Words: Georgia Collins
Photos: Harris Tomlinson-Spence
★★★★☆
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In 1993, they were just getting started. In 2026, Papa Roach are living up to their name, proving that even after thirty-three years in the game, they simply can't be killed. Cardiff's Utilita Arena was packed from the outset. Multiple generations of fans sold out the venue and were ready and waiting to be taken on a nu-metal journey spanning more than three decades.
Photo: Harris Tomlinson-Spence
The crowd wasn't just excited for Papa Roach, though. The show had a powerful opening from Tennessee rock band Sleep Theory, which was very well received, with one fan even having made a sign asking for a setlist. Vocalist Cullen Moore was pleased and reassured the fan that they'd get one.
Interaction continued as, during ‘Numb’, the band urged the crowd to sing louder and more enthusiastically, not allowing any lulls in energy. Most of the arena was bouncing when they ended their set with one of their most recent releases, ‘Static’. A prime example of how Sleep Theory blends multiple genres so well, It felt like an electronic dance anthem seasoned with nu metal flare.
Next up was the heaviest on the line-up: French metalcore band LANDMVRKS, kicking off their set with ‘Creature’ from their latest album, ‘The Darkest Place I've Ever Been’. This set the tone for their entire set: heavy, vigorous, unrelenting.
Florent Salfati's vocals were extremely commanding, showing a great range but, most notably, incredible power in the low gutturals. During their set, LANDMVRKS were accompanied on stage by two giant inflatable stone statues. They made for captivating stage dressing and were representative of the album artwork for 2025 release ‘The Darkest Place I've Ever Been’.
The set ended with ‘Self-Made Black Hole’, which, on the record, features Anthony Diliberto from Resolve, but Salfati's performance was so well-rounded you wouldn't be able to tell something was missing.
Just as the arena was really getting into the throwback tunes being played after LANDMVRKS' set, a live video feed lit up the stage. Papa Roach were on the screen, backstage with the Welsh flag, making their way through the halls as Bon Jovi's ‘Livin' on a Prayer’ played them in. The band greeted the crowd and moved into their opening song, ‘Between Angels and Insects’, immediately throwing it back to the year 2000 for those of us who grew up with OG Papa Roach. The setlist was a great balance of older and newer material, which ensured all generations of fans were catered to.
The band were accompanied by impressive visuals the whole way through their set, ranging from trippy camera effects of the live feed to compilations of the band from decades before. Most notably, during ‘Blood Brothers’, which was featured in the classic 2000 video game Tony Hawk Pro Skater, the massive screens displayed footage from 2000s Papa Roach music videos, live shows and backstage footage. It was a really comforting way to experience the nostalgia of a band many of us went through our most formative years listening to.
Papa Roach didn't just keep the nostalgic treats Roach-themed, as at multiple points through the show we were treated to what Jacoby Shaddix called ‘Nu-Metal Time Machine’, where the band would play parts of some of the most well-known bangers in the genre: hits like ‘My Own Summer (Shove It)’ by Deftones, ‘Break Stuff’ by Limp Bizkit and ‘Chop Suey!’ by System of a Down.
Shaddix's command over the crowd was apparent the whole way through, and it felt joyous. He routinely gave the crowd guided deep-breath breaks before revving them up again.
Overall, the show didn't disappoint; it did quite the opposite. The nostalgia was heavy in the room in the best, most energising way possible. Jacoby spoke words of appreciation for fans old and new, and it was apparent that, at the core of everything they were doing, Papa Roach wanted us to have fun and have fun we did.