Live Review: A Day to Remember and Papa Roach in Australia
04 April 2026 at the RAC Arena, Perth, Western Australia.
Review by Sheldon Ang
Photography by Sheldon Ang Photography
If there was ever a bang-for-your-buck moment when it comes to concert tickets, last night was it.
RAC Arena in Perth was hit by a metal party with two colossal hybrid bands sharing the bill: Papa Roach and A Day to Remember. It was an inferno over an earthquake, as the marching drums, scintillating guitars, and soaring vocals opened the Australian / New Zealand run in the world’s most isolated city. Joining them in the double dose of action was LANDMVRKS, who were more than an opening act.
As for the health of Perth’s live music landscape, it was a welcome relief after a series of snubs for arena concerts of this caliber. A sea of metal heads in black responded where it mattered, by arriving in droves…just under 7,000 – not bad in times of uncertainty and during the holiday season.
LANDMVRKS is a French metalcore band from Marseille that have grown into one of Europe’s most exciting metalcore acts since their inception in 2014. The emotionally intense live shows were obvious tonight, punching the room with rap-rock bite, with the intensity and anger of 00s Eminem, but on a V8 supercharged drive train.
The lead vocalist Florent Salfati, criss-crossed the stage like a dog on the back of a ute. The compounding boom-boom factor was intense, and the diction stayed clear and punchy, while the crowd was awed by the energy on stage.
Admittedly, this photojournalist wasn’t familiar with this French connection, but that seemed irrelevant. Just like that, LANDMVRKS grabbed the attention of Perth. Their performance was deadly: harsh, niche, with subtle nuances. They were every bit as French as a Peugeot; niche, craft, and arty. It was a 30-minute set, but the impression was everlasting. We all became fans, setting the mood for the featured act.
One of the reasons Papa Roach has stayed relevant for over three decades is their willingness to evolve, spanning nu metal, hard rock, alternative, rap rock, and modern alt rock. Formed over 30 years ago, the band from California became one of the most sought-after festival acts after breaking through with their triple-platinum album Infest (2000).
So last night, we witnessed that evolution firsthand through emotionally charged lyrics about struggle, resilience, and mental health.
Their night kicked off with a series of explosion: “Even If It Kills Me”, “Blood Brothers”, and “Dead Cell”.
The epicentre was lead vocalist Jacoby Shaddix’s live style, who had more energy than the rabbit on batteries, flanked by a fiery stage (literal fireballs in an indoor arena), hitting on the beat with the rhythm section, sometimes even matching Shaddix’s cadence. His countenance was vivid: lines formed on his face whenever he soared vocally, eyes widening through the intensity. It was metalcore at its finest, after all.
“I want to see an insane fucking moshpit on this next one.”
The drums, pummeled by Tony Palermo were intense, sparking the marching orders. With Jerry Horton on guitars, Tobin Esperance on bass, and Anthony Esperance the touring musician on guitar, keyboards and percussion, they became the night’s pantomimists, controlling the pace…or you’d think so. But Shaddix had other ideas; he’s still one of the most exciting frontmen around with his own mind.
One of those key moments was during “Kill the Noise”. The jagged guitar edged in “3-2-1 jump!” The crowd did exactly that, like a rave-fuelled energy multiplied a thousand times as the sea of people on the floor bounced with the flames on stage. The blast of nu metal had full live bounce. It was as if the pressure valve had been released, as the lead guitarist bopped his head, on a wide stance, and flicked his hair.
A homage was paid to Linkin Park, as Papa Roach cut through a snippet of “In The End”. It’s one of those songs where the emos, the punk rockers and the army of black can relate to. The arena became the echoing chamber of that stratospheric chorus. It then became apparent why they chose to cover this song…
“Every year, more than 720,000 people die by suicide. Many more make attempts on their own life.” – the dark but factual words broadcast on the screen.
