LIVE REVIEW: Falling In Reverse Bring The Heat To Melbourne

Falling In Reverse have been touring like crazy for their latest album release. It had been 5 years since their last visit to Australia when they appeared at Good Things Festival and had not come here for a headline tour since 2016, so it was well overdue, after a couple of shows in Perth and Adelaide earlier this week, last night Falling In Reverse’s Popular Monstour finally hit Melbourne’s sold out Rod Laver Arena. It was a huge lineup with Black Veil Brides and Hollywood Undead set to open up the night!

The arena was quickly filling with a sea of black, as if every emo in Melbourne had gathered in one place. Whether there to relive their early days or just beginning their journey into the scene, the crowd buzzed with anticipation.

There was already a large crowd drawn in early to see US band Hollywood Undead who started us off with some rock music infused with rap elements, they put on such a fun and energetic performance and the audience fed into this. Along with a cover of Neil Diamond’s Sweet Caroline, their songs Hear Me Now and Undead being my favourite parts of the set.

Next up was Black Veil Brides, kicking off their set with the classic Knives and Pens. For many in the crowd, including myself, this band was a staple of our high school years. I’ve lost count of how many times In the End was on repeat back in the day, and 12 years later, it still hits just as hard. Hearing it live was an experience in itself. The band’s chemistry was undeniable, playfully interacting on stage while delivering electrifying guitar solos. Lead singer, Andy Biersack’s vocals were everything you’d hope for, and the iconic scream at the start of Perfect Weapon sent a wave of nostalgia through the arena. Hopefully, it won’t be long before we see them return to Australia for a well-deserved headline tour.

The time had now come for the main event, Highway to Hell blasted over the speakers as they showed the band doing their band’s pre-show ritual and their walk to the stage played, building anticipation. The arena erupted in screams as each member made their entrance, the energy reaching an all time high when frontman Ronnie Radke stepped into the spotlight centre stage. Wasting no time, they launched straight into Prequel, quickly following up with fan-favorite Zombified.

Ronnie is every bit the frontman you expect from start to finish, he has a very commanding stage presence and is very outspoken. He is often known for causing a bit of controversy online by calling out haters and honestly, you have to respect that and he carries that same bold persona on stage. You also have to give a huge amount of credit for a band of this genre selling out arenas all over the world and witnessing their show, you understand why. Gone are the days where a band just gets up on stage and performs their tracks, this was a full production, pyro lit up most songs during their performance, and it was just an all round polished performance. In between making jokes about other bands who hate on him, and hyping himself and the band up, he often showed moments of gratitude as he looks around the arena in disbelief and thanking everyone.

Falling In Reverse have evolved a lot over the years, but their album Popular Monster made a polarising debut from their old sound. Their setlist making little nods to some classics with I’m Not A Vampire, and of course The Drug In Me Is You, songs of which played a vital part in our younger emo days for many of us. As the crowd sang along to every word, it proved it was never a phase. Other than playing the obligatory tracks, they’ve now certainly moved on from their classic metalcore sound, and are fully embracing their new style which sees them blend more hip hop and their latest album introduced us to the rap side of Ronnie which I loved seeing this side of him live. As much as everyone, including myself were secretly hoping they’d play Situations, seeing their new music live has made me love it more and it feels so refreshing seeing a band fully change up from what they were doing previously and doing it exceptionally well. Instrumentally, they were flawless. Luke Holland proved exactly why he’s one of the best drummers in the game, while Tyler Burgess’ backing vocals and screams were a major standout. Ronnie’s vocals remain as powerful as ever—his screaming raw and commanding. His on-stage banter kept the night unpredictable, at one point joking, “We’re done, we’re going to watch the F1 now, cyah!” before disappearing backstage. The cameras followed, cutting to a clip of someone dressed as Steve Irwin wrestling an inflatable alligator, because when you’re in Australia, why not.

Ronnie then popped on his cowboy hat, introducing All My Life, his country-infused collab with Jelly Roll. The crowd absolutely lost it, prompting Ronnie to exclaim, “Shit, it’s good to know we made a worldwide hit, that’s amazing!”

Time flew by and we had already hit the encore, with a fiery performance of Watch the World Burn to close out the night!

Falling In Reverse has never been a band to play it safe, and their live show proves that their evolution is anything but a phase—it’s a full-blown transformation, and they’re thriving in it.