The cold eased, and there was no hail in sight, but inside the O2, an imminent storm poked its head out.
Kelsy Karter and the Heroines
When bands tour together, there is usually a message they’re trying to convey. By bringing along Kelsy Karter and the Heroines, their shared vein of Americana rock’n’roll was amplified. Kelsy’s incredible energy and vocal range could only try to keep up with her personality, water showered on her hair and femme fatale humour notwithstanding (her band introductions, starting from bass player Tommy Gent, the one of the huge heart and enormous personality, being done with a wink and a smile). Tracks like “Lightning in a Bottle” and “Laser to the Heart” were performed with all the swagger of a rockstar diva and the heavy power of a good ol’ rock band. Kelsy took a moment to remind us that having a female-fronted band open for a female-fronted headliner is not to be taken for granted, when the industry is often more focused on marketable looks than talent. “I still got my belly fat” she proudly announced, after retelling an experience of being harassed for it as a young musician. “But my daddy gave me a knife and taught me how to use it“.
Bloodywood
With a crowd warmed up by the excellent Indian rock DJ’ed on the speakers, New Delhi’s chart-topping Bloodywood had but to step on stage to a moshpit ready to go. The volume turned to 11, the nu-metal fusion they’ve created with traditional Indian rhythm, melody and vocal techniques may have come as a surprise to those who’ve never heard them before, but they for sure converted many, if not most, in the O2 by the end of their set. The crowd surfers started quickly (shoutout to the Where’s Wally hatted person,) and the band gave them no reason to stop.
Bloodywood’s rise has been meteoric. Besides touring around the world and headlining O2 Kentish Town, London, earlier this year, they’ve released two collaborations with BabyMetal (playing the latest “Bekhauf” tonight), and next year they will be opening for Linkin Park in Muddenahalli, India. It’s hard to resist either their earnestness or how hard they go live. “Fear is a choice” and the band has had to commit to playing a genre with little representation in their home country in order to achieve all the success they’re now enjoying. “We are the men on the mission that is bigger than home“, as the title track off their new album, Nu Delhi, proclaims.
I was most surprised by their song “Dana Dan”. It’s got all the elements of a good heavy metal piece you can throw your body around to, but when listened to closely, its lyrics tackle violence against women, “Not all men, yes, all men/Need all men for what we’re solvin’” and give an ultimatum, “Consent” better get with it or get got“.
But the heavy themes did not prevent this show from feeling like a street party. Sarthak Pahwa ran barefoot to the pit and rocked out the dhol to the closing track “Machi Bhasad” with everyone on the barricade. It’s not every concert I feel the truth of that “the gorgeous hair metalhead men have with a 3-in-1 shampoo” meme, but the amount of beautiful hair swooshing on stage was enviable, as vocalist Jayant Bhadula also noted and complimented his bandmates on.
Bloodywood Setlist
Venue: The O2 Arena, London
Set:
- Gaddaar
- Aaj
- Dana Dan
- Bekhauf
- Nu Delhi
- Machi Bhasad (Expect a Riot)
Halestorm
Lzzy Hale, the woman you are! You ask where your bitches at? Oh, we’re right here at your feet, ma’am!
There were many elements to the show that left me gasping in sheer disbelief, but this floored me: the stamina! The sheer stamina required for a near-two hour show held within this specific half-growl/half-fry vocal tone she’s made her signature! It’s been over 20 years since Halestorm first started, and her voice is as clear and urgent as it’s ever been.
In the settling dark, the opening notes of “Black Sabbath” come through. There are shadows on the arena-high curtain. To the explosive first verse of “Fallen Star”, the curtain drops into the arms of 6 men ready to catch it, and the band, charisma floating off every one of them, are on. Besides long-time fan favourites like “I Miss the Misery” and “Love Bites (So Do I)”, there were also tracks off their latest album, Everest (released on August 8th). We got the sultry ever-relatable, “Like a Woman Can” and the eponymous ballad, played by Lzzy on keys. Joe Hottinger on lead guitar pulled some mad soloing the whole night, while Josh Smith on bass never lost his composure, no matter how high the pyro flames got.
While most of the set he was serenely killing the toughest beats while still spinning sticks, Arejay Hale got his drum solo moment as the band retired off stage and he had the whole O2 at his mercy. First, he played with the crowd in a call-and-answer pattern, then he invited a mosh pit while he pummelled at full speed on his whole kit (all drumheads that he later threw into the crowd like highly-collectible frisbees).
The encore included a cover of “Perry Mason”, done in tribute to Ozzy Osbourne “without whom none of us would be here”, as well as a moment of reflection on the end of a long tour. One wonderful gesture I appreciated from both Halestorm and Bloodywood was the time they took to not just introduce the band members, but also the dozens of people in their touring crew, from managers and lighting engineers to techies and roadies and photographers. It takes an army to prepare a show of this magnitude (not even counting in the pyrotechnics!) and when we, the listeners, support the band, we’re supporting a whole ecosystem of talent across multiple domains.
There was no better song in their whole discography than “Here’s to Us”, a beautiful swaying ballad perfect for closing off the night. One final streamer cannon went off, people draped paper sashes around each other and sang along with Lzzy, marking the end of an epic year for Halestorm and an epic night in London.
Crowd Shots
Shoutout (from both Lzzy and me) to the two superfans who’ve been following the tour! It’s super epic to see the dedication, especially catching a barricade at the O2, well done!
Full Gallery HERE