Cradle of Filth and DevilDriver
Tuesday, 14 July 2026
Hindley Street Music Hall, Adelaide
Presented by The Phoenix AU
Live review by Mistress of Riffs
Photo gallery by Jai That Aussie Metal Guy
Presented by The Phoenix AU, Hindley Street Music Hall was the perfect venue for the unholy pairing of Cradle of Filth and DevilDriver. The matte black walls, towering mezzanine and enormous chandelier hanging above the room created an atmosphere that already felt dark, dramatic and ready for chaos.
There was no opening act needed. With two bands this powerful sharing the bill, the night belonged entirely to them.
Adelaide’s usually respectful and welcoming metal community turned up in force, dressed in varying shades of black, fishnets, war paint, battle jackets, patches and vests galore. The room gradually filled with metalheads ready for a night of crushing riffs, violent energy and glorious darkness.
DevilDriver
DevilDriver were first to take the stage, immediately unleashing a high frequency and high energy assault.
Frontman Dez Fafara strutted across every inch of the stage, his majestic hair trailing behind him with pure fuck you energy. Ever the lyrical storyteller, Dez delivered his bellowing screams like a full fist to the kisser.
My inner gremlin clawed its way out of my soul as I stomped imaginary grapes into the floor in unison with the crowd.
Davier Ortega Perez’s impressive speed behind the kit and his conscious yet chaotic movements set the tone for the entire performance. The raw hooks, crushing guitars, thrumming bass and epic tempos came together as the well oiled machine we know as DevilDriver.
Dez spoke about loving the first timers in the audience while also giving a shout out to the repeat offenders. His connection with the crowd made the performance feel strangely personal, even inside a room filled with hundreds of sweaty metalheads.
At one point, he demanded that Adelaide create a sea of middle fingers. Naturally, the crowd obeyed.
DevilDriver were completely engaged with the energy inside the venue. Every breakdown landed heavily, the riffs kept coming and the pit became increasingly wild as they delivered a memorable collection of songs both old and new.
From “Clouds Over California” and “Hold Back the Day” to “Sail” and “End of the Line”, DevilDriver reminded everyone why their music remains so powerful in a live setting.
They were filthy, forceful and fully sick.
Cradle of Filth
Cradle of Filth brought an entirely different kind of energy to the stage.
Where DevilDriver had been direct and aggressive, Cradle of Filth were theatrical, gothic, mysterious and deliciously sinister.
Dani Filth appeared looking as vampiric as ever. Somehow, the man does not seem to have aged across more than three decades of darkness.
For the first few songs, the crowd seemed relatively quiet, but it was not because they were uninterested. We were all completely enthralled by Dani’s presence, his unmistakable voice and the dark spectacle unfolding before us.
Haunting piano and ghostly female vocals pulled everything together, while the razor sharp guitars and thrumming bass complemented Dani’s brain rattling, ear bleeding screams and screeches.
My entire body vibrated with the music.
It was wicked to sing as one with Adelaide’s metal community as we all became witnesses to Cradle of Filth’s ritual. The performance reminded us exactly why they remain one of the most celebrated gothic black metal bands of all time.
They were there to fuck around, and Adelaide was there to find out.
Despite the madness surrounding him, Dani appeared strangely calm and peaceful onstage. He was completely within his element, controlling the room with the confidence of someone who has spent decades leading audiences through darkness.
I sang, swayed, cried and reminisced as the set unfolded. Kelsey’s vocals were spiritual, eerie and beautifully haunting. During one particular song, Kelsey appeared like a veiled red Madonna standing within the ritual, her presence illuminated against the satanic fire and darkness surrounding the stage.
The screams were fiery. The atmosphere was sinister. The music was heavy, theatrical and wonderfully wicked.
Watching Dani Filth perform was an event in itself.
Two Different Forms of Darkness
DevilDriver and Cradle of Filth delivered two completely different performances, yet the bands worked together in perfect symmetry.
DevilDriver brought aggression, groove and an unstoppable physical energy. Cradle of Filth followed with theatre, darkness and gothic grandeur.
Throughout the night, the pit swirled with hair, fists and raised arms as both bands delivered exactly what their fans had come to experience.
An honourable shout out must also go to the fellow pit bitches
The accompanying photo gallery by Jai That Aussie Metal Guy captures the sweat, movement and theatrical energy unleashed by both bands throughout the night.
Credit must also go to The Phoenix AU for bringing this monstrous co-headlining tour to Adelaide and giving the local metal community a night of brutality, theatre and glorious darkness.
Both DevilDriver and Cradle of Filth delivered a night Adelaide will not soon forget.
Until next time.
Dark blessings,
Mistress of Riffs
PHOTO GALLERY
Devildriver
Cradle Of Filth
