On May 9th, Lacuna Coil hit the Marquee Theater out in Tempe, Arizona as part of their tour promoting their new album ‘Delirium.’ They were accompanied by Painted Wives, 9 Electric and Butcher Babies, which made it a jam-packed incredible show with a great turnout for a Monday night.
Up first were Painted Wives. This being the first time I’ve ever seen them, they did an excellent job. Their sound was very raw, organic and heavy. Everyone seemed to enjoy their set, and it was very easy to get lost in the music as they created such a dark atmosphere. They were a stellar opener.
We were then absolutely hit with a burst of energy from 9Electric. All the guys in the band dressed and acted like total rockstars. With their attitude, high kicks and good looks, they were radiating energy from stage. Singer Ron Thunderwood was all over the place; his voice was great and he did an amazing job pumping up the crowd. He’s Andy Laplegua (Combichrist) meets Billy Idol (for those industrial fans out there who can understand this reference). It’s refreshing to see an artist like this, and he definitely owned the stage. Whether you’ve heard of 9Electric or not, you automatically could get into their songs. I was very impressed, and they really showed that they have endless potential. Their set included a few killer songs like “New God”, “Time Bomb”, “The Damaged Ones”, “Beautiful”, “Lies”, “Goodbye”, “More More”, “Naked”, and an AC/DC cover in the form of “Dirty Deeds”.
The energy kept going as the gorgeous ladies from Butcher Babies came on next. They are probably one of the hardest-working women duos out in metal, I think. These girls really utilize and work every inch of that stage, and you can tell that they put their all in every performance. Everyone did a killer job and looked great. Heidi & Carla even jumped down into the barrier area where the fans were and sang up close. That fan interaction is really special to a lot of people, so you could see how the girls were really happy and excited to play. Their set was intense from start to finish.
Finally, the moment we all had been waiting for came in the form of Lacuna Coil. As soon as they hit the stage, the magic kicked in. Dressed up in straight-jackets, the band looked amazing. To go through each song and describe how incredible it was would take too long because every minute was perfect. But it was great to be up front and see their show. Cristina Scabbia looked beautiful, and listening to her vocal range was a very intense, emotional experience since you could see how committed she was to every lyric she sang; she is a true artist. Andrea Ferro was just as incredible; sis voice was spot-on, and the relationship they had on stage was so complementary. You can see how all these years of performing together have forged a special bond between them, and together, they were wonderful. Everybody was just mesmerized by their entire performance. We got to hear some of the new songs off the upcoming record and fans seemed to enjoy them.
Overall, the whole show was simply to die for. Every single band was perfect, and it was a great mixture of different styles. All these worlds colliding on this night was a recipe for killer show; definitely one I’ll remember for years to come. So everyone needs to go and check this tour out right now! You’ll regret it if you don’t.