On the 8th of April, the night had finally arrived as the Big Rock Tour took over Melbourne’s Rod Laver Arena. Featuring co-headliners A Day To Remember and Papa Roach, with Landmvrks opening, it promised to be a feast for rock fans. From the moment people lined up outside to when they poured into the venue, the crowd was buzzing with anticipation, everyone was ready for the night ahead.

Kicking off the evening were Landmvrks, all the way from France. The heavy hitters received a warm welcome from the Melbourne crowd, with fans fully engaged throughout their set and feeding off the band’s intensity. I had heard many great things about this band from the last time they were here last year for their headline tour and they definitely lived up to the expectations. 

Next up was the first headliner of the evening, Papa Roach, a band who formed in 1993, they are responsible for staple tracks like Scars and Help. This was their first time back in Australia since 2023, and they made sure it was unforgettable. Their set was hot and fiery, with pyro blazing across the stage for the majority of the performance. Frontman Jacoby Shaddix is just such an energising frontman, effortlessly working the crowd. At one point, he jokingly claimed that Perth and Adelaide were better crowds, earning boos from the audience before quickly revealing he was just trying to rile Melbourne up and wanted to see even more energy. He also called out those still sitting, shouting, “This isn’t a U2 concert,” trying to get everyone to get on their feet. Not confining himself to the stage, he got fully into the mix of it and joined those in the tiered seating on the left side of the arena getting up close and personal with the fans during To Be Loved.

During intermission, the tone shifted with a message from Jacoby appearing on screen speaking on mental health awareness, alongside their incredible initiative to donate a portion of ticket sales from each show to a local mental health charity. This then transitioned into the emotional track Leave a Light On paired with phone lights filling the arena, which was then followed by a moment of silence for suicide victims. After thanking the crowd, the band reignited the energy with Scars, which sounded phenomenal live. We also got to hear a newer release called BRAINDEAD which was described by Jacoby himself as meant to be for the mosh pit, and it was a hit!

They then took fans on what Jacoby called a “nu-metal time machine,” playing snippets of classics like Blind, My Own Summer, which then lead to him making his way into the seats at the right side of the stage for Break Stuff, and Chop Suey and saying hello to those at the back of the arena. The medley wrapped up with Jacoby returning to the stage before launching straight into their iconic closer, Last Resort, with the entire arena singing along.

Let’s just say, by the end of the set, Jacoby Shaddix was praising Melbourne as the best crowd of the tour so far, even stating, “I haven’t said that yet.” Here’s hoping the Melbourne crowd can hold onto that title for the rest of the Australian tour.

Papa Roach may have been a “nice to see” band for me beforehand, but after that performance they’ve become a must-see, and I have no doubt many others left feeling the same. Ending their set, Jacoby said he couldn’t wait to return to Melbourne again, and if this show is anything to go by, fans will be hoping it’s sooner rather than later.

As the lights dimmed again, the screen lit up with A Day To Remember’s rock-carved logo, one by one, the band members took the stage before frontman Jeremy McKinnon ran out to an even louder roar. They wasted no time, kicking things off with The Downfall of Us All, what a perfect, high-energy opener that had the entire arena singing along. Their setlist perfectly balanced old favourites with newer tracks, including All My Friends from their latest album, which already feels like a future classic judging by the volume that the song was sung back to them, with an explosive of confetti during the bridge.

Jeremy took a moment to thank the crowd for welcoming them back, reflecting on how important Australia has been to the band’s journey. He shared that on their very first visit, they played to such a large crowd, and said they’ve probably toured Australia more than anywhere else outside of the US. He also added that they’re “trying to move here,” laughing as he asked if anyone wanted to marry them for visas, “we need five husbands.”

If you’re part of the scene, Have Faith In Me is one of those songs you have to hear live at least once, it’s a true anthem. Dedicated to all the ladies in the crowd, and just like on the studio version, it begins acoustically before building into a heavier, more powerful moment in the bridge, hitting even harder in a live setting. Paired with a burst of confetti raining down, the whole arena was singing along, adding to the euphoric atmosphere.

