Papa Roach & The Used
18th April 2023
Trusts Arena, Auckland, New Zealand.
Review by Sarah Fleming. Photography by Doug Peters.
Tuesday evenings may not be made for rock n roll, but Tāmaki Makaurau came out in numbers last night to show two of their favourite bands that they could indeed go hard just like it was a Friday…
And who could blame them? Weeknight be damned, with a double headliner like The Used and Papa Roach who could possibly say no?
Kicking it off with a little local flavour of course were the boys from Villainy; having been together for well over a decade now, the Auckland alternative rockers have amassed a tidy collection of both music awards and more impressively a long list of international acts that they have opened for.
Given the time slot of 6:30pm it was fantastic to see the turn out for arguably one of New Zealand’s best on the circuit. Led by Neill Fraser, Villainy tore up the stage in a naturally laid-back style, tracks such as ‘Tiny Little Island’ soon evolving into a huge singalong. ‘The Launch’ their latest single sounded even better live and of course ‘Alligator Skin’ had the crowd bouncing. Perfect set up for an evening of excellent music.
It has been sixteen years since The Used were last in New Zealand and their fans were more than ready to embrace them and all they had to offer. Formed in Utah twenty-three years ago, The Used have been referred to as everything from post-hardcore to pop-punk, but as lead singer Bert McCracken would later state in the set, The Used are an emo band and emo is back baby! And considering the enthusiasm with which the crowd embraced their set, it was a statement that rang true.
Kicking off with ‘Take it Away’ from their second album ‘In Love and Death’, the four piece kept the momentum going with ‘The Bird and the Worm’ a song that absolutely stormed across the world when first released. Joking that the crowd were all grown up now and more than likely “mums and dads”, McCracken launched into the lead single of their latest and eighth album entitled Heartwork.
Featuring Jason Butler (former letlive and current Fever 333 vocalist) the song entitled ‘Blow Me’ was written about gun violence, a rather prevalent topic in the USA. Hitting the audience full in the face, ‘Blow Me’ proved that The Used has still got it and sure as hell aren’t afraid to use it; raucous and energetic, it had the mosh pit heaving.
It may have been their first show back in five months, but they were cohesive and tight, the members giving back every ounce of energy that the crowd gave to them. The set itself a brilliant mix of both old and new, which guaranteed to keep all the fans happy.
A simple but effective layout, with a huge backdrop banner allowed the audience to take in the full performance, Dan Whiteside’s a windmill of sticks and power behind the kit, while McCracken preferred to stay centre front, and let his powerful vocals provide the showmanship for him.
Dreams soon came true for a young fan named Jordan, plucked from the front row, who joined McCracken for tracks ‘The Taste of Ink’ and ‘All That I’ve Got’ before being returned safely to the front row clutching a pair of drumsticks in his hand and a grin a mile wide permanently etched onto his face. “That’s the future right there” McCracken declared, and he would be right, music such as The Used, something that is shared inter-generationally.
While McCracken may not be a fan of Harry Styles, he is certainly passionate about the plight of Palestine, his impassioned plea for people to research the topic if they are unaware of what is going on, underscored by the flag he had draped around his mic stand.
Proving that he is certainly not a one trick pony either, McCracken soon demanded a “Punk Rock Circle Pit, Shakespeare Soliloquy” before belting out some lines from Macbeth as he led The Used into ‘Blood on My Hands’, this following an epic live debut of ‘Numb’ (which will be released shortly), a song whose lyrics almost certainly sum up how many in attendance are feeling with the state of the world today.
A wall of death to rival most others was dedicated to the members of LGBTQIA+ community, McCracken telling one and all to “stand strong”; ‘Pretty Handsome Awkward’ seeing punters fly into each other with gusto and love, those knocked down, swiftly pulled back up, clapped on the back, and sent on their way. And that right there is why rock, punk and metal will always endure.
‘A Box Full of Sharp Objects’ closed out the near perfect set, The Used morphing it into a cover of Nirvana’s iconic ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’ before bidding farewell to one and all.
The event could have ended there, but with Papa Roach still to play, the audience only grew in intensity, these double headliners a rare, but much relished chance to let loose.
