Three Bands, One Hell of a Night. Adelaide The Gov 11.06.26
words: Scooby
Photos: Killer.solo.music
Escape The Fate / The Word Alive / The Gloom In The Corner
Well, holy shit balls.
If there was ever a night that reminded me why I love live music, this was it.
Three bands. One packed room. Absolute chaos.
Walking into The Gov, you could already feel the excitement building. Everyone was buzzing, grabbing drinks, catching up with mates, and waiting for what was shaping up to be a bloody massive night. Honestly, not a single band disappointed.
The Gloom In The Corner
First up was Melbourne’s own The Gloom In The Corner.
There are plenty of support acts over the years that come out, play their set, and disappear. These guys aren’t one of them.
For anyone who hasn’t come across them before, The Gloom In The Corner have been steadily building a name for themselves as one of Australia’s most exciting heavy bands. Mixing metalcore, storytelling, and a dark cinematic world that runs through their music, they’ve created something that feels completely their own.
From the moment they hit the stage, they grabbed the crowd by the throat and refused to let go. Frontman Mikey Arthur owned every inch of that stage while the band unleashed riff after riff and breakdown after breakdown. Their music has always had that dark, cinematic feel to it, almost like you’re watching a horror movie unfold through heavy music, and it translates brilliantly live.
The crowd responded straight away too. The pit opened up early and never really settled down after that.
What impressed me most was how confident they looked. These guys weren’t acting like an opening band trying to win people over. They walked out there like they belonged on that stage, and by the end of the set they had won over anyone who wasn’t already a fan.
These guys aren’t just another Australian metalcore band anymore. They’re building something special, and if they keep going the way they are, bigger stages are definitely in their future. I’m bloody excited about it.
The Word Alive
Then came The Word Alive.
From the second they hit the stage, the energy in the room went through the roof.
These guys have been doing this for close to twenty years now, and it shows. Formed in Arizona back in 2008, they’ve become one of the most respected names in modern metalcore through a combination of massive hooks, crushing breakdowns, and a relentless touring schedule.
Telle Smith is one of those frontmen who just knows how to work a room. One minute he’s belting out huge clean vocals; the next he’s throwing down screams that shake the walls. The bloke barely stood still all set.
What impressed me most was how bloody tight the whole band was. After all these years, they’ve got their live show dialled in perfectly. Every song hit hard, every chorus got sung back at them, and the energy never dropped.
The thing I like about The Word Alive is that they’ve never been afraid to evolve. While a lot of bands get stuck repeating the same formula, they’ve constantly pushed themselves musically while still keeping the heaviness that fans love.
One cool little bit of scene history that a lot of people might not know is that Craig Mabbitt actually had a connection to The Word Alive back in the early days before fully committing to Escape The Fate. Heavy music can be a small world sometimes.
By the end of their set, the crowd was completely warmed up and ready for the headliners. They didn’t just support the tour—they helped make the night what it was.
Escape The Fate
And then it was time.
Escape The Fate.
The lights dropped.
The crowd erupted.
And The Gov absolutely lost its mind.
These guys have been around for over twenty years now, and it shows. Not because they’re old, but because they know exactly how to put on a show.
From the second Craig Mabbitt walked on stage, the place exploded.
His vocals were on point all night. The screams sounded huge, the clean vocals were strong, and he had the crowd in the palm of his hand from start to finish.
But here’s the thing.
As great as Craig is on stage, what I appreciate most about him is who he is when he’s not standing under the lights.
I’ve been lucky enough to hang around with Craig tonight for a bit, and it just reinforced what I already thought about him. The bloke is genuinely one of the most down-to-earth people you’ll ever meet. No rockstar ego. No bullshit. Just a genuinely good guy who loves music and appreciates the people who support him.
You hear stories all the time about musicians being arrogant or full of themselves once they make it.
Craig couldn’t be further from that.
Whether he’s chatting with fans, having a laugh backstage, or just hanging out, he’s always approachable, respectful, and happy to give people his time.
Honestly, I think that’s one of the reasons people connect with Escape The Fate the way they do.
The rest of the band were absolutely firing too.
Robert Ortiz was an absolute machine behind the drums. As the founding drummer and sole remaining original member of Escape The Fate, he continues to anchor the band with relentless energy. Erik Jensen and Matti Hoffman were throwing down riffs that rattled your chest, and the whole band looked like they were having just as much fun as the crowd.
That’s something I always notice.
You can tell when a band is just doing a job.
These guys weren’t.
They looked like they genuinely wanted to be there.
The crowd sang every word. I was watching some younger kids—I’d say under the age of ten—moshing near the back of the room. The pit never stopped moving. Drinks were flying. Security earned their pay. It was everything a rock show should be.
Final Thoughts
By the end of the night, everyone was sweaty, exhausted, and grinning like idiots.
The Gloom In The Corner proved Australian heavy music is in good hands.
The Word Alive reminded everyone why they’ve lasted nearly two decades.
Escape The Fate showed exactly why they’re still one of the most loved bands in the scene.
Three bands.
Three killer sets.
One unforgettable night.
What a fucking night.
More of this, please.
Scooby