That energy quickly shifted as an epic mosh broke out during the iconic breakdown of Mr. Highway’s Thinking About the End. A Day To Remember’s “crowd surfing on top of crowd surfers” segment made its usual appearance, with Jeremy joking, “As you can see, it’s also fcking dangerous and you probably shouldn’t do it, but who are we to stand in the way of you becoming a fcking living legend,” which sent crowdsurfers surging toward the stage during It’s Complicated.

Then came LeBron, where inflatable basketballs filled the pit and two hoops were brought out for a crowd competition, because, of course. The left side clearly dominated, prompting Jeremy to jokingly fold up the right side’s hoop for a moment mid-song. All I Want followed, keeping the crowd’s energy high as everyone clapped in unison, before The Plot to Bomb the Panhandle continued the momentum with the band bouncing along with the crowd.After joking “f*ck encores, we’re just going to play three more songs if that’s okay with you,” the band returned to a softer moment with If It Means a Lot to You. The crowd sang every word back as phone lights filled the arena once again, with another burst of confetti during the heavy bridge.

Thanking everyone for coming to the Big Rock Tour, they closed the night with All Signs Point to Lauderdale, saying, “We’re A Day To Remember, this is our last one for tonight, let’s see if you know this one,” as rolls of toilet paper flew through the pit. 

With pyro, confetti, rolls of toilet paper and basketballs flying everywhere, it was pure chaos in the best possible way. The band sounded just as impressive live as they do in the studio, all while delivering an incredibly fun performance.

The Big Rock Tour delivered everything you could want from a night of heavy music, energy, chaos and nostalgia. From start to finish, each band brought something different, but together they created a show that will be very hard to forget!

A Day To Remember :

Papa Roach :

WWE

Raw

April 6th, 2026

Singles Match
LA Knight vs. Austin Theory (w/IShowSpeed & Logan Paul)

This was entirely about the set up. The match was fine but if you hadn’t told me its been years since they fought I’d have just assumed it was recently.

2 / 5

Singles Match
Bayley (w/Lyra Valkyria) vs. Lash Legend (w/Nia Jax)

Another fine match that was just for set up. Its close to Wrestlemania so everything happening it just groups of the same people before the PPV.

2 / 5

Six Man Tag Team Match
Dragon Lee, Je’Von Evans & Penta vs. Los Americanos (Bravo Americano, El Grande Americano & Rayo Americano)

Another match of guys fighting at Wrestlemania. This was quick and full of spots as expected. It really felt off though because of the commercial break which took up almost half of the matches time.

3 / 5

Tag Team Match
B-Fab & Michin (w/Jade Cargill) vs. RHIYO (IYO SKY & Rhea Ripley)

A fine but lackluster main event. Rhiyo was never gonna lose and the ending here felt suddent and abrupt.

2 / 5

Of all the places to be on a school night, attending a show featuring 2 heavyweights of the 2010’s scene era probably wouldn’t be the first thing to come to mind. For a couple thousand passionate fans though, that’s exactly what they decided to do. Madison, WI was right in the heart of The Devil Wears Prada’s “Flowers” tour, with support from Four Year Strong, Split Chain, and I Promised The World. 

Unfortunately, I Promised The World had to cancel tonight due to illness, but they should bounce right back to prove how their relentless work ethic and talent has earned them a well deserved place on this tour. 

Up next was Split Chain all the way from Bristol, England. Their new twist on shoegaze and nu-metal was already working its magic of whipping the early crowd into a moshing frenzy. They took advantage of every single second they had on stage to show what they had to offer as an up and coming band. Closing out their set with a cover of Type O Negative’s “I Don’t Wanna Be Me” left no question as to where Split Chain draws much of their inspiration. 

Fifteen years ago, Four Year Strong were at the top of the easycore scene. Even though those years are getting further and further away, Four Year Strong has not slowed down one bit. While many bands stray far from their original sound as time goes on, the happy hardcore sounds are still all over Four Year Strong’s entire catalog. Starting off their set with “uncooked” from their most recent album felt right at home amongst their iconic songs like “It Must Really Suck to Be Four Year Strong Right Now” and “Heroes Get Remembered, Legends Never Die” They had the crowd bursting with energy from the first note all the way to the final chords of “Wasting Time (Eternal Summer)”. 