“Globally, suicide is the third leading cause of death amongst people aged 15–29… each suicide is a tragedy that affects families and communities, with long-lasting effects on the people left behind…”
Then came the PSA from Shaddix on the big screen: “If you’ve lost someone, or you know someone who has lost someone, or you know someone who struggles…or you yourself have struggled…the first step toward a solution is to talk about it and ask questions…”
Afterall, Jacoby Shaddix was close to Chester Bennington, with both bands becoming friends during the early-2000s nu metal wave.
From there, the night turned sentimental during an acoustic performance of “Leave a Light On”, where phone lights ignited across the arena. “Wake Up Calling” was also performed acoustically, and the theme carried on under a dark backdrop, a contrast to the fire and fury for most of the night.
Shaddix then spoke about his own battles;
“I was in the darkest place in my life…a prisoner to the bottom, a prisoner to the pills, a prisoner to my addiction. Eventually, something had to change. Something broken inside of me… I realised I was something more… this one is called ‘Scars’.”
It remained as Papa Roach’s most emotionally charged song. Shaddix’s voice carried the crowd into the song’s vulnerability. The lights softened, the opening guitar sparked, and the whole arena sang along.
It didn’t take long before the night sparked again with a 90s nod: “California Love”. It was just the intro, though something tells me the crowd wanted more.
Papa Roach closed with “Last Resort”. The seminal song was perhaps the most anticipated track, bringing that blend of rap-rock aggression with emotionally charged lyrics. We were drenched in rap-fire and shouted catharsis. The twisting push-pull between rapid verses and that melodic chorus hit hard in a headbanging way – and there were plenty of them. The dark themes landed.
Their set went for an hour and fifteen minutes. It felt like we’d been through a full headline show, thanks to the generous stage presence, with buzzing performance and octane props included.
But the night was only halfway through…
Metalcore and pop punk weren’t supposed to mix, but A Day To Remember said: Why not both? They fed the two into one cohesive sound. It wasn’t the norm back in 2003 when the Floridian band formed, so what we got last night for metal fans to mosh to, pop punk for pop punk fans to sing to, and emo moments for emo fans to feel in the chest.
Arguably, this was a shared set, but on this occasion, there were no fireballs, probably for safety reasons. Either way, there was something different tonight: the VVIP fans shared the stage, sitting in a row behind the drum kit.
The night commenced with “Downfall of Us All”, a track with that pop punk/metalcore hybrid DNA. The da-da-da intro echoed. Right from the start, the huge melodic chorus and the crushing breakdowns drove the song. Jeremy McKinnon switches between clean, melodic pop-punk vocals in the chorus and aggressive shouts with fast rhythmic phrasing in the verses. It’s addictive.
McKinnon’s flawless transition between metalcore and pop punk was undeniable, and he did it within the same song. He paced the stage well, often leaning into the crowd and weaving constantly with sharp movements.
The screen behind them screamed “A Day To Remember”, which pretty much stayed that way; no surreal video wall, no distracting extra bits.
There were plenty of headbanging moments in this set, especially during “Mr Highway’s Thinking About the End”. Those thunderous kicks by Alex Shelnutt’s drums reverberated across the floor, like machine guns, once again becoming the band’s pantomime control for the crowd. People perched on shoulders, only to be told to get down by security – it is the 2020s, after all, where OH&S often takes precedence over tradition. There were a few ejections too, much to the dismay of some.
The machine-gun kicks continued in “Resentment”, and the mosh pit started to spin like a hurricane in thick cloud seen from the International Space Station, while guitarist Neil Westfall and Kevin Skaff encouraged the shenanigans.
There was also an incongruent fun factor that emerged during “LeBron” when two basketball hoops were brought on stage, followed by over twenty balls bouncing onto the canopy of people. It was surprising to see that urban playfulness was embedded in the band’s metalcore.
