly born to perform while having fun in the process, and last night’s show at the Enmore Theatre was truly no exception. Touring with Canadian rock stars ‘Theory of a Deadman’ the two were determined to put on a show that the crowd would remember, solidifying the love of their longtime fans and luring in first time listeners like a siren to a ship’s crew. Tonight’s forecast? Heavy with a 100% chance of HALE!

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THEORY OF A DEADMAN // Photo – Glen Morgan

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The night began with an almost ethereal piano and synth intro that accompanied Theory of a Deadman’s members as they entered the stage before blasting into the heavier rock song ‘Lowlife’ which had the audience clapping along almost instantly. Their sound was familiar from the get-go, like if Nickelback and Three Days Grace had a younger brother, and the lyrics to the chorus were easy to pick up after we heard them once or twice.

Lead vocalist Tyler Connolly would then go on to sing popular hits such as ‘Bitch Came Back,’ ‘Blow,’ and ‘Angel’ all of which sounded like they could be part of a soundtrack for an early 2000’s rom-com post-divorce. Theory also gave the crowd a glimpse into their upcoming album ‘Dinosaur’ set to be released on March 17th by playing their title track ‘Dinosaur’ which was an absolute hit with the crowd and had even their first time listeners (like myself) eager for its release. They finished up their set with a bang: fan-favourite song ‘Bad Girlfriend’ that left the crowd on a high that lasted up until and all the way through Halestorm’s set.

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THEORY OF A DEADMAN // Photo – Glen Morgan

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It was then time for the woman of the hour, Lzzy Hale and Halestorm to take the stage and the crowd was absolutely wild from the moment the members stepped out. The band started with a song from their most recent album that was very appropriate: ‘Back from the Dead,’ as their last concert was pre-Covid at Download Festival in 2019. Their performance was full of life and gusto, fuelled by the screams and enthusiasm of the crowd in front of them. The band, composed of siblings Lzzy and Arejay Hale as well as Joe Hottinger and Josh Smith then took the audience back to 2009 with ‘Love Bites (So Do I)’ from their self-titled debut album. As a long-time fan myself, this was a song I was most excited to watch and sing along to as it reminded me of my teenage self listening to this song for the first time. Lzzy dominated the stage, rocking out on her guitar and singing along to her songs with so much passion and love for her craft, she was every bit a rock star.

The setlist then continued with the perfect balance of older and newer releases such as ‘Wicked Ways’, ‘I Get Off,’ and ‘Brightside,’ all of which had the room absolutely buzzing with energy and heavy metal spirit that didn’t falter once. After a passionate rendition of the song ‘Mine,’ it was time for the tears. Lzzy began tearing up over her love and devotion for her fans over their continuous support of the band over the years and we were tearing up right alongside her. It was so wonderful to see such an incredible performer be so grounded and thankful for all the support they’ve received that got them to where they are today. The tears started flowing as she did a solo piano performance of ‘Break In’ followed by ‘Dear Daughter’ (that had all the women around me, including me, in the mosh sobbing) and the song dedicated to her fans: ‘Raise Your Horns,’ which had everyone in the venue raise their rock horns to the sky. It was truly an intimate and wholesome moment between Lzzy and the crowd.

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HALESTORM // Photo – Glen Morgan

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I screamed out of excitement when I heard the first few intro notes to my favourite song ‘Familiar Taste of Poison’ that was being played next and sung along with every fibre of my being. The performance was moody and sultry while also being full of passion and an absolute delight to see live in the flesh. To watch Lzzy sing and feel every emotion associated with every single lyric was magic and drew the listener into her world, the same goes for guitarist Joe Hottinger during his guitar solo within the song, his face displaying every emotion he felt while he absolutely shredded on his guitar.