The main event, The Devil Wears Prada. These guys have been heavyweights amongst their peers from the beginning, and that reputation has yet to wane. Fresh off the release of their newest album Flowers, The Devil Wears Prada have been hitting the road hard. Their set featured heavily from Flowers, but there was still plenty of time to honor their vast discography. Nearly everything from Dear Love: A Beautiful Discord to Color Decay was included.

The highlight for me was hearing “Outnumbered” from the Zombie EP. The heaviness of that song live cannot be overstated. The packed crowd at The Sylvee was in the band’s palm the entire night. After capping off what would already be a great set, they came out to close out the night with the trifecta of “Play The Old Shit”, “Assistant to the Regional Manager”, and “Hey John, What’s Your Name Again?”.

While their sound has evolved over the span of their career, it is clear that The Devil Wears Prada has not forgotten where they came from. Even if it is a school night, you shouldn’t pass up seeing these legends.    

Split Chain :

Four Year Strong :

The Devil Wears Prada :

Post-hardcore band Mclusky packed out Metro on April 4, delivering a set that felt like a full-circle celebration of their catalog. Running through 20+ tracks, the band pulled from across their discography—mclusky Do Dallas, The Difference Between Me and You Is That I’m Not on Fire, the world is still here and so are we, and more—giving longtime fans exactly what they came for.

The crowd in Chicago reflected that legacy, with a wide mix of ages that spoke to the band’s staying power since the ’90s. It felt like a room that had been waiting a long time for this moment, and the energy backed that up all night.

If you’re into loud, high-energy shows that don’t let up, Mclusky’s current U.S. run is worth catching. The tour continues through mid-April with stops in Boston, New York, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C.

Mclusky :

Chicago really got a real treat as they kicked off the weekend this past Friday night with a double dose of legendary metalcore. Poison The Well and Converged stormed the city alongside Spy and Balmora packing Concord Music Hall to the very back of the venue.

Kicking off the evening was hot act Balmora. With their debut LP dropping next month and a slight lineup change the band was firing on all cylinders with their brand of hardcore infused metalcore. On the heavier side of both genres they kicked off pits letting the energy get going.

The odd band of the night was up next with Spy. Fast songs and all punk they whipped through a set fighting some mic issues along the way. It was a session in just sheer unrelenting aggression as the band showed why they’ve been making a name for themselves in the scene.

It was time though for the band that needs no introduction. Looked at as one of the pioneers of the scene and a band who has continued on for 36 years now never losing a step, Converge gave a masterclass in metalcore.

With no downtime really between their set, no talking, introductions, or anything of the sort the band blew through their set mixed with songs from both of their new albums this year as well as genre classics. Age has shown no sign of slowing Converge down but seemingly only improving them.

Closing out the night through was recently reformed Poison The Well. Going from broken up, to random years of reunion shows, to now fully back as a full time band the metalcore icons have seen their fan base reform massively. This tour even sees the band supporting ‘Peace In Place’, the bands first full length record in 17 years.

Kicking off with Botchla the crowd was every bit energetic singing the words to these classics. Blasting through a roughly one hour 15 song set that played heavily from their two classic albums mixed with some newer songs and more the band has shown their full return is here to stay. The band was visibly happy on stage getting the energy back from fans old and new that are happy to see Poison The Well in 2026.

Balmora :

Spy :

Converge :

Poison The Well :

I’m just gonna say it, this might be horrors worst trilogy ever.

We continue with our hero Maya as she stumbles around the woods of a small town that never seems to have people, or cell phone service, until random people show up like its a known place. Maya seems to have a team of people who can pinpoint her location but also not have any bit of common sense.

Our killers here are still just stumbling idiots and the story line that this film has put in OVER THREE FILMS is all still just a jumbled mess of nothingness. By the end nothing is laid out, characters aren’t explained much, and everything is left to ‘oh well maybe killers are fun’ or something along that mix.

Not even Madelaine Petsch who tried her best to save part 2 can do much here. She feels like she phoned it in reading off cue cards. Richard Brake gets more screen time but even as a generic creepy sheriff who seemingly not only knows about the strangers but made a deal with them, can’t save this.

I hated all of this. I hated this trilogy. I hated what they tried to do. All 3 parts of this were bad in their own ways but to close it out on such a terrible film truly makes me question what they wanted from the start of this even.

Score :

0.5 / 5