“All I Want” hit with that same hybrid rush, and “If It Means a Lot to You” leaned into the acoustic/emo side – still carrying that post-hardcore/metalcore DNA underneath. These songs are built for arenas, especially once the sing-alongs kick in.
Each chapter of A Day to Remember felt constant. If there was a peak, maybe it was during “The Plot to Bomb the Panhandle”, where the growl soared through the room and the crowd levelled up again.
“We hate encore…so we are going to tell you we have 3 more songs.”
Again, like during Papa Roach, it wasn’t all shenanigans. There were moments of contemplation during “If It Means A Lot To You…”, where phone lights lit up across the arena, before finishing on a high with “Closer Than You Think” and “All Signs Point To Lauderdale”.
Indeed, last night was two for the price of one.
Papa Roach and A Day To Remember continue their Big Rock Tour across Australia and Auckland, with tickets available now through Destroy All Lines.
Sheldon Ang Media would like to thank Dallas Does PR, Destroy All Lines, Papa Roach, and A Day to Remember for the Photo Accreditation and tickets.
Setlist – Papa Roach – Perth 2026
Even If It Kills Me — Ego Trip (2022)
Blood Brothers — Infest (2000)
Dead Cell — Infest (2000)
…To Be Loved — The Paramour Sessions (2006)
Kill the Noise — Ego Trip (2022)
Getting Away With Murder — Getting Away With Murder (2004)
Forever — The Paramour Sessions (2006)
Leave a Light On (Talk Away the Dark) — Ego Trip (2022)
Wake Up Calling — Crooked Teeth (2017)
Scars — Getting Away With Murder (2004)
California Love (2Pac cover) — Original: All Eyez on Me (1996)
BRAINDEAD — Crooked Teeth (2017)
Help — Crooked Teeth (2017)
Born for Greatness — Crooked Teeth (2017)
Hey, Good Lookin’ (Hank Williams cover) — Original: 1951 single
Between Angels and Insects — Infest (2000)
Blind / My Own Summer (Shove It) / Break Stuff / Chop Suey — Deftones / Limp Bizkit / System of a Down medley
Last Resort — Infest (2000)
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Setlist – A Day to Remember Setlist – Perth 2026
The Downfall of Us All — Homesick (2009)
I’m Made of Wax, Larry, What Are You Made Of? — Homesick (2009)
2nd Sucks — What Separates Me From You (2010)
Right Back at It Again — Common Courtesy (2013)
Bad Blood — You’re Welcome (2021)
Paranoia — Single (2016)
Miracle — Single (2022)
All My Friends — Big Ole Album Vol. 1 (2024)
Have Faith in Me — Homesick (2009)
Flowers — Big Ole Album Vol. 1 (2024)
Mr. Highway’s Thinking About the End — Homesick (2009)
Resentment — You’re Welcome (2021)
LeBron — Big Ole Album Vol. 1 (2024)
All I Want — What Separates Me From You (2010)
The Plot to Bomb the Panhandle — For Those Who Have Heart (2007)
If It Means a Lot to You — Homesick (2009)
Closer Than You Think — Common Courtesy (2013)
All Signs Point to Lauderdale — What Separates Me From You (2010)
I Feel Good (James Brown cover) — Original single (1965)
bout the writer/photographer: The founder of Perth-based Sheldon Ang Media (est. May 2022) has been accredited to more than 200 of the hottest acts including Taylor Swift (ERAS Tour in Sydney), Coldplay (Perth), AD/DC, Metallica, KISS, RHCP, P!NK and Suzi Quatro (pictured) with reviews shared by the likes of Belinda Carlisle, Roxette, Tina Arena, UB40, Delta Goodrem, and Tina Arena on social media. He has interviewed the late Ace Frehley (KISS), John Steel (The Animals), Frank Ferrer (Guns N Roses), Phil X (Bon Jovi), Andrew Farris (INXS) plus over 100 artists. He’s also a contributor on Triple M Radio as a music journalist.
