Live Review: Lita Ford - KK's Steel Mill, Wolverhampton
Support: Chez kane, Vixen
23rd July 2025
Words & Photos: Tim Finch
The Spice Girls may have coined the term “girl power” but long before they were even a thing, the likes of Lita Ford and Vixen were showing the world that women can match men punch for punch in the world of rock and heavy metal. Tonight in Wolverhampton, KK’s Steel Mill plays host to both of those acts, with Lita headlining this as a warm up for her Steelhouse Festival appearance.
Opening the evening was Welsh rock siren Chez Kane delivering a blistering opening set ahead of the legendary Lita Ford. With a sound rooted firmly in the glossy, melodic heart of ‘80s hard rock, Kane and her band wasted no time firing up the crowd, treating early arrivals to a high-energy performance that felt anything but “just the opener.”
Launching into ‘Too Late for Love’ Kane set the tone with punchy vocals and infectious charisma, commanding the stage with the widest smile you’d see this eveneing. Her band brought muscle to the melodies, giving the crowd a perfect dose of nostalgia-tinged rock.
Tracks like ‘All of It’ and ‘I Just Want You’ showcased Chez’s vocal range and her ability to balance power with polish. Meanwhile, ‘Nationwide’ hit hard with its anthemic chorus, and ‘Ball n’ Chain’brought a bluesy groove that added welcome dynamics to the set.
By the time ‘Love Gone Wild’ and ‘Get It On’ rolled around, the crowd was fully onboard – fists in the air, heads nodding, and voices joining in. Closing with the explosive ‘Powerzone’ Chez Kane left the stage to thunderous applause, having won over a crowd that might have arrived for Lita but left talking about Kane.
With Jimi Hendrix’s ‘Foxy Lady’ echoing through the PA, anticipation surged through KK’s Steel Mill as rock veterans Vixen stormed the stage for their main support slot. Riding high on decades of legacy and renewed energy, the all-female powerhouse delivered a tight, crowd-pleasing set that leaned into both nostalgia and raw live performance firepower.
Opening with the punchy ‘Rev It Up’, Vixen wasted no time reminding the audience why they’ve remained cult favourites in hard rock circles. The guitars were loud, the harmonies sharp, and the stage presence electric.
Their take on ‘Charmed Life’ added a soulful dimension, while ‘How Much Love’saw fists raised and voices singing back in unison. The chemistry onstage was palpable, with drummer Roxy Petrucci and bassist Julia Lage locking in effortlessly, giving the set a rock-solid foundation.
The real centrepiece was the medley, an unexpected and delightfully indulgent mash-up of rock classics. Starting with ‘Runnin’ with the Devil’and seamlessly weaving through snippets of ‘I Want You to Rock Me’, ‘Perfect Strangers’, ‘What You’re Doing’ and ‘War Pigs’ – which received a massive roar from the crowd just days after Ozzy’s passing – finishing with ‘Still of the Night’. The band paid homage to the greats with both reverence and personality.
They brought it back to their own catalogue with ‘Streets in Paradise’ before closing on an explosive high with their signature anthem ‘Edge of a Broken Heart’. The Steel Mill crowd responded with roaring approval – a sea of horns, cheers, and wide smiles. Vixen performed like rock royalty, offering a masterclass in how to warm up a crowd for a legend – and nearly steal the show in the process.
Lita Ford, the undisputed queen of hard rock, closed out a stacked bill at KK’s Steel Mill with a headline set that was part career retrospective, part full-throttle rock spectacle. With a setlist that pulled no punches, Ford proved why her name continues to command reverence across generations of rock fans.
She tore straight into the night with ‘Gotta Let Go’, her signature blonde mane flying and her guitar tone dialled to maximum grit. It was a no-nonsense opener that immediately set the tone: loud and full of attitude. ‘Larger Than Life’ and ‘Relentless’ followed in rapid succession, with Lita’s shredding front and centre, matched by a band that delivered the goods with precision and energy.
Tracks like ‘Living Like a Runaway’ and ‘Hungry’ kept the crowd hooked, balancing melody with muscular riffs, while her cover of Elton John’s ‘The Bitch Is Back’ landed with cheeky swagger and plenty of crowd participation. Ford then dipped into deep fan-favourite territory with ‘Playin’ With Fire’ and ‘Back to the Cave,’ both met with knowing nods from longtime followers.
One of many highlights of the set came with ‘Cherry Bomb’, bringing out Vixen and Chez Kane to join her on the classic Runaways anthem, powerful, multi-generational moment that had the entire venue singing along. Ford kept the surprises coming with a gritty cover of the Sex Pistols’ ‘Black Leather’ before shifting gears for a haunting take on Alice Cooper’s ‘Only Women Bleed’.
‘Close My Eyes Forever’ her classic duet with Ozzy Osbourne, was introduced with a heartfelt dedication to the Prince of Darkness himself just a day after ozzy’s passing. The audience chanted “Ozzy, Ozzy” in unison as the band worked they way through the intro, whilst the digital backdrop lit up with a picture of Lita and Ozzy together.
Closer ‘Kiss Me Deadly’ brought the house down, a stadium-sized anthem that had the entire crowd shouting every lyric like it was 1988 all over again. From start to finish, Lita Ford delivered a showcase of what it means to be a true rock icon.
Photo Credits: Tim Finch Photography
