Halestorm hit the home straight of their UK tour with a show in Birmingham. They have Bloodywood and Kelsy Karter & The Heroines in support.
THE UNCANNY KNACK
Halestorm have the uncanny knack of crossing boundaries and appealing to a wide variety of fans. Hardened, battle jacket sporting, metal fans comfortably rub shoulders with others who’s dalliance with Halestorm is as heavy as their listening goes. Some, perhaps, more appropriately fitted out for the theatre than a rock show, However, the one thing all had in common was a clear and passionate fervour for Lzzy and her gang.
KELSY KARTER & THE HEROINES
Opening the evening were the indomitable Kelsy Karter & The Heroines bringing their intriguing blend of rock n’ roll, pop sensibilities, punk swagger and evocative soul to the cavernous arena which was filling up nicely. God Knows I’ve Tried leads into Laser to the Heart with the faithful down the front singing along vociferously, which escalates during an emotive cover of Aerosmith’s Cryin’. All too soon a jagged, punky, Devil on my Shoulder and a sublime Liquour Store on Mars, complete with audience, participation brings the triumphant opening set to a close.
BLOODYWOOD
Next up, bringing a completely different energy and causing a few jaws to drop are New Delhi’s Bloodywood. Fusing nu-metal with rap and thrash then adding a heavy dose of traditional Indian music gives them a unique sound. The arena erupts to Gaddaar and Aaj with pits opening up nicely, much to the approval of the band, but perhaps not so much to security!
Nu Delhi is a particular highlight – imagine Bollywood doing death metal and it gives a vague idea of what is going on. Those familiar with the band are loving what they’re experiencing, fully immersing themselves in the short set. The uninitiated are tentatively being pulled into the family, although one or two are clearly left wondering what was going on with the Slipknot-esque controlled chaos being a step too far! The band were a blur of perpetual motion and the energy coming from the stage was irresistible.
Closing track Machi Bhasad (Expect a Riot) , includes a request for an “honest government and honourable president”, included a ‘jump up’ opportunity epitomising the energy of the set, and I have to say that although all three bands were fantastic, Bloodywood stole the show and I cannot wait to catch them again later on this tour.
HALESTORM
The bar had been set high, but Halestorm are more than up to the challenge. The band initially appear as silhouettes behind a white curtain before bursting into new track Fallen Star (whose intro always reminds me of Obituary’s ‘Threatening Skies’) as the curtain fell. Crowd favourite I Miss the Misery follows (complete with pyros and confetti) and then Love Bites (So Do I) which has the entire arena singing along and upped the ante further with Lzzy letting loose with her powerful, distinctive vocals.
During the set, we get a fair chunk of 2025’s Everest album. A particular highlight of which is an emotional rendition of How Will you Remember Me? with Lzzy on keyboards and a dedication to those we have lost, which inevitably leads to chants of “Ozzy”.
I AM THE FIRE
I Am the Fire is a mid set highlight before a reworked version of Familiar Taste of Poison (set to the melody from the ‘Labyrinth’ film unless I am mistaken). Lzzy sports a cloak and chalice, leading into Rain Your Blood on Me. A drum solo saw a mosh pit and giant drumsticks before Freak Like Me and Mz. Hyde restored the energy levels going into the final portion of the set.
The encore kicks off with a cover of Ozzy Osbourne’s Perry Mason, which the band performed at Black Sabbath’s ‘Back to the Beginning’ event just a few months ago. It’s a fitting and poignant selection on their return to the city. It leaves the title track of the latest album to close the show.
All in all, the set has something for everyone. Old favourites sit next to new tracks, faster, heavier songs set against slower more emotive numbers. All this is delivered with a passion and aplomb demonstrating exactly why Halestorm are a global force. I suspect they will be around for many years to come.
All photography by Andy Pountney (Event Photography Awards Winner 2024 and 2025). You can check out more of his work on shot_in_the_dark_photography2 on Instagram.
Halestorm: Website / Instagram / Facebook / X
Bloodywood: Website / Instagram / Facebook
Kelsy Karter & The Heroines: Website / Instagram / TikTok
Keep up with At The Barrier: Facebook / X / Instagram / Spotify / YouTube