As the rest of the band took a quick water break, drummer Arejay Hale took the moment to put on a show of his own, showing off his impressive talent on the drums that would make Led Zeppelin proud. He worked up the crowd with a drum/shout call and response and blew everyone’s minds when he switched out his regular-sized drum sticks with almost metre-long sticks that he continued to expertly play the drums with and twirl around in his fingers. It was a bizarre yet amazing to see and the perfect lead up into Halestorm’s next song ‘Freak Like Me.’

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HALESTORM // Photo – Glen Morgan

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“If you’re a freak like me, wave your flag!”

This is an anthem to every ‘weird kid’ in the audience, anyone who has ever felt like an outcast or a ‘freak’ and empowered them and their differences. Lzzy herself confessed that she was a weird kid too and through this song, all of us weirdos in the room felt comfort that she could relate. Listening to Lzzy’s vocal slide towards the end of the song truly gave me goosebumps, hearing it on the recorded version of the song is impressive but watching and hearing it live is even more so. Her vocal talents are truly a standout in the heavy metal and rock genres.

‘Black Vultures’ and my personal favourite from Halestorm’s newest album ‘The Steeple’ were the “last songs” on the lineup. The crowd sang faithfully to every lyric to ‘Black Vultures’, an anthem of empowerment and perseverance. ‘The Steeple’ radiated the same energy as ‘Freak Like Me’ in the sense that Lzzy sang from the heart on the lyrics “This is our church, you are my people” and the crowd sang it alongside her like a congregation. It truly made the crowd feel like they were just as much a part of Halestorm as the members were.

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HALESTORM // Photo – Glen Morgan

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After a cheeky game of encore peek-a-boo with the crowd, Halestorm returned to the stage to propose a toast to their supporting band, Theory of a Deadman, as they were the band that gave Halestorm their first international start as a support act for Theory. They were grateful for that start and for the fact that they could share the stage with each other once more. This was the perfect segway for their next song ‘Here’s To Us’ which I feel like was dedicated to the band.

After that wholesome moment, the band decided it was time for a little ‘Mayhem’ and brought the energy of the crowd up to an 11 with their second last song of the night. The crowd was jumping and fist pumping along to Arejay’s beats and shouting along to the lyrics with every fibre of their being just like Lzzy was, it truly felt like a movie-perfect moment and I wished that moment could last longer than it did. These moments are what make Halestorm an incredible band to see live and the reason fans like myself keep coming back to see them.

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HALESTORM // Photo – Glen Morgan

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Finishing off the night, the band performed their most popular song of all time: “I Miss the Misery,” and what a performance it was. Every last bit of energy and passion that the band and the crowd had went into this last song to really end the night on the highest note possible. The song featured an epic guitar duet between Lzzy and Joe, a call and response of the introductory riff between Lzzy and the crowd and a vocal solo of the hook lyric that really showed off Lzzy’s range and pure vocal talent that blew everyone away. Halestorm may miss the misery but I know that Sydney will miss Halestorm once the show came to a close. 

Halestorm is definitely a band that you will never tire of seeing live. I know that if they’re still touring when I’m 70 years old, I’ll still go and see them and have the time of my life in the mosh. The band’s love for their craft is undeniable and clearly visible when they perform, making the show an immersive experience for the listener rather than just a simple performance. If you ever have the chance to see them live, I would definitely recommend it if you’re a freak like me.

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HALESTORM // Photo – Glen Morgan

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Check out Glen Morgan’s full gallery of this show HERE

Check out Len Panecki’s full gallery of the MELBOURNE show HERE

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HALESTORM // Photo – Glen Morgan

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Follow HALESTORM
OFFICIAL WEBSITE – FACEBOOK
 TWITTER – INSTAGRAM – TIKTOK

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HALESTORM // Photo – Glen Morgan

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Press Release 17th December 2022 (below) HERE

HALESTORM
shares
“BACK FROM THE DEAD:
DELUXE EDITION”
with 7 new B-sides

– Touring Australia
February 2023

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AMNPLIFY – DB