Halestorm frontwoman Lzzy Hale has revealed she relished the challenge of opening up for Iron Maiden on the metal legends' 50th anniversary tour, despite the fact that Maiden boast one of the most famously stubborn fanbases in all of rock music.
Speaking to Metal Hammer in Budapest after playing the first show of Maiden's lauded Run For Your Lives world tour, Lzzy says she has previous experience with dealing with potentially hostile fanbases, and it's something she's happy to get stuck into.
“It's my favourite thing, actually,” she says. “It reminded me of when we opened up for Megadeth back in 2009 – notorious fans! They don't care who the opener is, and even back then, it was kind of a game for me. We were talking to the Iron Maiden crew last night, and they said, ‘We can't believe it. There were no middle fingers, no coins being thrown, shoes being thrown, anything like that.’”
Halestorm are a fully-fledged arena band themselves now; later this year, they'll play their biggest ever UK show when they headline the 20,000-capacity O2 Arena in London in support of imminent new album, Everest. Lzzy is quick to shoot down any idea that it might be frustrating still having to win over metal fans this far into the band's career.
“I really do love that!” she says. “At this stage in the game, we've been a band for almost 28 years. It's very exciting to be opening up for a band where the majority of fans most likely have no idea who we are. That challenge to win them over is what we live for.”
Read more in the brand new issue of Metal Hammer magazine, out now. Order your copy via Magazines Direct. Everest is out August 8. Halestorm hit the UK and Europe starting this October.
