Page 48 - Black Velvet Rock Magazine Issue 113

BV113 pg 48-49 Three Days Grace.qxp_BV113 pg 48 12/12/2025 19:14 Page 1

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THREE DAYS GRACE – BIRMINGHAM O2 ACADEMY, 09.12.25
In 2024, Three Days Grace surprised fans by reuniting with ex-vocalist Adam Gontier. But this reunion was not just your average reunion, as the
band didn’t choose to replace a member, but to add Adam to their already stellar line-up. Now, with both Matt Walst and Adam Gontier sharing the
lead vocals, Three Days Grace have become even more dynamic and invincible than ever before.
It's no surprise that UK show tickets had all been snapped up ahead of the tour. The sold-out O2 Academy is packed with fans excited to witness
the five-piece in action. And, after an impressive support set by Badflower (which included vocalist/guitarist Josh Katz heading into the crowd and
crowdsurfing around the room, and the crowd calling out ‘Daddy’, since Josh was wearing a T-shirt with text declaring ‘Call Me Daddy’), the Canadian
rockers took to the stage to deliver a
spectacular show.
Opening with the unforgiving power-
house that is ‘Dominate’, from their new
album ‘Alienation’, Three Days Grace
definitely seize the day, and their time
on stage, straight from the very first sec-
ond of the song. Adam and Matt prowl
around the stage, Adam on the left, Matt
on the right, until they switch sides. Lead
guitarist Barry Stock and bassist Brad
Walst both stand slightly further back, al-
lowing the two vocalists to take control
of the stage and crowd. Drummer Neil
Sanderson’s addictive drumbeat
prompts the crowd to clap at the start of
the classic ‘Animal I Have Become’, be-
fore Brad’s pulsating bass incites a big
cheer, as the crowd then sing along,
word for word, to the hit single.
Matt, wearing an eye-catching black
and white jacket, plays guitar on songs
such as ‘Home’, giving Adam the
chance to cover the lead vocals, as he
did back when the song was originally
released in 2004, while Matt takes the
lead vocals for newer songs such as
2018’s ‘The Mountain’, and Adam then
plays guitar. It’s a nice mix, one that re-
ally works for everyone.
‘Mayday’ from the band’s new
album, ‘Alienation’, is a roof-raiser with
a pumping beat, which gets the crowd
jumping up and down, while ‘Kill Me
Fast’, also from the new album, is
packed with emotion and sounds stun-
ning. “We just played you the newest
song that we’ve ever put out as a band.
What do you guys think? Do you like it?
What do you say we play you the oldest
song that we’ve ever put out as a
band?” Adam says, before ‘I Hate Ev-
erything About You’. There’s a massive
cheer when Barry strums the opening
guitar notes and the crowd sing along to
the relatable song at the top of their
lungs.
The spotlight falls on Adam as he
performs a cover of Radiohead’s ‘Creep’
on his own with an acoustic guitar, while
the rest of the band leave the stage. The
vulnerable song, with Adam’s strong yet
soulful vocals, calms everything down
for a few minutes, and the darkened
room sees a sea of mobile phone lights
above everyone’s heads.
Adam introduces his cousin, Cale
Gontier of Saint Asonia, who joins the
band on the melodic ‘Don’t Wanna Go
Home Tonight’, which, despite being a
new song from ‘Alienation’, is like an old
favourite that you just want to hug. The
uptempo ‘The Good Life’ and the solid
slice of rock that is ‘Painkiller’, the first
song released featuring Matt Walst
when he joined the band in 2014, make
the set everything you want and more.
The powerful ‘Never Too Late’ brings
sincerity and hope, with words such as
‘Stay Alive’ emblazoned on the screen
at the back of the stage.

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