Volbeat @ Credit Union 1 Amphitheatre, Tinley Park (US)

VOLBEAT / HALESTORM / THE GHOST INSIDE

Date: 22nd August, 2025
Venue: Credit Union 1 Amphitheatre
Ticket: $40/€35 - $171/€147 [fees not included]
Promoter: Live Nation

It’s been a long time since I’ve seen VOLBEAT as headliners, so driving to Tinley Park on a Friday wasn’t negotiable, no matter how long the working week had been. Plus, “God Of Angels Trust”, released a couple of months ago, turned out to be a killer album and the icing to the cake of Michael Poulsen’s return to full-action after recovering from three throat operations. It’s great seeing him back in North America with the ‘Greatest Of All Tours Worldwide’ tour.

Credit Union 1 was filling with a steady stream of people who were enjoying the long-overdue break from heat and humidity. In fact, an outdoor show with this kind of weather is the best sendoff to summer, especially when summer had been that aggressive this year. The first band on the stage was THE GHOST INSIDE and, even though their Metalcore doesn’t have much in common with the sound of either VOLBEAT or HALESTORM, they were a perfect starter to get things moving. In case you didn’t know, the band resurfaced after serving an awful car accident while touring the States in 2015. I mention this because seeing drummer Andrew Tkaczyk being the first to appear on stage was a strong reminder of how resilient humans can be. Andrew has kept playing drums after that dreadful accident claimed his right leg. I’m sure he is an inspiration of will and inner strength for many.

“Let’s go, Chicago,” urged singer Jonathan Vigil, knowing all too well the extra effort required to get the crowd into concert mood this early in the set. “Keep me from going under,” he grunted as THE GHOST INSIDE kicked off their set with “Going Under”. Guitarist Chris Davis was handling most of the clean vocals, letting Vigil and bassist Jim Riley roam the stage. That left guitarist Zach Johnson, who didn’t move as much as the others, but nailed all his leads.

“This next song is the title track of our last record, and goes out to whoever has seen us play live before,” announced the singer before the fast-paced “Dear Youth (Day 52)” from the 2014 album “Dear Youth” hit the speakers. Metalcore may not be my daily cup of tea, but it’s rare not to feel the energy surge when a band like THE GHOST INSIDE delivers the goods. Watching them interact with the crowd and stay in constant motion is bound to get you going and, who knows, check their music afterwards. “Earn it” and “Death Grip” maintained the pounding heaviness, giving the mosh-pit a Metalcore nudge to turn the heat up.

A swift guitar change, and THE GHOST INSIDE returned to action with Vigil announcing “Wash It Away”, as the song some of the audience may know. Indeed, some did know it, and there was a nice singing-along during the chorus. Tours like this require way more people than the fans get to see performing or working in between sets. The singer made sure to give credit where credit is due: “This is the last day of the tour and couldn’t have happened without many people working behind these curtains,” he said, and asked for a round of applause. Yeah, the snare-drum driven “Avalanche” was the best tribute to everyone who made this tour happen.

“Aftermath” was the final song for THE GHOST INSIDE, and before saying goodnight, Vigil has something motivating to say: “This song is for second chances. We are up here, and this is our second chance.” And before launching into the song, he drew everyone’s attention to Andrew Tkaczyk, who has made the most of his second change; playing drums in front of thousands after losing one leg - let that sink in.

THE GHOST INSIDE setlist:

01. "Going Under"
02. "Dear Youth (Day 52)"
03. "Earn It"
04. "Death Grip"
05. "Wash It Away"
06. "Avalanche"
07. "Aftermath"

THE GHOST INSIDE

Being fully aware of the solid fanbase HALESTORM have in the States, I wasn’t surprised to hear the loud cheer the moment the recorded intro kicked in, and red stage lights accompanied the lineup on stage. Leather-clad Lzzy Hale approached the mic and started singing the opening lines of “Fallen Star”. With pounding drums and great guitar sound, HALESTORM took the audience in Credit Union 1 by storm. Lzzy has an amazing vocal range and power, making the band’s performance electrifying. With a loud scream, she introduced “I Miss The Misery”, getting the audience involved with a loud sing-along. It is impossible not to get carried away by HALESTORM’s energy, especially in an outdoor concert with great sound and stage lights.

