Saturday 18 October

Supports: While She Sleeps, The Devil Wears Prada

Bullet For My Valentine rounded up their current tour of Australia last night in Brisbane and let’s just say, it was an absolute evening metal chaos and nostalgia for everyone in attendance. Witnessing While She Sleeps and The Devil Wears Prada brought on high strung sets of fire, paving the way for Bullet to lift the non-existent roof off the Riverstage.

With the afternoon beginning with a small weather system moving in the area, many fans were anxious whether the storm would rain on the forthcoming metal parade. As the gates opened, there was a mix of excitement and nerves amongst the crowd. However, the closer we got to showtime, the more the nerves subsided as those rain clouds above acted more like a tease.

The Devil Wears Prada kicked off the night with their smouldering blend of metalcore. If you weren’t too familiar with what the band have been pumping out lately, you might have had a bored look on your face as vocalist Mike Hranica rubbed ‘Salt‘ in your elder emo soul. Playing a short set of tracks from 2022’s Color Decay and showcasing their forthcoming album Flowers, I particularly found ‘Ritual‘ to be the highlight of my night. The band have been dropping hints at a more melodic sound, and it feels like a natural progression that enhances rather than dilutes their emo-metalcore foundation.

This shift feels deliberate and mature, suggesting a band confident enough to explore new territory without abandoning their roots.. New track ‘For You‘ shed a more vulnerable layer of the band and offered fans many feels – it’s a softer sound for The Devil Wears Prada, with the heavy guitars ebbing and flowing inbetween. Watching the early crowd from the deck bar though, you could sense that their latest single very well has high potential to be a live staple in the future.

Following it up nicely was Sheffield metalcore crew While She Sleeps, who seem to be regular visitors Down Under. Their almost yearly visits have always got me out to the show and for very good reason. Every gig I’ve seen While She Sleeps at, you’re preparing yourself for a full-blown frenzy. ‘The Guilty Party‘ brought on plenty of chaos and fans jumped in on the crowdpit action.

For a band that have made Australia almost their second home, the set was way too short. However, the beauty in that is these boys know how to produce a set that is equally as memorable as last year’s headliner at the Tivoli. ‘To The Flowers‘ was a surprise highlight. On the record, it’s the longest track on Self Hell. Tonight, Lawrence ‘Loz’ Taylor gave his defining moment then in front of an audience, delivering a high-octane performance with raw emotion and precision.

Another killer set from the boys in While She Sleeps. We love having you grace our shores boys. Come back anytime!

Before diving into my recap of Bullet For My Valentine’s set, I’ve got to admit that I earned my emo stripes a little later than most. The Poison wasn’t soundtracking my high school days or blaring through my mp3 player on the bus. But ahead of this show, I did my homework, and let’s just say The Poison more than holds up. A debut record that still cuts deep, riffs hard and proves exactly why Bullet remain a pillar of the scene.

When they took to the Riverstage tonight, to the chants of fans screaming “Bullet! Bullet! Bullet!”, the moshpit descended into chaos and a sea of iPhones shot into the air, the crowd desperate to capture every scream and shred. Not for long though. Plenty of fans were keen to go oldschool and ride the surge of the crowd as vocalist Matt Tuck sang the words to ‘4 Words‘.

The band’s infamous and most iconic track ‘Tears Don’t Fall’ got an emotional acoustic opener, with Brisbane’s Riverstage shimmering magnificently against the city’s skyline. Then Matt yells into the mic, “Let’s go!”, the familiar guitar riffs tickles one ear and the audience surges once more. Watching the band glide between haunting melody and crushing mayhem was nothing short of awe-inspiring, acting as a reminder of why this song still hits just as hard in 2025.

The rest of the evening was super enjoyable to watch, but ‘Hit the Floor‘ stood out easily. Matt Tuck leaning towards raw melodies whilst still getting heavy as hell gives Bullet For My Valentine the edge they’ve kept over the years. As someone who is more familiar with the punkier side of emo, I’d peg this album as being on par with Story of the Year. But hearing it live changed that perception fast. As the set unfolded, it became clear that Bullet For My Valentine have evolved far beyond their early 2000s roots, standing tall as one of emo-metal’s closest heirs to Metallica’s legacy.

Brisbane was pretty fortunate tonight that this may be one of the last nights that the band would perform The Poison in its entirety. Before bidding us adieu though, Matt and the boys still had energy in the tank for a three-song encore and a tease for their future return to Australia. Before giving fans one final opportunity to run a riot, Matt shared his avid enthusiasm for Aussies and reassured the crowd that a new Bullet For My Valentine album is on the way. He also went one step ahead and proclaimed that they’d love to come back on Good Things Festival next year.

Never say never, Matt. We’ve got our fingers crossed!

Review by Tamara May