Last year's Halestorm appearance in Paris, opening for Alter Bridge, was impressive enough to leave many in the audience wanting more. This return visit, with the band firmly installed in the headlining slot, provided exactly that. Touring behind 2022's Back From The Dead, Halestorm arrived at a sold-out Cigale supported by Black Veil Brides and Mothica, a particularly strong package that turned the City of Lights into the City of Loud for one evening.
Rooted in classic hard rock while embracing a more contemporary metallic edge, Halestorm delivered a set packed with everything the genre does best: massive riffs, soaring choruses, flashy guitar solos and songs built for arenas. The material from Back From The Dead sat comfortably alongside older favorites, highlighting just how consistent the band's catalogue has become over the years.
At the center of it all stood Lzzy Hale. Few frontwomen in contemporary rock command a stage with such authority. Armed with a voice capable of shifting effortlessly from vulnerable melodies to full-throated power, she remains one of the genre's most compelling performers. Yet what truly sets her apart is her ability to connect with an audience. Throughout the evening she embraced her role as both rock star and role model, encouraging the many young women in attendance to take up space, make noise and claim rock music as their own.
The setlist naturally drew heavily from Back From The Dead, but classics such as "Love Bites (So Do I)," "I Get Off," "Familiar Taste of Poison," "Freak Like Me" and "Rock Show" received equally enthusiastic reactions. Looking around tLa Cigale, it was impossible not to notice how completely the audience was invested. Every chorus was sung back at the band, every riff was greeted with raised fists and every solo inspired a forest of air guitars.
Perhaps the most striking realization of the evening is that Halestorm can no longer be described as an up-and-coming band. Nearly fifteen years into their career, they have accumulated a catalogue, a fanbase and a live reputation that place them among the leading hard rock acts of their generation. The promise has long since been fulfilled. Halestorm have arrived.
