We are all the same at the rock show

As predicted by us, Alcatraz was shaking all around under the sound of drums, guitars, and powerful vocals this Tuesday night. The hurricane of a band, Halestorm, took over the stage and turned the Northern Milan venue into a “Church of Music,” as said by lead vocalist Lzzy Hale. They shared the stage with Black Veil Brides, who made the crowd scream their heads off and hit their cardio goals for the day.

As a person who’s been listening to both bands for years, this was a show that did not disappoint in the slightest. There was energy, laughter, and, most importantly, core-shaking music. The night started off with tracks from the rising star MOTHICA, who, together with Alex Russo on the guitar and her drummer Jacob, warmed up the crowd. With covers of popular bangers such as “All-Star” by the recently departed Smash Mouth and a mix of her own touching music, even playing a song from her upcoming album titled “TOXINS,” the crowd was singing and jumping with excitement in no time.

Shortly after, the American rock band Black Veil Brides made a truly dramatic entrance to the intro of Sweeney Todd, which got the crowd roused up and ready to sing their hearts out to the band’s 2021 single, “Crimson Skies.” They followed up with songs old (The Legacy, Rebel Love Song) and new (Scarlet Cross, Torch), but nevertheless, all of them had the crowd scream and shout to the point where you could probably hear from 2 streets over.

After waving the Italian flag, given to him by a fan, vocalist Andy Black (Biersack) expressed gratitude from the band to the people of Milan and made a promise to come back soon. With the spirits high as ever, they ended by playing “In The End” and exiting the stage in style (Drummer, Christian “CC” Coma, taking up a photo-worthy pose on the drum set) under the ovations of the audience.

Enter Halestorm, a band formed over 25 years ago that has continuously been making head-banging and energetic songs that make you want to get up and perform with them. Making their entrance with a hit all the way from 2012, “I Miss The Misery,” from the very first line of the song, you could feel the powerful voice of lead singer Lzzy Hale in your bones. Following up with their Grammy-winning song “Love Bites (So Do I),” the expressive and hard-hitting “Bombshell,” and “I’m The Fire” as the crowd went wild.

After a big thank you to the audience, the band dove into the song “Amen,” adding a near 5 minutes of improvisation during it. Overall, throughout most of the songs, there was some degree of improvisation, which gave us the chance to see a band that genuinely enjoys playing together and is not afraid to put some fun into it.

Lzzy Hale turned to the crowd explaining how thankful she is to be doing this with her life and that she feels 13 even if she’s 40 because the music keeps her young. Following up with the line, “When rock gets a hold of you, that is your forever age,” before playing “Terrible Things,” accompanied by a sea of flashlights and lighters. Christian “CC” Coma, Black Veil Brides’ drummer, came to the front of the barricade to enjoy the show just as Arejay Hale made his way to an impressive drum solo, including the Jumbo drumsticks that make an appearance at almost every concert of the band.

Then the show took an acrobatic turn with Lzzy asking all the brave ladies at the concert to climb on their man’s shoulders (which not a small number of them did) for the song “I Get Off.” By the time “Here’s to Us” made its way into the setlist, the band decided it was time for a shot and made a toast to Milano with a group “Salute” before going into the song.

When the clock was nearing 23:00, Halestorm closed the show with “The Steeple,” a single from the band’s latest album, “Back From The Dead.” As the crowd was roaring for more, the musicians took their final bows while throwing guitar picks, signed song sheets, and even roses into the crowd for some of the lucky fans.

The show left us waiting to see what young MOTHICA’s career is going to morph into, a promise from Black Veil Brides that makes us wonder if there’s a Europe Tour Announcement in the works, and with an inspirational quote from Halestorm. And above all – with phenomenal music, long-lasting memories, and a sense of unity, a feeling that can only be achieved by a great concert, just as Lzzy Hale said herself, “We are all the same at the rock show.”

Bella Pchelarova