A quick guitar change along a matching outfit adjustment (red was the dominant color), Lzzy asked, “I wanna see you sing this one loud and proud.” That’s exactly what happened during the Grunge-y “Love Bites (So Do I)”. You know when a band has a solid relationship with the audience when there’s this delightful exchange of energy. “WATCH OUT!” matched the energy of “Love Bites (So Do I)”, but if you ask me, I’d say the Blues-infused “Like A Woman Can” was the jaw-dropping moment; the song’s slow tempo let Lzzy’s Soul-tinged and emotional singing shine, perfectly topped off with an impressive onstage presence.

Then she knelt down and raised a chalice-looking glass before belting out the opening lyrics of “Rain Blood On Me”. Her performance was so powerful that she gave the impression she was singing without a microphone - once again, impressive. After this powerful moment, the HALESTORM frontwoman acknowledged the band’s fanbase, and welcomed the newcomers, “you are family now, and you stuck with us,” she joked. Her request to “light the room up” with smartphone flashlights was granted, and Credit Union 1 was lit up in contrast to what the song’s title, “Darkness Always Wins”, says. It was the antithesis that made this moment even more special. Guitarist Joe Hottinger, wearing a wide smile, did his part getting the audience engaged, with bassist Josh Smith following suit. The NIRVANA-esque “Broken Doll” prepped the way for the in-your-face “Freak Like Me”, which received a loud singing-along. Both the band and audience had a great time, and whenever this happens, everyone has fun, no matter if you know the song or don’t.

A drum-solo gave everyone a breather, and it was funny watching Arejay Hale keep pounding the drums with those gigantic drumsticks. “Give it up for Arejay” said Lzzy before “K-I-L-L-I-N-G” and the… love song “I Get Off”. The keyboard on top of an amp was again brought in front of the singer for “I Gave You Everything”, showcasing more of those amazing Soul-esque vocals of hers.

This was the final show of the tour with VOLBEAT and THE GHOST INSIDE, so some shots were in order before saying goodnight - “Cheers, Illinois,” Lzzy said before the borderline Country “Here’s To Us”. This was supposed to be the cooling-down moment, but as the rest of the band was waving goodbye, Lzzy said “F*ck it, let’s do another one,” with the groovy and heavier “Everest” being a way better send-off. The guitar leads on this one were amazing, underlining this stellar performance. Really, VOLBEAT couldn’t have asked for a better introduction.

HALESTORM setlist:

01. "Fallen Star"
02. "I Miss The Misery"
03. "Love Bites (So Do I)"
04. "WATCH OUT!"
05. "Like A Woman Can"
06. "Rain Your Blood On Me"
07. "Darkness Always Wins"
08. "Broken Doll"
09. "Freak Like Me"
10. Drum Solo
11. "K-I-L-L-I-N-G"
12. "I Get Off"
13. "I Gave You Everything"
14. "Here’s To Us"
15. "Everest"

HALESTORM

There was nothing fancy on the stage setup, and the only change I’d make would be to give Jon Larsen a taller drum riser. I believe that in large stages, a tall drum-riser adds height to the visual aspect of live performance. On the other hand, does a band like VOLBEAT need an extra boost? ‘F* No’ is the short answer, but at the same time, locking the audience’s attention before the music kicks in, is a powerful motivation, especially for those who don’t know a lot about the band.

With the backdrop showing the cover artwork of “God Of Angels Trust” (having the famous goat at the center) and a series of amps adorning the VOLBEAT logo, the band was ready to rock Credit Union 1. The fateful recorded intro, spiced up with goats belting (of course there are gonna be more goat references), saw guitarist Flemming C. Lund and bassist Kaspar Boye Larsen accompanying Michael Poulsen to form a half circle around Jon’s drums.

Poulsen turned towards the crowd and started the riff of “The Devil's Bleeding Crown”. Oh yeah, the VOLBEAT groove works like a charm every time. “Falling from the sky, the castout from Heaven's light,” Michael started singing with his trademark Rockabilly-meets-Metal voice that has branded VOLBEAT since their debut album. I love the band’s energy and how it bounced on the audience, who didn’t spare a moment to join in. “Alright, good people, let’s see if you know this one,” the singer said, and with an Elvis-inspired delivery sang: “Feel the fire where she walks,” with the VOLBEAT fans backing him up on “Lola Montez so beautiful”. Yeah, the audience knew this song too.

