Lacuna Coil // Blind Channel // Live Review // The Limelight // Belfast
It’s another school night venture into the heart of Belfast for a killer lineup once again at the Limelight, Belfast. Tonight, we are in the glorious Limelight 1, the Big Brother venue that hosts Italian Goth Metal Majestic’s Lacuna Coil.
Tonight in tow, we have Finnish Eurovision entrants Blind Channel, who dipped their toes in the competition way back in 2021 and since have been tearing it up with two album releases, the latest Exit Emotions released in March this year courtesy of Century Media Records. I haven’t seen the guys in the flesh yet, so I look forward to it. At 8 pm sharp, after Linkin Park’s ‘Paper Cut’ plays out, the lights dim, and one by one, the band hits the stage, I don’t think Belfast is quite ready for what Blind Channel brings to the live stage!
A balls-out performance of epic proportions! Two vocalists share duties mid-stage whilst the guitarist and bass player bounce left to right in a cramped space. That doesn’t deter the guys at all, with an energetic performance to take your breath away. There is a theatrical and cinematic quality to the guy’s presence on stage, giving 110% to their craft and delivering a set to remember for the Belfast audience. Midway through the set, they talk of an upcoming creative break for the band after three years of relentless touring as the play ‘Die Another Day’ has the Belfast audience’s eyes glued to the stage. That’s before shizzle gets real, with frontman xxx doing a solo rap to get the party into overdrive, or so it would seem, as the rest of the band on the stage, along with the keyboard player/sampler hitting the vocals too, as they rip their way through SOAD’s ‘BYOB’
I have to say this band are just good for the soul, a reminder of just how good a quality rock and metal act can be, It is one of the best opening acts I’ve seen this year, there have been a few real quality ones this year, and Blind Channel are right up there, you can tell these guys have given their all over the years to get to this level, and it’s a pity to hear they’re taking a sabbatical, but I guess they need time off to recharge. From Oulu, Finland, Blind Channel made Belfast their home tonight, the rapturous approval of the fans as they wrapped up their set spoke volumes, If you can grab a ticket to one of their upcoming shows, you can thank me later.
https://www.blindchannelofficial.com
Now for the main act: it’s been 24 years since Lacuna Coil last played Belfast at The Rosetta Bar, I know, I was there. A young pup I’d never heard of the band and a mate dragged me along; I was glad he did. As soon as Lacuna Coil hit the stage, you just knew you were in the presence of greatness. Jesus H Christ, the sound was fantastic, this glorious sonic behemoth just enveloped the room, and the vocals of Andrea Ferreira fused with the symphonic quality of Christina Scabbia was just sublime. Meshed against a wall of distortion, the pummelling drum work of Richard Meiz and visuals that the band carries live it is a glorious spectacle to behold. Two plus decades since their last visit to this isle, they have no shortage of material and around 19 song fills they set, bringing Belfast back up to speed as they weave a magnificent sonic tapestry for all to enjoy.
The room is rammed, I’m sure for a band that has been away for so long, it means so much that after year after year slogging away, their work hasn’t gone unnoticed by the Northern Irish audience. The band move onto Dublin tomorrow night, and the Academy awaits them with bated breath, no doubt. But tonight, Lacuna Coil is all ours, a reunion of old friends and new bathing in the glorious light of this Italian metal monster. Every song is greeted by an explosion of approval, screaming fans who warble along with every lyric they can, and the heads are banging like it’s 1999 all over again! In a whirlwind, the evening flies by, the energy in the room, the love for this band after such a long absence, is addictive, and the band feeds off that love and gives it back tenfold. An amazing night of music, with two bands at the very top of their game, hopefully tonights festivities will bring back Lacuna Coil to these shores sooner rather than later, but believe me, it was worth the wait.
New album SLEEPLESS EMPIRE out Feb 14, 2025.
Pre-order 👉 https://lacunacoil.lnk.to/SleeplessEmpire
Photography: Mark McGrogan
@flashartmark #flashartmark
