Sunday 25 January
Supports: Banks Arcade, Boundaries, Fit For A King
Sunday night at PICA was a complete fever dream. The sheer scale of the line snaking around Port Melbourne was the first sign that this wasn’t just another gig. Walking into that massive industrial space, the atmosphere was already electric. You could immediately feel why the show had to be upgraded from the Forum because the energy was already through the roof before a single note was played.
Banks Arcade opened the night by taking a massive risk that honestly paid off. They played a set of almost entirely unreleased material, which is a bold move when a room is this packed and hungry for familiarity. But they commanded it. Having seen them a few times now, they honestly get better every single time, and this was easily the best I’ve seen them yet. The new tracks are massive, sounding darker and heavier while leaning into that signature glitchy, experimental sound that signals a huge 2026 for them.
The energy shifted from experimental to violent the second Boundaries took the stage. I’ll admit, it was my first time actually seeing or listening to them, and wow wow wow they are definitely in my playlists now. They showed zero mercy from the opening notes of Turning Hate Into Rage. Their sound is so precise and visceral that it hits you right in the chest. Easily Erased felt like it was going to tear the roof off the warehouse with how hard the pit was moving. If you haven’t hopped on the Boundaries hype train yet, you’re officially lagging just like I was until Sunday.
By the time Fit For A King arrived, they hit like a freight train with Begin the Sacrifice. I last saw them when they supported Alpha Wolf at The Triffid in 2022, and they felt just as huge if not even better now. Ryan Kirby is easily one of the best frontmen in the genre right now. His range is actually terrifying live. The pit for Backbreaker was absolute carnage, but hearing the entire room belt out When Everything Means Nothing was a standout moment that gave me goosebumps.
The Plot In You kicked things off with a huge confetti blast during their first song, Don’t Look Away, that set the tone for the rest of the night. I last saw them at Good Things Festival in 2023 and their side show, so seeing them headline such a massive venue, being their biggest headline to date, felt like a real milestone. The set was a roller coaster that kept building momentum. Even when they had to briefly restart Face Me to look after a fan in the crowd, the band handled it with total professionalism and jumped right back into the emotion.
Not even halfway through the set, the production went to another level. Once the pyro started, it just kept going. I honestly haven’t seen fire used so well in a show in a long time. Watching Landon perform Forgotten with massive plumes of flames erupting behind him was a total visual trip. By the time they hit the encore with FEEL NOTHING, the combination of the fire, the lights, and the deafening crowd made it feel like the entire building was about to explode. The Plot In You have officially set the standard for what shows need to give us in 2026, and it is going to be incredibly hard to top.
Review and Photos by Luci Scott
