Black Smoke Trigger came onto the stage first with their hard hitting rock sound and heavy vocals from lead singer Baldrick; they really got the audience up and on the floor. Their energy on the stage did more than warm the crowd up, it got them pumped. Even if you hadn't heard their songs before, it was easy to get caught in the moment. The crowd cheered at the end of every song. When they sung Caught In The Undertow, Baldrick gave a bit of the back story about the video and the song. It really got the audience singing along. Black Smoke Trigger put on one huge hard rocking 40 minute set.
Next on the stage were the headline act themselves Like A Storm, with Black Smoke Trigger’s Josh Coyle-Te Maro on drums. With only a month to learn the songs, I was amazed that he did not miss a beat all night.
From the first note, the audience made it clear that they were happy to see Like A Storm. The energy on stage was electric. Lead vocalist Chris was very engaged with the fans, who were enjoying every minute of the show.
As the show continued they slowed things down with Matt singing an acoustic version of Linkin Park's Crawling, a song that was dedicated to the late Chester Bennington. After that treat, the hard rock continued with Like A Storm being joined on stage by Baldrick to sing their version of AC/DC’s TNT, to the huge excitement and delight of the audience who sang word for word.
Chris also used his didgeridoo with such ease; the audience loved every minute of it.
As the show wound up Like A Storm finished with their most well-known song Love The Way You Hate Me. As the song began, the crowd started singing along with every word. Chris then jumped off the stage and sang among the audience, who were undoubtedly loving every minute of this experience. Giving the audience that extra level of enjoyment, I'm sure it's something they definitely won't forget anytime soon.
Like A Storm are very much making a big name for themselves In New Zealand, and I'm sure there'll be plenty of people looking forward to seeing them return.
Photos courtesy of Morgan Creative.
With their record-breaking new single, Love the Way You Hate Me, smashing its way onto American airwaves, Kiwi hard rock act Like A Storm have now achieved more successful US Hard Rock singles than any other New Zealand band in history. Hard rock anthem Love the Way You Hate Me, which features singer Chris Brooks playing the didgeridoo, has made an impact with rock fans all over North America - hitting #1 on satellite giant SiriusXM Octane.
Since their debut album, The End of the Beginning, in 2009, Like A Storm have created a compelling musical catalogue and earned the reputation as one of rock's hardest working bands. Five years of relentless touring has seen them share American stages with rock giants Creed, Korn, Alter Bridge, Five Finger Death Punch, Shinedown and many others. As a result, the band of Kiwi brothers has developed one of the most loyal fan bases in the country, and are now a headline act in their own right. Like A Storm's diehard fans - many of whom are inked in the band's artwork and lyrics - are widely known to travel huge distances, and show up hours early, to see the band play at some of the most iconic rock venues in the US.
Originally formed a world away in Auckland, New Zealand, Like A Storm was born when musician brothers Chris, Kent and Matt Brooks first jammed together. Growing up playing in separate bands, the combined chemistry was apparent in an instant. "We just felt this amazing musical connection," remembers guitarist Matt Brooks, "We knew that we had to start a band together."