Music

jessicabridgeman / 17 March 2015

Five things we learned when Papa Roach played London

Another day, another rock gig at London’s Roundhouse. Papa Roach had ’90s nu-metal fans all dizzy-headed last week, as they performed their most notorious album, Infest, in full. We went along to witness the magic and learned a few vital things while we were there…

1. The One Hundred are proof that Papa Roach can still influence new bands. This may be their second ever tour, but the openers’ fusion of rock, rap, metal and grime is a heavy nod to a youth spent listening to tonight’s headliners.

2. Infest was one of the greatest nu-metal album of the noughties. Sure, regularly-performed tracks like Last Resort, Broken Home and Dead Cell sound huge, but as the sold-out crowd wail every word to Blood Brothers and hidden album track, Tightrope, there’s just no underestimating the legacy of this record.

3. New material shows a band in the best form of their career. Kicking off the set with Infest was a brave move on Papa Roach’s part, as it saw the usual closing tracks moved up to the top of the set. But as 2015’s Face Everything and Rise kicks in after the encore, the roof practically blows off the place. Getting Away With Murder and Scars follow suit, with …To Be Loved forming the night’s triumphant close.

4. Coldrain are just as unbelievably good. The One Hundred aren’t the only support band warming up the crowd for Papa Roach. Japan’s post-hardcore heartthrobs take charge of the night’s halfway point with ease. Used to headlining arena crowds on home turf, metal fans can expect to see a lot more of Masato and co in 2015.

5. Jacoby Shaddix is still one of the best frontmen in rock. The momentum of tonight’s crowd isn’t just down to the anthems being pelted at them (although, y’know, they’re big), but the passionate delivery of the man at the helm. As Jacoby crashes to the ground during the set, he successfully showcases the same kind of fury he’s maintained for the bands 22-year career.

Did you catch Papa Roach on tour this month? Don’t forget to share your snaps at @TicketmasterUK.