A View From The Back Of The Room: Halestorm (Alex Tobias)

Halestorm, Bloodywood & Kelsy Karter And The Heroines, The nEVEREST Tour, Utilita Arena, Cardiff, Wales, 20.11.25

I am back in the Welsh capitol tonight to watch Halestorm start their latest UK part of The nEVEREST Tour with support from Bloodywood and Kelsy Karter And The Heroines, a ram packed Utilita Arena are in early tonight as the ques start forming in the afternoon and by 6pm we are all in as the first band takes the stage at 7. As its Thursday a early finish is much appreciated but from my research on these bands a quiet night is most defiantly not on the cards, lets get stuck into our first band of the night.

I am not going to lie I have never heard of Kelsy Karter (7), but after this performance I will not forget the performance tonight, Kelsy and the band walk to the stage without any intros or flashy lights etc just stroll on with an air of confidence and smiles all around. 

A bit of a change from a band just kicking into a song or playing a big dramatic intro, Kelsy talks to the crowed first asking "How is everyone doing Cardiff" and thanking Halestorm for being on the tour then the first song introductions. We do get a first night of the tour glitch when Kelsy's radio mic cuts out mid song but thankfully its sorted pretty quickly while she uses the mics set up for bass player and guitarist to finish the song. 

From there on a pretty flawless set from the band, listening to them beforehand I will admit they would not be a band that I would normally regularly listen to but digging deeper by hearing more songs and watching a few interviews etc I can very much appreciate the drive and attitude of the band, that comes across live also, looking good on stage and not looking out of place at all as they riff off each other seamlessly. 

A stand out song from the set was from the bands last album, 2025s Love Made Me Do It, Lightning In A Bottle is a really passionate song with snappy end guitar solo and a fun chanting na na na type sing along section, it gives off lots of different vibes and influences that the band have from mellow Bruce Springsteen stuff through to the more heavy rock style Foo Fighters type drumming and guitars. 

A really good set from a band that I would not normally see that really impressed me live, I am now a fan and will be keeping an eye out to see them again for sure, and so should you.

We get a break before our next band, New Delhi's own, Bloodywood (8). I have been a fan of this band for a while but haven't caught them live yet, I missed them the last time they came to Wales so I was excited to see what they can deliver live. This band was born to do this, they come to the stage with Sarthak Pahwa the bands dhol player crashing his sticks hard to the first song, Gddaar from the bands 2022 release Rakshak, a song that gets the crowd here up and bouncing. 

Described as Nu metal with folk metal and metalcore elements Bloodywood are so much more than a genre, they are a force of nature. Ploughing through with groove you can feel in your gut and that distinct Indian sound that just blends effortlessly with the heavy guitars and hypnotic vocals of singer Jayant Bhadula. 

The band fill the stage well, all dressed in a mix of traditional Indian get up with sprinkles of a pair of new rocks and a band T here and there, they just look and sound like a band that is so comfortable on the big stage. We get a few more songs from Rakshak until the band take a pause to thank everyone.

"This is our second time in Cardiff, and we loved it the last time and are so happy to be back" says the bands rapper Raoul Kerr. The introduction to the next song, "a song about fear, fear is a simple thing, either it holds you or you hold it" singer Jayant Bhadula explains to everyone, the song is Bekhuaf from this years album release Nu Delhi, a song that the band did in collaboration with Babymetal. 

I have had this banger of a song in my head most of the year so to see it played live, minus Babymetal, was such a pleasure, catchy as hell to the core, now I don't speak Japanese or Indian at all, I know you are shocked, but that doesn't stop me making a ass out of myself and singing along not just to this song but to all the bands songs. 

After the title track from the bands last album Nu Delhi we get to the bands last song, 2019s single Machi Bhasad, a song that made me aware of the band in the first place. A bouncing and heavy song that brings all those influences together that result in quiet a big circle pit something I was not expecting but made the ending of the set that little bit more. 

For the first time seeing Bloodywood I was not disappointed, sound was spot on, stage presence for days and just a really good fun heavy band to watch live, would most certainly see them again anywhere. 

After a short break we are back for the main act of the show, Halestorm (7), who are starting the UK run of their tour after the success of their latest album from august Everest. Before they come to the stage we get a huge white sheet covering the stage ready to be dropped for the first song, the band walk out and there shadows get projected out on the sheet which makes the crowed go wild and roar with cheers and excitement. 

I have never really given the band a good in depth listen before tonight, only catching a few songs on the radio or suggested to me on playlists so checking them out I was happy with what I heard and was excited to see what they could pull off in a live performance. (Another writer was supposed to do the review for this show but got called away for work last minute - Ed)

As soon as that sheet drops we blast straight into the first track from the latest album, a song called Fallen Star, a guttural song that starts fast and gets you moving then shifts to a very old school heavy rock groove into a catchy chorus straight from the heavens above, a great opener that has everyone jumping about and so many singing along which is showing just how well the new album was received by all. 

Between this and the next song I Miss The Misery from the bands acclaimed album 2012s The Strange Case Of... vocalist Lzzy Hale shouts out "How we doing Cambridge?" to which the reception wasn't to good from the Cardiff crowed but due to getting stuck into the song the band did not notice until we pause after and Lzzy says it again, only this time there is a huge boo from everyone and guitarist Joe Hottinger told Lzzy where they actually were. 

We get full apologies from Lzzy before we crack on with the rest of the set, by the reception after and during the show it was a funny mistake but not one that I think spoiled the night for anyone at all, mostly due to how tight and good the band sounded and performed on stage from start to finish. 

Next we get one of the bands most popular songs Love Bites (So Do I) which everyone here goes crazy for with lots of singing and we are really starting to see the whole arena moving and enjoying this now not just the front rowers. 

Halestorm have really good chemistry on stage with each other, genuinely look like they love performing and playing there music to people, they have not been called the hardest working band for nothing. Further into the set we get a awesome cover of Ozzy Osbourne's Perry Mason which the band played at the Back To The Beginning concert a few months ago before the great mans passing. 

Following that we get the soul piercing song Like A Woman Can which everyone is singing along and feeling the energy and passion that is coming from the stage, a great song that is performed flawlessly. After a few more songs from Everest we get a pretty impressive drum solo from drummer Arejay Hale, then onto another of the bands classic tracks and fan favourite Freak Like Me. 

The band have brought with them tonight lots of fire cannons and confetti throughout the set going off to roars from the crowed, the stage show that the band bring is very entertaining with the huge backdrop being the excellent artwork from the latest release Everest. 

We come to the last song of the night, a sing along song to end with the last song from The Strange Case Of... album Here's To Us has everyone here singing like a choir along with Lzzy. A good start to the UK tour and a very good performance from a band I was not sure of what to expect.