The rafters of this old theatre bulge with fans waiting for ‘An Evening with…’ – two and a half solid hours of Lzzy Hale and co that starts with acoustic renditions of their biggest hits.
It’s a naive move and hearing songs like Mz. Hyde and Rock Show (it has ‘Rock’ in the name, c’mon!!) without the hard rock power behind them is a letdown. Thank goodness they plug in for a full rendition of their latest album, Into the Wild Life.
Lead tracks Mayhem and Apocalyptic showcase Lzzy’s honey-coated snarl while the ZZ Top-styled thrill of I Like it Heavy is unveiled with glee. “We’re not going to do that thing where we leave the stage for several minutes,” says Lzzy before, er, leaving the stage while her brother Arejay sets off on a drum solo. The sticksman plays like Animal on steroids and, ironically, ends up getting the biggest cheer of the night.
Old classics Love Bites, Freak Like Me and I Miss The Misery top off the night, but for all that this show was built up to be, as an illustrious ‘Evening with…’, it doesn’t quite live up to the billing. Evident from the sloppy transitions and some lacklustre renditions of songs, the band haven’t practised their set enough and only Lzzy Hale can save them. If she didn’t reek of talent tonight would be a mild flop but with that voice and that attitude they just about get away with it.
