London, Wembley Arena, February 07 2025

“This shit is bucket list, right here.”

Jacoby Shaddix has emphasised this fact some umpteen times from the centre of the Wembley Arena stage. His eyes are glistening like diamonds, mouth permanently bent into an infectious grin and his step count is off the charts as he darts back and forth into every area that will have. And with good reason, too, what with this being the first time that Papa Roach has headlined this prestigious room, something which, on the one hand, feels baffling considering their consistent position at the top of rock’s lengthy table. But on the other, for them and the thousands assembled to tick off such a pivotal ambition 32 years into their career and 25 years since their world-beating debut ‘Infest’, it’s almost more powerful them doing it now rather than at any other point over the years.

But first, Wage War are having their own moment to write home about. Their towering mix of bludgeoning metalcore, industrial heft and hard-rock ambition has always been tailormade for stages of their size, and now they are here they are making the most of it, and then some. Showing off their full toolbelt in style, ‘Godspeed’ and ‘MAGNETIC’ get the hairs on the back of the neck firmly on edge, whilst ‘TOMBSTONE’ and ‘NAIL5’ make sure the roof is shot right off and sent into the stratosphere. Picking up thousands of new devotees, inciting utter mayhem and making their own wildest dreams come true? All in a night’s work, really. With celebration being the order of the day for all on his gargantuan tour across the UK and Europe, when it’s P Roach’s time to shine, they make sure that every beat at their disposal is being hit. Latest single ‘Even If It Kills Me’ feels like it has been their opener for decades, with scorching pyro and frenzied singalongs aplenty, whilst the savage throwback one-two of ‘Blood Brothers’ and ‘Dead Cell’, kicking a significantly active pit into violent gear, roll back the years in an instant. Not content with simply dealing out nostalgia for nostalgia’s sake, the band instead are choosing to show what they have been made of throughout their journey rather than at just one point. It allows the huge anthemics of ‘…To Be Loved’ bounces off the slick confidence of ‘Swerve’ effortlessly and lets a savage ‘Kill The Noise’ receive the same rapturous response as a sneering ‘Getting Away With Murder’.

And with every surprise, from a refrain of Linkin Park’s ‘In The End’ at the closing crescendo of ‘Forever’ to a groovy playthrough of 2Pac’s ‘California Love’, you can see that the band are living just as vivaciously as the fans. Jacoby continues to be an unrivalled frontman, making this colossal arena feel like a sweaty club on the sunset strip simply with how inclusive and charming his presence is, whilst Jerry, Tony and Tobin don’t put a foot wrong, giving everything they have simply because it’s all they know how to do.

Yet, between the fun and frolics, something much more vital is at play here. Between the PSA focused on suicide prevention, followed by a spine-tingling ‘Leave A Light On (Talk Away The Dark)’, emphasising that you are never truly alone, and a stirring ‘Roses On My Grave’, dedicated to Jacoby’s grandpa John Roatch, there’s a firm reminder that this existence can be as wonderful as it can woeful. This band, this community crafted around it, has always represented the brightest moments of life as much as the darkest corners we can all slip into, and any of us can end up on either side of the coin at any time. But, as Jacoby puts it so perfectly, “We’ve got to suit up and show up for ourselves, and we’ve got to suit up and show up for each other, too”. Because the only way for us to make it through the storms that we will face is to do it together.

Focusing on unity and using their storied position as a beacon of hope goes a long way to solidifying why the Roach have had such a rare bout of longevity. But also, it also has a lot to do with the unrivalled collection of songs they have in their arsenal, and tonight’s encore, going right back to the start, shows that off in abundance. The more-important-than-ever sentiment of ‘Between Angels And Insects’, the confidence oozing from every bar of ‘Infest’ and the tear-stained realities of ‘Broken Home’ are as punishing and pertinent 25 years on from their inception, and there is still more ammo left. Prefaced by quickfire covers of Korn’s ‘Blind’, Deftones ‘My Own Summer (Shove It)’, Limp Bizkit’s ‘Break Stuff’ and System Of A Down’s ‘Chop Suey’, ‘Last Resort’ completes a quintet of iconic riffs, and all hell breaks loose. For a song filled with such anger, vitriol, and darkness, the unbridled joy that it brings is infectious and immeasurable, and in many ways, that’s what makes Papa Roach still so undeniable all these years later. Still learning, still living, still loving and still looking for that next thing to conquer, it is an attitude that we can all take something from. Never settle for what we have, as opportunity is never too far away, but never take what we have for granted, as there is a version of ourselves that was dreaming of being where we are now.

As the party ends, Jacoby takes a seat on the edge of the drum riser and treats himself to a moment to take it all in. That smile that hasn’t dropped once throughout this masterclass gets that little bit wider, he shakes his head with a hint of disbelief and lets it all wash over him one last time. And more than anything, you can tell he is already plotting the next move, making this family gathering even bigger and even better. Wherever that may be and whatever form it takes, based on this display, it will be utterly unmissable