Spark Arena was well and truly buzzing with electricity. The enthusiasm was palpable, and there was certainly no shortage of mascara, beards and tees emblazoned with “ADTR”.
A Day to Remember and Papa Roach were in town, playing the final show on their Australasian Big Rock tour, bringing with them Landmvrks from France. This was set to be a collision of eras and styles, and fans both long-time and new descended on the arena for what promised to be a truly big night of rock.
The five-piece Landmvrks energetically leapt on stage, and immediately lunged into Creature with lead singer Florent’s rapidfire rapping and bright vocals leading the way. Guitarists Paul and Nicolas churned out arena-sized riffs, while bass player Rudy effortlessly hopped about in circles as his low-end notes boomed.
The show had barely begun and the frontman called for the crowd to be split in two down the middle, in preparation for a “wall of death”, ahead of their song Sulfur.The lead singer announced that this was their first time in New Zealand, which was met with vibrant applause and cheers. What a privilege it must be, for a band such as Landmvrks to make their debut in a city’s premium indoor stadium.
Pummeling metalcore rhythms filled the arena; dissonant guitars, offbeat drum rhythms of the verses and breakdowns were counteracted by soaring, beautifully melodic clean singing of the choruses. Hands were raised in unison, and those who knew the lyrics sang and screamed along.
The audience were well and truly primed and energised by the end of Landmvrks’s performance, which concluded with their pounding 2022 single Self-Made Black Hole.
“Merci beaucoup! We’ll see you again soon”, the frontman declared. No doubt the band had by now acquired new fans, and would be beyond thrilled to experience Landmvrks again. Myself included!
As we near the time for Papa Roach to take the stage, the arena has slowly filled up, with a sea of newly-purchased shirts clamouring for the best view of the stage. The lights go down as pink backlighting takes over, the band members taking their positions on the stage. Last to enter is lead singer Jacoby Shaddix, as the band waste no time kicking things into high gear as the heat from the pyrotechnics can be felt from halfway back in the arena floor. Even If It Kills Me sets the scene for what is yet to come, as Shaddix stalks through the Co2 cannons. The enigmatic frontman has the crowd right where he wants them, leading the crowd in chants and fan interaction as they head into the last night of this tour, having last been here in 2023.
…To Be Loved continues to kick things up a notch; fans we spoke with remembering the heyday of WWE and this track in particular. Shaddix disappears from view mid-song, only to reappear almost directly in front of us, followed closely by security as he concluded the song singing from the crowd, singing with a fan as they filmed a selfie.
As the set wore on, Papa Roach tore through track after track, with an interlude midway through the set to speak about a topic close to many people – teenage suicide. New Zealand, unfortunately, rates shockingly high for suicide, and Shaddix’ words, spoken via the big screen, are greeted with cheers as he announces that the band will be making a donation to a local charity, Youthline, in the name of tonight’s show. The sombre moment is capped off with a lone candle projected on the rear screen, as the band perform Leave a Light On (Talk Away the Dark) followed by what Shaddix describes as the ultimate “break up song”, Scars.
From here we return to high gear, as the crowd once again parts for a wall of death and Shaddix summons the crowdsurfers to appear. The pyro and Co2 once again makes its presence known as we near the crescendo of the set; “Nu Metal Time Machine” paying tribute to acts such as Korn, Deftones, Limp Bizkit and System of a Down, before launching into Last Resort – joined on stage by Jason Aalon Butler of Fever333. At this point, we’re wondering how headliner A Day to Remember are going to top this!
The headliners are finally here. Even though A Day to Remember were in Tāmaki Makaurau only ten months ago, plenty of eager fans still turned up. And boy, were they an enthusiastic crowd. The acapella intro of The Downfall of Us All heralded their entry, as audiences were whipped into a frenzy, moshing and headbanging. Fan-favourite tracks from the 2010’s and noughties were served up nice and early, including Right Back at It Again, and I’m Made of Wax, Larry.
“Who’s got a drink in their hand??”, asked frontman and lead singer Jeremy McKinnon. “Right now it’s the lowest level of global alcohol consumption. So we’ve chosen the worst year to drop this song”, then jumped into the partying-with-your-mates ballad All My Friends from their most recent record, which was met with jubilant cheering and singing.
Amidst upbeat and energising classics like Mr. Highway’s Thinking About the End and Have Faith in Me were songs that carried a message, especially Flowers. Just like with Papa Roach, the message of mental health, looking after your friends and family came to the fore, and frontman Jeremy urged everyone to check in on their loved ones.
Arguably one of the biggest highlights of the night were the two basketball hoops that were rolled out on stage, as huge inflatable basketballs were thrown into the crowd for the pop-rock single LeBron. The crowd were invited to score points by bouncing the balls through the hoops. Clever way of making sure you get your props back, if you ask me!
Kudos to A Day to Remember for skipping the tired trope of bands disappearing offstage to elicit an encore. “We’ve got three songs left, and we’re just gonna get right into it”, and with an acoustic guitar appearing side of stage, the band performed the emo singalong anthem If It Means a Lot to You. Cellphone lights were held aloft, friends and strangers alike belted out every word they knew – It was a sight to behold, and a deeply wholesome experience. And at the climax of the song, the lights of the arena glowed bright as streamers flowed from the rafters over the crowd. Absolutely perfect.
Capping off the night with the explosive and guitar-heavy Resentment as well as crowd-pleaser All Signs Point to Lauderdale, it was plain to see fans – old and new – of Landmvrks, Papa Roach and A Day to Remember were all satisfied and got their dollars’ worth.
It was a big night, and the tunes were rockin’. The Big Rock Tour was everything it had promised to be.
Mental health was a major message last night. If you need to talk to someone, or would like to make a donation to help support, please visit Youthline.
Review: Steve Shyu & Ginny Cocks
Hero Image: Papa Roach, supplied by Dasha Gor / The 13th Floor
