Lacuna Coil at The Wedgewood Rooms, Portsmouth – 6th October
Supported by; Slaves to Gravity – new single; Honesty – available for download only.
Lacuna Coil; a classic gothic rock band with five comprehensive talent packed albums, and a large following, I held high expectations on entering Wedgewood Rooms. Wanting to see nothing less than a blood-pumping energetic performance of musical excellence, that would have the whole crowd singing and chanting between punches and head-banging, led by the ever seductive rock goddess Cristina Scabbia – I was not disappointed.
Supported by, Slaves To Gravity, Wedgewood had managed to orchestrate something rarely done; a support act that complimented the headline. Slaves To Gravity’s more main-stream-rock feel nevertheless held a distinct sound as their drummer flew over the kit and the lead guitarist awed with stunning amplified riffs. Full of life and stage presence Slaves To Gravity did not fail to impress, even through the obvious ‘unknown artist’ barrier that support acts are often faced with, they still called forth an active crowd of supporters.
Having been warmed up, the show began. The lights flared red, the ‘Underdog’ intro (from the new album ‘Shallow Life’) echoed throughout Wedgewood. One by one Lacuna Coil graced the stage to the screaming loyalty of the die-hard crowd of fans they faced. Closely following with ‘Not Afraid’, we were promised a true mix of old and new. And, with tracks from ‘In a Reverie’, they did not under-exaggerate. Bringing the modern, honed in skills of the now more experienced Lacuna Coil, eleven years post the album’s release, no song felt out of place. From their new album, ‘Survive’, the new single ‘I Won’t Tell You’ and ‘The Last Goodbye’ were gracefully blended with older songs and the great Lacuna Coil classics. The ever brilliant ‘Heaven’s a Lie’ hailed total adoration as the band effortlessly swept us off our feet with ‘Swamped’ and ‘Enjoy the Silence’ that captured the crowd singing out passionately, hands held high.
Throughout, the bands enthusiasm and enjoyment of performing their own music encouraged and heightened the crowd’s reaction. Creating an energetic atmosphere that was amazing to be a part of. In with classic Lacuna Coil, golden tracks from albums across their elegant discography such as ‘Closer’ and ‘Within Me’ from ‘Karmacode’ and others from ‘Comalies’ held their sway. The characterising traits of Cristina Scabbia’s rich feminine vocals contrasting to the crisp vocals of Andrea ‘Andy’ Ferro, coupled flawlessly with powerful drums, blended guitars riffs and solid bass gave this small venue gig a full showcase of what Lacuna Coil is made of. Cristina’s solo “Wide Awake” as further proof to her vocal talents, but also a tribute to the bands ability to write a variety of songs; the heavier, more powerful classics and the slower, calmer tracks that captivates their audience.
Coming back for a powerful encore of the single ‘Spellbound’ and ‘Our Truth’, Lacuna Coil finished off a fantastic night on a high. The show was more than I had expected; a showcase of genuine rock talent, honed from years of experience and masses of talent. Blown away by the performances of both Slaves To Gravity and Lacuna Coil I left Wedgewood Rooms wanting the experience to never end.
