@Newcastle O2 City Hall, March 9 2022
The infamous image of Vinny Jones grappling with Paul Gascoigne’s crown jewels provided the hilarious backdrop for Halestorm’s O2 City Hall setlist as the Philly band rolled into Newcastle on the latest leg of the ‘An Evening With…’ tour.
Given that Lzzy Hale is grabbing rock and roll by the balls right now, an iconic picture was the perfect choice.
Much like Geordie favourite Gazza, the 38-year-old is a crowd-pleasing maverick with more than the odd trick up her sleeve.
And on her long-awaited return to Tyneside, a red-hot Hale reminded the Freak Family that her remarkable evolution from wide-eyed wannabe to the mother of all rockers is all but complete.

Back From The Dead Back Of The Net
On Gazza’s home turf this was a huge win for Halestorm.
If only they’d covered his 1990 version of the Lindisfarne classic Fog On The Tyne…
Renowned for showcasing local talent with a hand-picked cover on each of their UK shows, Hale and co. were surely spoilt for choice as they prepared to take on the Toon.
Would Dire Straits’ Mark Knopfler get the Halestorm treatment?
Or would The Police and Sting make their presence felt?
What about Venom, The Quireboys, Bryan Ferry or The Animals?
Then there’s Jimmy Nail, Pet Shop Boys or PJ and Duncan.
Just imagine Lzzy roaring out Let’s Get Ready To Rumble…
Ultimately, it all sounded a little but last minute as the band revealed a pre-gig Google search had thrown up a few suggestions.
And if Halestorm appeared to play it safe with a stripped-down cover of AC/DC’s You Shook Me All Night Long (paying tribute to Geordie Brian Johnson) it proved another smart move on a night when almost everything went right.
Almost.
Halestorm In A Tea Cup
Lzzy was forced to grapple with a few technical problems midway through the ‘plugged in’ segment of a superior two-part show.
But wingman Joe Hottinger and little brother Arejay filled the void with an impromptu jam that could have been part of the set on any other night.
And not for the first time in their storied career, a band that’s always rolled with the punches came out fighting.
Earlier Hale came out alone to kick off the ‘unplugged’ precursor to the evening’s main event.
Exposed and emboldened in equal measure, her voice never sounded better — not least on a deeply affecting version of Dear Daughter.
In the week of International Women’s Day, Hale acknowledged the impact of rock and roll trailblazers Ann Wilson, Pat Benatar, Joan Jett and Lita Ford.
And she implored the women in the crowd to chase their dreams and aim for the stars, citing her own phenomenal rise as evidence of what’s possible in the 21st century.
Later Hale picked out a young fan in the front row and took the time to find out this was only her second live show and her ticket was a birthday present to boot.
There’s nothing fake about a longstanding connection with the Freak Family and Halestorm’s charismatic frontwoman was perfectly in tune with her appreciative acolytes for almost two-and-a-half hours.

The Joke’s On Arejay
But ‘An Evening With…’ allowed Lzzy’s band mates ample opportunity to make their own mark on a magical night.
Hottinger’s pin sharp solos peppered a sumptuous setlist and rhythm king Josh Smith emerged as unlikely funk soul brother.
Then there’s Halestorm’s answer to Chris Ramsey.
In an exclusive interview with Rushonrock, Hottinger had warned that Hale Jr fancied himself as a bit of a comedian.
In fact, Arejay’s done stand-up twice.
A series of cheesy one liners — including the classic ‘birthday supplies’ gag — drew sympathy as much as they did laughs. And the odd good-natured boo.
More off the pace than Hale and Pace, Ramsey doesn’t need to be looking over his shoulder any time soon.
Fortunately, Arejay knows how to bash the shit out of his punished kit and a powerhouse performance (giant drumsticks aside) was no joke.
The serious side to a multi-faceted show manifested itself in a magnificent, meandering 15-minute version of I Miss The Misery.
But there was plenty more where that came from.

Mayhem Ensues As Halestorm Conquer Newcastle
Earlier Hale had her devotees rapt with an emotive take on Hate It When You See Me Cry — played live for the first time in seven years.
And current single The Steeple — referencing Halestorm’s ‘church’ and the band’s precious ‘people’ — proved to be the perfect call-to-arms anthem as the second half of the show burst into life in febrile fashion.
Is it fair to say Freak Like Me and Killing Ourselves To Live represented this special set’s dizzying peak? Probably.
Both songs bristled with incredulous intent and sucked any remaining energy from a near-hysterical City Hall floor.
Even then, Hale and her fans had enough in the tank for one final hurrah as the three-song encore and bonus tune Mayhem set the seal on sublime evening’s entertainment.
If only Gazza had been waiting in the wings with a fishing rod, a roast chicken and a copy of Fog On The Tyne (Revisited).
Now that would have been Mayhem.

Images courtesy of Adam Kennedy