PAPA ROACH - BIRMINGHAM UTILITA ARENA, 05.11.26

BY SHARI BLACK VELVET

It’s been 33 years since Papa Roach formed and, while many bands have come and gone during that time period, the formidable Vacaville rockers continue to elevate. Their career hasn’t come without trials and tribulations, but the resilient outfit, fronted by livewire Jacoby Shaddix, have steadfastedly given their all to their craft, and their hard work continues to pay off, with the band now, deservedly, infesting arenas around the world. 

The familiar tones of 2000’s timeless ‘Between Angels and Insects’ infiltrate the arena. A kabuki drop reveals the band: Jacoby, Jerry Horton (guitar), Tobin Esperance (bass) and Tony Palermo (drums), plus touring member, Anthony Esperance, on keyboards/guitar.  Jacoby jumps off the riser at the back of the stage, and the crowd are instantly engrossed, singing along at full throttle to the rap-rock favourite. 

The last time we saw the band in Birmingham, they were supporting Don Broco at the very same Utilita Arena. Now, headlining it themselves, Papa Roach make it their own, with a stunning lighting show and large video screens displaying footage at the back of the stage. “Why don’t we get an old school circle pit?” Jacoby suggests, before the infectious ‘…To Be Loved’, which sees the singer step offstage and head along the front row to greet the audience. Of course, those in seats along the side can’t really mosh, but Jacoby convinces everyone to get out of their seats. “This is a rock show, not YouTube,” he quips. He gets those on the floor to crouch down before bouncing up for ‘Liar’, which is packed with fierce right hooks. “Let’s do it for Ozzy,” he says. Later on, he even shows off the Ozzy Osbourne socks that he’s wearing. “I wore my special socks for tonight’s show,” the frontman tells the crowd.

‘Getting Away With Murder’ is electrifying, while newer number ‘See U In Hell’ (created for Netflix’s Devil May Cry: Season 2) sees Florent Salfati of (support band) LANDMVRKS join the band on stage. Later on in the set, second support band Sleep Theory’s Cullen Moore guests on the motivating ‘Born For Greatness’. 

The band put a lot of thought into their set. They add in short ‘nu-metal time machine’ snippets, such as Korn’s ‘Blind’, Deftones' ‘My Own Summer (Shove It)’, Limp Bizkit’s ‘Break Stuff’ and System Of A Down’s ‘Chop Suey’ to make the set fun for both the audience and themselves. They also cover The Prodigy’s ‘Firestarter’ in full, which is another crowd-pleaser. 

There’s no encore, with the band powering through a 20-song setlist that spans their whole career, which culminates with the legendary ‘Last Resort’, renowned lifeblood for the masses. And, with £1 from every ticket sold supporting a mental health charity, tonight’s show is one that is good for the heart, the soul and also, the mind.