An acoustic guitar on a stand was brought onstage, and it was funny to hear someone from the crowd requesting a specific song, with the singer admitting: “I can’t play SLAYER on this one…” As you may know, Johnny Cash is a massive source of inspiration for Poulsen and as he explained, “VOLBEAT weren’t inspired by Johnny Cash for this one. We stole it from him,” adding / joking “and now, he can’t do anything about it”. A snippet of “Ring Of Fire” followed, still with a loud sing-along, paired with the groovy and 18-year-old “Sad Man’s Tongue”. I would love to hear more songs from the first three albums, but then again, I couldn’t pick what song to remove from the setlist. Could I possibly remove “Demonic Depression” from the band’s latest album? With that Thrash riff and double-bass drum? No way. No way. In hindsight, the only way to include more oldies would be to extend the set…

“I’d like to dedicate the next one to anyone who have lost someone they loved,” said Poulsen said, and visibly emotional, dedicated “Fallen” to his father. If you pay attention (and you should) to the lyrics, you’ll understand why it almost made his voice break a bit. Moments like this remind me why music is such an integral part of our lives; it has the ability to take a snapshot of your life, no matter if the memory is painful or happy. It’s your story. The heavy “Shotgun Blues” was the best way to channel the emotional buildup, with amazing vocals, particularly in the chorus.

Poulsen asked how many had gotten the new album and explained that “VOLBEAT don’t endorse any religion.” He pointed at the backdrop and said, “Faun is not evil. The people you see on TV are the real evil ones.” Faun is the name of the goat seen on the cover artwork, and as you know, the animal’s image has often been used for satanic portrayals. He tried to teach the crowd (at least those who hadn’t gotten the album) the title of the next one, and I think people did manage to say “In the Barn Of The Goat Giving Birth To Satan's Spawn In A Dying World Of Doom”. The song with the longest title in VOLBEAT’s discography. No matter the number of characters in the title, this song is a massive headbanger. I love the heavier direction VOLBEAT have taken with their latest album.

Speaking of heavy, “By A Monster's Hand” was a headbanger’s delight and paired perfectly with “The Devil Rages On”. Before the latter, Poulsen asked for some crowd-surfing, promising a VOLBEAT t-shirt for the first person to do it. It didn’t take more than one verse to see the winner during this fast-paced banger with a Rockabilly twist. So far, the crowd had engaged in headbanging, crowd-surfing, and moshing, and the one thing missing was dancing. “Thank you so much, you are beautiful. We got to move a little,” said the singer, with the boogie-inducing “Die To Live” checking the last item on the list.

The mid-tempo “Time Will Heal” was followed by the energetic ‘50s-tinged Rock ’n’ Roll “Black Rose”. After Poulsen requested, “Chicago, let’s seal the deal,” he launched into the heart rate-pumping “Seal The Deal”. I believe the album “Seal The Deal & Let's Boogie” was the most represented in the setlist, with “For Evigt” being the last one. Since this song has some Danish lyrics, Poulsen asked the audience to try and sing-along to wake his kids up all the way back in Denmark. To top this off, he requested for smartphone flashlight action, which he received. This was another powerful moment, and one of the few things I like about smartphones at concerts - no one likes holding a cigarette lighter for a long time.

Personally, I loved the energy of “A Warrior's Call”, and even though it was written for boxer Mikkel Kessler, it carries a fighting spirit that everyone needs in their daily lives. Seeing fists pumping in the air during the chorus, “Fight, fight, fight, fight!” felt amazing.

“With all the love you’ve got for the Prince of Darkness, Ozzy Osbourne, let's sing loud together so he can hear us,” said the singer before introducing the genre-shaping cover on BLACK SABBATH’s “Children Of The Grave”. This excerpt was a great tribute and was the one before the last song. For “Still Counting”, the signer asked parents to bring their kids onstage, making it the ultimate backdrop for the setlist closer. Indeed, it was great watching the younger generation with the band that I have been following from their debut album. Did I miss anything? As I said, it’s tough to replace songs, so the only thing I’ll complain about is not hearing the classic “VOL-BEAT” chant, guided by Michael. Next time, kind sir, alright?

VOLBEAT setlist:

01. "The Devil’s Bleeding Crown"
02. "Lola Montez"
03. "Sad Man's Tongue"
04. "Demonic Depression"
05. "Fallen"
06. "Shotgun Blues"
07. "In The Barn Of The Goat Giving Birth To Satan's Spawn In A Dying World Of Doom"
08. "By A Monster's Hand"
09. "The Devil Rages On"
10. "Die To Live"
11. "Time Will Heal"
12. "Black Rose"
13. "Seal The Deal"
14. "For Evigt"
15. "A Warrior's Call"
16. "Children Of The Grave" (BLACK SABBATH cover)
17. "Still Counting"

VOLBEAT