Just days after tearing up Download Festival with the full Halestorm line-up, Lzzy Hale and Joe Hottinger strip everything back for a sold-out evening at Islington Assembly Hall. The result is not a quiet, polite acoustic set. Instead, Lzzy + Joe Unplugged feels like an intimate gathering where stories, songs and decades of shared history are placed front and centre.
Lzzy & Joe Unplugged @ Islington Assembly Hall
Walking onstage to a rapturous reception, Lzzy wastes little time setting the tone. “Thank you all so much for being here. Are you ready to party?” she asks before explaining that, while they have been taking this format around the United States for some time, this is “the very first time in the UK doing this kind of tour.” The audience response leaves little doubt that the experiment is working.
Opening with a powerful acoustic take on Amen, the duo immediately demonstrate that Halestorm’s songs lose none of their impact when the distortion pedals are removed. The rallying cry of White Dress follows, introduced by a heartfelt message from Lzzy: “You be you, baby, whatever you want to be, you let that hang out. You let that freak flag fly.” It is a sentiment that resonates throughout the night, particularly during Bad Girl’s World, where she proudly declares, “This ain’t a man’s world no more.”
Lzzy & Joe Unplugged @ Islington Assembly Hall
One of the evening’s greatest strengths is the ease between the two performers. Their chemistry is effortless, built on decades of friendship, musicianship and romance. Between songs, Hottinger serves as both guitarist and comic foil, while Hale’s quick wit keeps the room laughing. Stories tumble out naturally, from early bar gigs played for next to nothing to memories of writing songs and life on the road. He flings guitar picks at her playfully as she stares him down. The atmosphere feels less like a concert and more like being invited into their living room.
Lzzy & Joe Unplugged @ Islington Assembly Hall
Do Not Disturb and Like A Woman Can showcase the sultry side of the Halestorm catalogue, while Familiar Taste Of Poison reminds everyone just how powerful Hale’s voice remains in the most stripped-back settings. A beautifully delivered version of Little Big Town’s Girl Crush slips seamlessly into the set, while their take on Jeff Buckley’s Lover, You Should’ve Come Over is handled with genuine reverence.
The emotional centrepiece of the first half arrives with The Silence. Introducing the song, Hale reflects on her relationship with Hottinger and the joy of sharing a life in music together. “The greatest thing in the world is to do something you love with somebody you love,” she says. As the song unfolds, it becomes clear why she describes it as their story. In a room packed with fans, the performance feels intensely personal.
After a brief interval, Hale takes to the piano alone, and the mood shifts dramatically. Dear Daughter is preceded by a moving tribute to her parents and their unwavering support. Recalling how they encouraged her and brother Arejay to pursue music from an early age, she shares one lesson that has stayed with her: “Life is too short.” The song lands with particular force, transforming the ornate Assembly Hall into a room full of shared memories and gratitude.
Lzzy & Joe Unplugged @ Islington Assembly Hall
How Will You Remember Me? follows as another standout moment. Hale introduces it as her “funeral song”, quickly reassuring everyone, “Don’t worry, I’m perfectly healthy.” The track becomes a reflection on legacy, kindness and human connection. “If you’re a good human, and you’re kind to your fellow humans, and you lift each other up, you’ll be remembered forever,” she tells the crowd. It is one of the evening’s most affecting moments.
Break In is simply breathtaking. Illuminated by hundreds of phone lights, Hale delivers the song with extraordinary vulnerability before Hottinger rejoins for the second half of the set. The energy quickly ramps back up through Shiver, Rock Show, Mz. Hyde, Love Bites (So Do I) and a thunderous acoustic I Am The Fire. If anyone thought an unplugged arrangement would tame these songs, London proves otherwise.
Freak Like Me becomes a communal celebration, while Hale’s stories about Halestorm’s recent appearance at Black Sabbath and Ozzy Osbourne’s farewell event provide another memorable highlight. Recalling watching Ozzy perform Mama, I’m Coming Home, she describes looking across at Hottinger and seeing him in tears. “Very sweaty eyes,” he jokes, drawing another roar of laughter.
The evening’s final stretch becomes something of a family affair. Chris Turpin joins the pair on slide guitar for a haunting rendition of Fleetwood Mac’s Gold Dust Woman, while Heaven’s Basement and Cruel Knives frontman Sid Glover adds another acoustic guitar to the troupe, helping turn I Miss The Misery into a joyous singalong, as well as affording the opportunity for each guitarist to shred a little while the others keep the rhythm.
Chris Turpin with Lzzy & Joe Unplugged @ Islington Assembly Hall
By the time the traditional closer Here’s To Us arrives, the sense of connection between performers and audience is undeniable. Earlier in the evening, Hale had asked how many people were seeing Halestorm for the first time and seemed genuinely delighted by the response. Tonight feels like an introduction, a celebration and a thank-you all at once.
Sid Glover with Lzzy & Joe Unplugged @ Islington Assembly Hall
What makes Lzzy + Joe Unplugged so compelling is not simply hearing Halestorm songs in a different format. It is the opportunity to witness the stories behind them, delivered by two musicians who clearly still love what they do, as well as each other. As Hale reflects on her journey, her family and the fans who have supported them, one thing becomes abundantly clear: whether plugged in (and turned up to eleven) or unplugged, Halestorm’s greatest strength has always been the humanity at the heart of the music. And in a packed Islington Assembly Hall, that heart beats louder than ever.
Live review and photography of Lzzy + Joe Unplugged @ Islington Assembly Hall, London by Kalpesh Patel on 17th June 2026.
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