Photos and report: International Women of Rock tour 2023

When I joined FemMetal, I knew I had to do everything in my power to bring awareness and spread the word about bands that include female artists, and with the date zero of the International Women of Rock tour happening so close to where I live, I couldn’t miss it. Arci Tom is kind of like FemMetal’s second home, and for this reason, we would like to thank Tom Hell’s Nights and Massimo Mazzola for their hospitality and continued support. As usual, the photos are by Silvio Colombo.

Attractive Chaos

Punctually to the second, this Italian-French band took the stage at the Arci Tom. While the audience wasn’t numerous, they put up a hell of a show! Lead singer Emma was having the time of her life on stage, enthusiastically and brilliantly singing and engaging with the crowd. The whole group was giving their best, and their melodies and solos are worth checking out. I can’t wait to see them again as soon as possible, they had such a positive and dynamic vibe, it was super fun to witness their set!

Setlist:

As You Are
Magical Powers
Before You Hit The Ground
The Storm
Come To Me
Won & Lost
Obsession

Phantom Elite

With only 5 minutes of delay on the scheduled time, Phantom Elite was ready to rock. They had a wonderful intro with some lights that were pulsing at the rhythm of the beat, so I was really excited to see their performance. Unfortunately, in the beginning, Marina’s voice wasn’t properly mixed in the audio, and it was difficult to hear her, and just after the first track, the problems continued with the guitar. Luckily, she was able to entertain the crowd a bit with a Britney Spears imitation, but it was time lost from their show. Anyways, they were super energetic and dedicated to their art, and this is very honourable!

Setlist:

Skin of my Teeth
Inner Beast
The Race
Apex
Titanium
Black Sunrise
Diamonds and Dark

Temperance

This start of the tour was completed with Temperance’s performance; I have seen them 5 times counting this instance, and in such a short period of time with 3 different singers. After Scolletti’s departure, I had the pleasure of seeing Lina Victoria replace her brilliantly, and now it is time for Kristin Starkey to prove her worth. Kristin is very talented and isn’t afraid to use her full potential. She wasn’t trying to imitate Tricarico’s or Scolletti’s sound, she was just enjoying and singing her heart out. A funny scene on stage when Pastorino “steals” Guaitoli’s microphone, and Guaitoli is forced to use Pastorino’s to sing. Or when Guaitoli’s put his hands on Pastorino’s eyes when he was playing a solo. Thankfully he knew all the notes and performed them flawlessly! During “The Last Hope In A World of Hopes” Pastorino took a spontaneous trip off the stage with his guitar. Hopefully, Michele won’t be offended, but I adored it when Gabriele Gozzi joined them on stage during “Diamanti“. He is fantastic on that track! So whoever is attending this International Women of Rock tour, be prepared for many emotions!

Setlist: