Metal Princess Vana Dominates and Electrifies Sold-Out May 1st Bottom Lounge Show
Review and photos by: Christalyn Barker
There’s no doubt that people walking by Bottom Lounge for their Friday night plans could hear the boosted bass and the piercing guitars from the street. New Zealand-based, California-born Vana graced us with a night on her highly anticipated The Lady in Red Tour.
Vana blends the higher vocals and risqué imagery of Ashnikko and the pop-screamo mix in the same vein as Bring Me The Horizon and Bad Omens, but there’s no doubt that Vana’s self-taught sound cuts through the comparisons, ensuring her sound stands on its own.
Whether under autotune effects or on her own, Vana showcased every inch of her voice from deep guttural screams in “HARLEQUIN!” and sickly sweet vocals that lure you in during songs like “Pray” and “Die For Me!” Vana’s deep screams shook fans’ ears in between her addictive singing. She effortlessly conveys a light, fun energy rooted in dark femininity. She is the cool girl who will also bite back!
Her captivating stage presence and crowd control created a space for fans to actively participate. During the show, she stopped to open Magic: The Gathering cards with a fan on stage (most of these cards ended up back in the crowd) and encouraged fans to open the pit to catch a stuffed squirrel for a free t-shirt.
The loud guitars and common drops and screams gave the crowd a pass for chaos, which unfortunately wasn’t taken until the last few songs. The crowd split, and crowd surfers threatened to hit the ceiling as they sailed through the sea of people through the back-end of the set.
Throughout the night, the energy waned and surged, its most powerful moment during her encore. Vana re-emerged on stage with a sly look, answering the pleas for another song by asking the crowd to use their manners. The crowd whined back with a small “please.” “Can you say pretty please?…beg for it!” she says with a big grin as her heavy hitter BEG! roared.
Before the show, fans lined up to create a sea of blood red and black, akin to her aesthetic, which she calls “pretty metal.” With this show, Vana as an artist cultivates a space for feminine rage and sapphic rock lovers. Of course, the crowd still consisted heavily of men, but there was respect in the air.
This is her first headlining tour after opening for artists like Honey Revenge and Set It Off in prior years. Her mission to create a space for women in male-dominated spaces succeeds with a female-fronted opener lineup featuring Redhook, Deadlands, and Chandler Leighton.
The entire night was filled with powerful feminine rage that carried and exploded even louder when Vana took the stage.
Vana is a fiery force to be reckoned with, solidifying her future place as a princess of metal.
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Gallery:
Tour Dates:
3 May Sun – Delmar Hall @ 7:00 pm – Chandler Leighton – Saint Louis, MO, United States
5 May Tue – recordBar @ 7:00 pm – Chandler Leighton – Kansas City, MO, United States
7 May Thu – Bluebird Theater @ 7:00 pm – Chandler Leighton – Denver, CO, United States
9 May Sat – The Grand @ The Complex @ 7:00 pm – Chandler Leighton – Salt Lake City, UT, United States
10 May Sun – Shrine Social Club @ 7:00 pm – Chandler Leighton – Boise, ID, United States
12 May Tue – The Crocodile @ 7:00 pm – Eyes Set to Kill – Seattle, WA, United States
13 May Wed – South Hawthorne Waterfront Park @ 7:00 pm – Eyes Set to Kill – Portland, OR, United States
15 May Fri – Goldfield Trading Post Roseville @ 7:00 pm – Eyes Set to Kill – Roseville, CA, United States
16 May Sat – The Roxy Theatre @ 7:00 pm – Eyes Set to Kill – Los Angeles, CA, United States
17 May Sun – House of Blues Parish @ 7:00 pm – Eyes Set to Kill – Anaheim, CA, United States
19 May Tue – Crescent Ballroom @ 7:00 pm – Eyes Set to Kill – Phoenix, AZ, United States
21 May Thu – Come and Take It Live @ 7:00 pm – Eyes Set to Kill – Austin, TX, United States
22 May Fri – Bad Astronaut @ 7:00 pm – Eyes Set to Kill – Houston, TX, United States
23 May Sat – Puzzles Deep Ellum @ 7:00 pm – Eyes Set to Kill – Dallas, TX, United States
26 May Tue – The Basement East @ 7:00 pm – Eyes Set to Kill – Nashville, TN, United States
28 May Thu – Arrow @ 7:00 pm – Eyes Set to Kill – Allentown, PA, United States
29 May Fri – Thunderbird Café & Music Hall @ 7:00 pm – Eyes Set to Kill – Pittsburgh, PA, United States
30 May Sat – Grewal Hall at 224 @ 7:00 pm – Eyes Set to Kill – Lansing, MI, United States
1 Jun Mon – Headliners Music Hall @ 7:00 pm – Eyes Set to Kill – Louisville, KY, United States
13 Jun Sat – Warped Tour Washington, D.C. 2026 @ 10:00 am – Greenway, DC, United States
25 Jul Sat – Warped Tour Long Beach 2026 @ 10:00 am – Long Beach, CA, United States
17 Sept Thu – Louder Than Life 2026 @ 11:00 am – My Chemical Romance Pierce the Veil Tool – Louisville, KY, United States
14 Nov Sat – Vans Warped Tour Orlando 2026 @ 10:00 am – Orlando, FL, United States
5 Dec Sat – Knotfest Mexico 2026 @ 1:00 pm – Lamb of God The Ghost Inside Poppy Bad Omens – Mexico City, Mexico
24 Jan Sun – ShipRocked – Voyage Of The Ronin 2027 @ 7:00 pm – Papa Roach Ice Nine Kills Magnolia Park Kami Kehoe – Miami, FL, United States
Links:
Official: https://www.vanamusicofficial.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vana_nz
