HALESTORM // AO ARENA, MANCHESTER

Manchester Gets Caught in the Halestorm

⭐⭐⭐⭐(4/5)

Halestorm @ AO Arena Manchester. Photocredit: John Hayhurst

Support acts may have warmed the crowd, but by the time Halestorm hit the stage at Manchester’s AO Arena on 24 November 2025, the roof might as well have been on fire. A storm of riffs, pyrotechnics and sheer rock attitude swept through.

The arena wasn’t packed, but it was buzzing, Kelsey Karter & The Heroines stepped out first, bursting into action with “God Knows I’ve Tried,” a gutsy opener that set their stall immediately: raw vocals, strutting riffs and zero interest in playing polite. Karter arrived wearing an Oasis tee — a cheeky nod to Manchester’s holy grail — and swaggered around like she owned the postcode. She joked that covering Oasis tonight would be sacrilege as their her all time favourite band.

Halfway through the set, she ripped the energy up another notch. Karter peeled off the Oasis shirt, revealing torn fishnets, a barely-there thong back and enough punk-rock snarl to wake the entire arena. She drenched her hair with a bottle of water, flipping it back like a weapon, and slung herself into the sultry slow-burn of “Cover You,” turning the crowd from amused onlookers into glued-eyed participants. Then came her surprise pick: a soaring cover of Aerosmith’s “Cryin’,” delivered with full heartbreak theatrics and gritty belting, a smart middle finger to expectations. The Heroines tore into the finale, “Liquor Store on Mars,” a swaggering, gun-to-hip closer that left the stage reeking of distortion and shameless attitude.

Then Indian metal powerhouse Bloodywood followed, it felt like the floor cracked open and out poured an unstoppable wave of sound. Guitarist Karan Katiyar’s furious riffing paired with his flute-flourishes, vocalist Jayant Bhadula’s guttural roar and singer/rapper Raoul Kerr’s sharp rap bars angled metal into new territory — and the crowd responded immediately. Early in their set they blasted two fresh cuts from the new album Nu Delhi: the punchy title-track “Nu Delhi,” which felt like a love letter to their home city thrown through a distortion pedal, and “Bekhauf,” a bold, unflinching anthem that demands to be felt in your chest as much as heard.

Then came their finale: the monumental “Machi Bhasad (Expect a Riot).” They cranked it up, the dhol thundered, the bass roared, Karan’s guitar screamed, Jayant’s voice dropped into the pit, Raoul’s rap flexed across the breakdowns, and the rhythm section (drummer Vishesh Singh, bassist Roshan Roy, and barefoot dhol-player Sarthak Pahwa) locked in like warriors in formation. By the time the final crashing cymbal hit, the crowd was a full-on riot of fists, hair and hoarse voices.

The stage was blocked by a huge curtain and projected behind were silhouettes of Halestorm belting out a live rendition of ‘Black Sabbath’. From the moment it dropped—Black Sabbath’s ominous riffs were still growling before the shift into ‘Fallen Star’—Halestorm showed they weren’t here for subtlety.

Halestorm responded to that start by punching straight into a one-two-three knockout: ‘I Miss the Misery’ and ‘Love Bites (So Do I)’ straight after the opener. It was a bold move—two of the biggest crowd-pleasers thrown down early—but it charged the room instantly. Joe Hottinger’s lead guitar tone sliced through the space, bending solos with razor precision, while Josh Smith’s bass glued the low end together like concrete. Lzzy Hale—voice sharp as a siren, guitar slung low—was in total command, but she wasn’t the only spectacle.

Halfway through the set, her brother Arejay Hale stormed into his trademark drum solo. It began tightly controlled, quick snare rolls and squealing cymbal punches… until he pulled out the comedy prop every fan waits for: a pair of oversized drumsticks that looked like they belonged to a cartoon giant. The arena roared. He battered the kit like a boxer swinging tree trunks, grinning wildly as spotlights shot across his flailing sticks. It wasn’t just theatrical—it was technically on point, explosive but precise, the kind of solo that actually earns its stage time.

Nine tracks from their latest album, Everest, dominated the show, folded between older staples without apology. Songs like ‘K-I-L-L-I-N-G’ and ‘Everest’ brought darker melodic edges, while classics like ‘I Get Off’ and ‘Familiar Taste of Poison’ kept long-timers locked in. Hottinger’s solos in particular helped the new tracks flex their muscle live—the slick, bending sustain in Everest gave the album cuts real teeth in an arena.

‘I Gave You Everything’ rounded off the main set, Lzzy screaming the final chorus like she was clawing the words free. Then the encore arrived in three parts: ‘I Am the Fire’, a surprise cover of Ozzy Osbourne’s ‘Perry Mason’ (a direct nod to her performance at the Back to the Beginning Sabbath celebration), and the toast-worthy closer ‘Here’s to Us’, drenched in confetti and warm arena lights.

Even if the AO wasn’t full, it didn’t matter. Lzzy led with full-throttle charisma, Joe and Josh brought surgical tightness, and Arejay turned showmanship into an Olympic event. It was loud, fiery and proudly unpretentious. Halestorm didn’t just play rock—they put muscle into it. Manchester got the full weather warning.

Words and Photos John Hayhurst