Last here in 2015 as part of Westfest, the wait paid off as Jacoby Shaddix led Papa Roach onto the stage, a giant white (dead) cockroach emblazoned across the black backdrop behind them. Wasting no time, the five-piece jumped straight into ‘Kill the Noise’ from their latest offering ‘Ego Trip’ released last year, an album that just like The Used, proves unequivocally that despite their long tenure, Papa Roach are just as relevant today in the rock world as they always have been.
‘Getting Away with Murder’ hit attendees with those delicious bass lines thanks to Tobin Esperance, Jerry Horton overlaying the killer guitar riffs and backing vocals, Shaddix declaring shortly after that rock n roll saved his life, a statement that many of their admirers across the world could wholeheartedly empathise with.
Obviously impressed with the energy that the crowd was giving despite the fact that it was a Tuesday, Papa Roach barely let up for a moment as they tore through classics such as ‘Dead Cell’ [which features on the 2002 Queen of the Damned Soundtrack, a hidden gem of an album if you love artists such as Papa Roach] and ‘Broken Home’ which Shaddix threw a Eminem ‘Lose Yourself’ intro onto much to the delight of many.
Declaring that he was not soapboxing, merely reflecting on life, Shaddix spoke of the importance of family and breaking the cycle, the crowds’ cheers letting him know that they were very much in agreement; rock and metal fans understanding that family is very much what you make it and that it is certainly worth fighting for.
The genre blending continued with gusto as they then dedicated their cover of ‘Firestarter’ to the late, great Keith Flint of Prodigy, an artist that has and continues to inspire fellow musicians across the world from all walks of life. Requesting a “1989 Metallica style circle pit” while belting out The Ramones ‘Blitzkrieg Bop’, Shaddix had the mosh pit clamouring to get closer as he stood atop the front barrier for ‘…To be Loved’, an instrumental version of The Cures ‘Lullaby’ showing that Papa Roach have the musical taste of gods.
And that was just the first half of the set, the exuberance of the band only growing by the minute as they belted out classics such as ‘Scars’ and ‘Forever’ while throwing in leftfield covers such as ‘Still D.R.E’, and brand-new tracks ‘Swerve – Rockzilla Remix’ with Hollywood Undead.
‘Between Angels and Insects’ had the lights fade to black with a single spotlight trained on Esperance who closed it out with a bass line that almost brought a tear to the eye and had many murmuring through the crowd of how it reminded them of Tool, the quality of delivery was that damn good.
By this point, the Auckland crowd were so whipped into a frenzy that both groups could have played their sets again and they would happily have lapped it up second time round – but sadly all good things must come to an end, ‘Last Resort’ of course bringing it all to a close as Shaddix once again thanked the crowd and reminded them that “we are all family”.
Often people are quick to write off artists who have done the rounds of the emo and pop-punk scenes, chalking them up to being ‘big’ at the time, or nostalgia bands. Last night proved that The Used and Papa Roach are still out there, still killing it on stage and producing new music that is not only worthy but relevant.
It’s called evolution people, and fuck is it beautiful to see.
Papa Roach:
The Used:
Villainy:
Were you there at Trusts Arena for this high energy rock show? Or have you seen Papa Roach or The Used somewhere else before? Tell us about it in the comments below!
Papa Roach Setlist:
- Kill the Noise
- Getting Away With Murder
- Blood Brothers / Dead Cell
- Broken Home
- Firestarter [The Prodigy cover]
- …To Be Loved
- Lullaby [The Cure cover]
- Scars
- Forever
- No Apologies
- None of the Above
- Still D.R.E. [Dr. Dre cover]
- Swerve
- Born for Greatness
- Between Angels and Insects
- Last Resort
The Used Setlist:
- Take It Away
- The Bird and the Worm
- Listening
- Blow Me
- I Caught Fire
- Fuck You
- The Taste of Ink
- All That I’ve Got
- Buried Myself Alive
- Blue and Yellow
- Numb
- Blood on My Hands
- Pretty Handsome Awkward
- A Box Full of Sharp Objects
- Smells Like Teen Spirit [Nirvana cover]
Note: Ambient Light was provided passes to review and photograph this concert. As always, this has not influenced the review in any way and the opinions expressed are those of Ambient Light’s only. This post contains an affiliate link. If you purchase a product using an affiliate link, Ambient Light will automatically receive a small commission at no cost to you.
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