LACUNA COIL

Last night at The Crocodile, Lacuna Coil delivered an unforgettable performance on their Sleepless Empire Tour 2026 — a night defined not only by powerful music, but by genuine connection and humanity. I’ll start with an honest note: I arrived late and unfortunately missed the supporting acts, Escape The Fate and VOWWS. That’s truly a regret, as both are incredible in their own right and undoubtedly set the tone for the night. However, I arrived just in time to photograph the main attraction — and from that moment on, the experience was electric. The venue itself created something special. The intimacy of The Crocodile allowed for a rare closeness between the band and the audience. As soon as all members — Cristina Scabbia, Andrea Ferro, Marco Coti Zelati, Diego Cavallotti, and Richard Meiz — took the stage, the room erupted, opening with ‘Layers Of Time / Reckless’, instantly igniting the crowd.

Cristina Scabbia was simply bellissima, her voice as impeccable and sweet as ever, yet powerful and deeply connected to the fans throughout the entire set. A particularly admirable moment came from bassist Marco Coti Zelati, who performed despite a recent injury. Even with visible limitations in movement and standing, his performance remained strong and impactful. There was a quietness to his stage presence that night, almost shy, but it made his resilience even more meaningful. From a visual perspective, the lighting leaned brighter than expected, but this worked in an interesting way, allowing for striking photographic moments with shadows and contrast that enhanced the atmosphere. The crowd reached another level when Cristina introduced ‘Scarecrow’, and the intensity carried through standout moments like ‘In Nomine Patris’, which opened and closed under stark white lighting, creating a dark, focused, almost ritualistic atmosphere. The energy continued to build through ‘Blood, Tears, Dust’, ‘Gravity’, and ‘Oxygen’, each delivered with precision and emotional weight.

Beyond the music, what truly elevated the night was the band’s message. Cristina Scabbia spoke on behalf of Lacuna Coil about humanity, equality, and fear — reminding everyone that we stand together and fear nothing. The crowd echoed back in unison: “We fear nothing.” It was a powerful, unifying moment. But the most unforgettable part of the night came unexpectedly. Near the end of the show, a fan in the audience began to feel unwell due to the heat. Cristina Scabbia immediately noticed, stopped the performance, and with genuine concern asked, “What’s going on guys?” Without hesitation, she moved closer to ensure the fan received help. At the same time, the rest of the band and crew quickly responded, distributing water and assisting the crowd. Thankfully, the fan recovered, and the concert resumed, closing on a high note. In true metal fashion, Andrea Ferro sent the crowd into a final frenzy by throwing his signature prop knives into the audience, while Cristina commanded the stage with a safely crafted, ornate and gleaming prop knife during ‘I Wish You Were Dead’.

SETLIST
‘Intro’, ‘Layers Of Time / Reckless’, ‘Hosting The Shadow’, ‘Kill The Light’, ‘Die & Rise’, ‘Spellbound’, ‘Heaven’s A Lie XX’, ‘Scarecrow’, ‘Blood, Tears, Dust’, ‘Gravity’, ‘Oxygen’, ‘In Nomine Patris’, ‘N.S.I.O.W’, ‘Intro’, ‘The Siege’, ‘I Wish You Were Dead’, ‘Swamped’, ‘Never Dawn’, ‘Edge Of Infinity’, ‘The End Of All We Know’, ‘In Place Of Your Halo (Live Bagpipes)’