Footage has surfaced of Lzzy Hale fronting Skid Row in the USA over the weekend. The Halestorm frontwoman is filling in for the late '80s rock icons on a run of shows following the departure of longterm vocalist Erik Grönwall who has been forced to exit the band due to ongoing health issues.
The first show took place on May 17 in Carterville, Illinois, before rocking Riverside, California the next night. Footage from the Riverside show shot by ConcertsRock shows Hale absolutely ripping through I Remember You, Monkey Business and Youth Gone Wild.
Hale took to social media to express her delight in joining Skid Row when the run was announced stating "This is totally wild! I can’t believe my VHS audition tape finally made it in the mail! ( I kid, I kid) I started listening Skid Row when I was a teenager growing up on the east coast in central Pennsylvania. They were one of the Only bands at that time that truly bridged the gap for my love of 80s big choruses and riffs, but had the same poignant dirt and grime that was seeping into the cracks of my mind during the 90s. By the early 00s Halestorm was well coming into its own, inspired by these powerful songs that helped me unlock a door within myself as a young musician. I can say without a second thought that if it weren’t for Skid Row in my bones, I would not be the rocker I am today,"
"And This summer, my world turns full circle. Because not only am I able to share the stage as acting front person for this integral band, but even more importantly, I get to call these boys my chosen family. No matter how much we both tour, or how much time has gone by…we light up when we see each other. They have seen me through my rollercoaster ride of ups and downs, all while cheering me on. Time, space, history, age…are all relative, irrelevant and elastic cuz We are all just astronauts cut from the same cloth, worshipping the same magic that is this music. I’m so grateful for their support of me in my career, and as a fellow human. Love you guys! There will be blood left on the stage!"
Predictably the departure of Grönwall had fans wondering whether a long-awaited reunion with classic-era singer Sebastian Bach could be on the cards. Bach has revealed for the first time that he is open to the idea of rejoining the group he left acrimoniously in 1996. In an interview with Metal Hammer Bach stated "I can definitely see that happening considering they play the same songs I play. When I get a substantial royalty check for an album I did with musicians that I haven't been in the same room with since 1996, I feel like a piece of shit. Because we should be giving something back to the fans that have made this great life possible. For me, doing three albums with Skid Row, I was just getting started. I didn't think it would be over and done with so quick."
Bach fronted the band during their most popular era, owning the role of lead vocalist on the classic albums Skid Row, Slave To The Grind and Subhuman Race. The band are yet to express interest in Bach returning publicly, but with Hale likely too busy to continue duties with the band and no permanent replacement announced, the possibility of the two sides burying the hatchet and playing what would be very highly-anticipated shows, lingers in the air.
Hale fronting Skid Row follows Halestorm's run on Knotfest Australia which also included a nightly appearance with Disturbed for Don't Tell Me.
As hinted at Lzzy herself in our pre-festival interview Hale took on the parts performed on the Divisive track by Ann Wilson of Heart each night of the three-date Knotfest Australia run. You can watch videos of the performances in Melbourne and Sydney below.
The duets (which Maniacs witnessed in person in Melbourne), were amongst the highlights of an epic second edition of the Slipknot-curated festival down under and one of the centrepieces of Distrubed's mighty full-length, co-headliner sets.
Commenting on the performance from Halestorm in Melbourne, Heavy Magazine notes "An hour of Lzzy and band doing what they do best, engaging and entertaining her adoring fans with straight-up rock brilliance", Metal Roos celebrated Disturbed's standout performance, including one of metal's biggest anthems, Down With The Sickness. "As one would expect, ‘Down With The Sickness’ had everyone singing along which was the most crowd participation for the day in that regard. Watching David work the crowd like a demonic priest giving a dark sermon was another bucket list moment. Our inner 13-year-olds were ecstatic." Disturbed were officially slotted as co-headliners of the events alongside the returning Pantera, with their appearance in support of the 2022 record Divisive. Halestorm were down under for the second time in a year, celebrating their epic record Back From The Dead. Both records are available for purchase in a variety of formats alongside merchandise from our Maniacs store.
Buy Divisive now
Buy Back From The Dead now
Listen to Halestorm & Disturbed on our Metal Maniacs playlist
