Page 51 - Black Velvet Issue 84

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HALESTORM / WILSON / THE FALLEN
STATE – NOTTINGHAM ROCK CITY,
03.03.15
After being cooped up in the studio making
album number three, ‘Into The Wild Life’, Pennsyl-
vanian rockers Halestorm have hit the road to give
their fans a taster of what they have been working
on. A few hours before the doors of Rock City are
due to open hail rains down on Nottingham, literally.
Its brief presence is coincidental but raises a smile,
Halestorm really have arrived.
Opening band The Fallen State deliver a live
performance that is honed and well executed; the
impressive set sees the crowd warming up their
vocal chords and air punching to songs like ‘Get Up’,
‘Burn It To The Ground’ and ‘Hope In Revival’. With
a collection of songs that offer great riffs, high en-
ergy, and an anthemic chorus or two, The Fallen
State is a band destined for the mainstream. We just
hope that we’ll be seeing more of this Devon five-
piece in our neighbourhood; make sure you check
them out when they come to yours!
You would be right in assuming that any band
that calls their debut album ‘Full Blast Fuckery’, or
has songs titled ‘College Gangbang’ and ‘Better Off
(Strictly Doods)’, is not going to be your usual run-
of-the-mill rock band; the people of Rock City find
this out for themselves as they get acquainted with
Wilson. Having made the trek from Detroit, Michigan,
this is Wilson’s first time here in the UK and they are
here to show what the ‘fuckery’ is all about. Singer
Chad Nicefield walks out on to the stage with a
marching band drum and he’s wearing uniform com-
plete with shako; it’s a misleading guise because
once the band start letting loose what you hear is
loud and chaotic hard rock. Unfortunately the band
are feeling under the weather, “We’re sick from all
the travelling,” Chad tells the audience; illness does
not stop the party though and, just like the music,
Wilson’s live show exudes attitude and vigour. Even
if they are not your cup of tea musically, Wilson en-
tertains onstage.
As the house lights go down and the crowd
cheer, Lzzy Hale walks out of the shadows and takes
her place, alone, centre stage. “If there’s a church,
it’s rock ‘n’ roll” Lzzy sings during her stunning a cap-
pella performance of appetizer ‘She Won’t Mind’; the
congregation are here and they are ready and willing
to be addressed by Halestorm. With guitarist Joe
Hottinger, bass guitarist Josh Smith and drummer
Arejay Hale in position the set kicks off with another
new number, the hard rocking ‘I Like It Heavy’. The
‘Into The Wild Life’ album may not be available until
after this tour has finished, but the crowd are lapping
up the new songs which have been slotted in to the
set list: ‘Amen’, ‘Mayhem’ and lead single ‘Apocalyp-
tic’. Of course the quartet does not forget to play the
familiar songs, pleasing the crowd with the likes of ‘I
Get Off’, ‘Freak Like Me’ and ‘Rock Show’. The live
environment is where the band truly comes into its
own; less polished and more rock ‘n’ roll, the musi-
cianship of each member is shown in all its glory.
A spur of the moment change in the set occurs
when Lzzy sends the guys offstage; Lzzy informs the
crowd that she wants to play a song that has never
been played in the UK before, ‘Hate It When You Now for Arejay to be in the spotlight, it’s time for his much lauded drum solo slot, not
See Me Cry’, which features on the deluxe edition of forgetting those big sticks! Cue lots of chanting and applause as Arejay shows off some
‘The Strange Case Of…’. Recalling the story about skilful beats. The scathing delights ‘Love Bites (So Do I)’ and ‘I Miss The Misery’ round
how she wrote the track, she reveals that after drink- off the main set; Halestorm are not finished with Rock City yet. First ‘Mz. Hyde’ comes
ing a bottle of wine to herself, she sat and wrote the out to play; this one always creates a stir. Show closer is the blissful, celebratory anthem
song and recorded it on her phone. Still in a drunken ‘Here’s To Us’, at this point in their career Halestorm certainly have every reason to be
haze she sent the recording straight to the label. celebrating: new album, new tour and a brighter future ahead of them.
Later she found herself inundated with messages Cheers echo around the venue as the band hold up a Union Jack flag bearing the
from her management and label saying it had to go Halestorm logo - the UK and Halestorm really do go well together, long may this union
on the album, enamoured because it showed a dif- last!
ferent side to her. Hearing this beautifully delicate YYYYY
song in its original form, just Lzzy’s vocals and a gui- Penny Gower
tar, was a welcome surprise. Lzzy Hale (Halestorm) Photo By Sam Gower

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