At the Tally Ho Theater in Leesburg, Virginia, recently, the stage lights dimmed and Accept’s “Balls to the Wall” blasted from the sound rig — and the all-ages crowd of headbangers cheered in anticipation.
From the moment Lita Ford and her band strutted on stage and kicked off the show with the explosive opening number, “Gotta Let Go,” it was clear that this was going to be a night to remember for everyone in the audience.
On June 8, Lita delivered a live performance, with the electrifying energy and killer rock god guitar skills she’s known for, that left her audience in awe at Tally Ho. The setlist was a perfect mix of her classic hits and a trio of cover songs from acts like Alice Cooper, the Sex Pistols, and Elton John. Lita even sang “Cherry Bomb,” a hit from her time with the Runaways. Classic songs from her catalog, like “Back to the Cave,” “Hungry,” and “Playin’ With Fire” made the crowd go wild and sing along enthusiastically.
Watch the official music video for “Playing with Fire” by Lita Ford on YouTube:
Lita’s rock and roll career began in 1976 as a founding member and guitarist of the groundbreaking all female group the Runaways. The Runaways raw combination of hard rock and punk spawned the hits “Cherry Bomb” and “Queens of Noise.”
In 1983, Lita launched her solo career with her debut album, Out For Blood, and in 1984 Lita quickly followed up with her second solo album, Dancin’ on the Edge. This LP earned her a Grammy nomination for Best Female Rock Vocal Performance and the title “Queen of Metal” from the press.
1988 saw her release the “Lita” album which boasted four hit singles; “Back to the Cave,” “Falling In and Out of Love” and the mega hits “Kiss me Deadly” and “Close My Eyes Forever” featuring Ozzy Osbourne.
At Tally Ho Theater, Lita’s stage presence was as commanding as it ever was. Clad in black leather pants, black t-shirt and black high heeled boots adorned with a black widow’s red hourglass, she effortlessly owned every inch of the Tally Ho theater stage and connected with her fans with a big smile on her face all night long.
By the time Lita closed out the show with an epic encore performance of her power ballad “Close My Eyes Forever” and her big hit “Kiss Me Deadly,” the crowd was left happily screaming for more.
Watch the official music video for “Kiss Me Deadly” by Lita Ford on YouTube:
It was a concert that reminded me and everyone in attendance why they fell in love with rock ‘n’ roll in the first place, and why Lita Ford will always be a true icon of the genre.
Setlist
1. Gotta Let Go
2. Larger Than Life
3. Relentless
4. Hungry
5. The Bitch is Back (Elton John cover)
6. Playin’ With Fire
7. Back to the Cave
8. Can’t Catch Me
9. Cherry Bomb (Runaways cover)
10. Black Leather (Sex Pistols cover)
11. Only Women Bleed (Alice Cooper cover)
12. Close My Eyes Forever
13. Kiss Me Deadly
Band
Singer/guitarist: Lita Ford
Drummer: Bobby Rock
Bassist: Marten Andersson
Guitarist: Patrick Kennison
Here are some pictures of Lita Ford performing at Tally Ho Theater on June 8, 2024. All pictures copyright and courtesy of Michael Sprouse.
