Three Days Grace – O2 Academy Birmingham – 9th December

Canadian rock heavyweights Three Days Grace returned to the O2 Academy Birmingham with a set that felt both nostalgic and fiercely alive. Whilst often being associated with the jams of the 2000, it seems that TDG are as loved as ever with the show being a complete sell out and the venue being packed out only half hour doors had opened.

Badflower kicked off the night with equal parts chaos and charm. Frontman Josh Katz appeared wearing a shirt emblazoned with “call me daddy,” prompting the crowd to chant “daddy” until he finally looked more amused than confused, “Birmingham you’re fucking weird” joked Katz affectionately. 'Stalker' became a standout moment where Katz launched himself into the crowd, getting unexpectedly intimate given the song’s obsession-tinged theme, before a drum solo and a triumphant crowd-surf closed the track. 'Jester' leaned into a surprisingly The 1975-esque vibe, while 'Ghosts', their biggest hit, grooved hard and won over pockets of the room that arrived unfamiliar.

As Bon Jovi’s 'Livin’ On a Prayer' blared over the PA followed by a nostalgic throwback of several Billy Talent hits, the room was primed for the main event.

As Three Days Grace hit the stage, those who are not clued up on the lore of the band or haven’t paid attention since the 00’s may find themselves in the same mind as me, “wait there’s two singers?”. To cut a long story short, Adam Gontier departed in 2013 with Matt Walst (brother of bassist Brad Walst) taking over. According to an interview with AlteRock, Gontier, regarding his decision to rejoin the band said , “we felt like the fans kind of deserved to see something like this. And so, yeah, there's never any kind of competition or anything like that."

The band opened with 'Dominate', igniting the room before punching into a thunderous 'Animal I Have Become', which sent the crowd into full mayhem. Newer tracks like 'So Called Life' sat comfortably alongside classics such as 'Home'. A playful moment came when Adam casually mentioned, “In 2013 I left the band,” only to be met with a chorus of booing, good-natured, of course.

The band’s biggest anthems landed exactly as expected. 'Pain' became a massive sing-along, 'Kill Me Fast' highlighted the benefit of dual vocals with sharp back-and-forth verses, and 'I Hate Everything About You' saw every phone light in the building held aloft. Adam, sporting an Ozzy Osbourne shirt in Birmingham of all places, grinned at the predictable reaction from the crowd.

Crowd-surfers spilled over the barrier during 'Time of Dying', while 'Apologies' showcased the band’s more modern, sharpened sound. Their stripped-back cover of Radiohead’s 'Creep' was a haunting breather in an otherwise relentless set.

A heartfelt moment arrived when the band spoke about their tiny hometown of just 1,500 people before debuting the new track 'Don’t Wanna Go Home Tonight', bringing out a special guest, Adam’s cousin, for the performance.

The closing run, 'I Am Machine', 'The Good Life', 'Painkiller', 'Never Too Late', and finally 'Riot', left the room buzzing. It was the perfect blend of old and new, chaos and catharsis, delivered by a band clearly revitalised.

A triumphant night for Three Days Grace, and a reminder of just how much fire they still bring to the stage.