Review: Alison Gustavson
Photography: Luke Petty

Last seen supporting The Amity Affliction on their Let The Ocean Take Me anniversary tour, Friday night saw the return of We Came As Romans. Kicking off the tour with a sold-out show at The Tivoli alongside Headwreck and Caskets, this was not one to sleep on.

First on the bill were Brissie’s very own Headwreck. For a band that only started back in 2021, it’s impressive to see the waves these guys are making in the scene. From supporting We Came As Romans on this Australian run to having upcoming tours with The Amity Affliction, Paledusk, and even a spot at Download Festival, Headwreck have a pretty exciting year ahead — so we knew we were in for a good time. And boy, they didn’t disappoint.

Performing the likes of ‘Low Blow!’, ‘Plan Z’, and the one and only ‘Filet-O-Fish’, they had the whole crowd in a flurry of excitement before the first song had even finished. Their blend of nu-metal elements, The Amity Affliction-inspired cleans, and electric stage presence made for an unforgettable opening performance of the evening.

Next up were UK quartet Caskets. On the back of releasing The Only Heaven You’ll Know in November with earworms like ‘Make Me A Martyr‘ and the title track, we were keen to hear some new material. If vocalist Matt Flood makes you want to dance one second and burst out in tears the next with the level of emotion in his voice on the records, you’d want to have your dancing shoes handy next to a box of Kleenex when seeing Caskets live. Not only limited to Flood’s vocals, but when an entire band’s performance leaves you feeling like the main character of a movie experiencing a whirlwind of emotions, they’ve done something right.

Mixing in the likes of ‘Guiding Light’ and ‘The Only Heaven You’ll Know’, Caskets saw the crowd moving and singing from the moment they hit the stage. And not just singing — the crowd was at times louder than the band, especially belting out every single word of ‘Make Me A Martyr’. Throwing in some ‘older’ (I use this term lightly, since 2021 cannot be classified as ‘old’ yet — right?) songs like ‘Drowned In Emotion’ and ‘Glass Heart’, there was something there for original and new fans alike.

By the time the crowd was buzzing with excitement after seeing the first two bands, it was time to realise it was because we’re all doomed. Hitting the stage as a headliner on Aussie shores for the first time since 2023, We Came As Romans delivered a truly special evening. Opening with ‘All Is Beautiful’, the calm pit quickly turned into a moshing frenzy. Headbanging, singing, screaming, circle pits, and of course, crowd surfers — The Tivoli gave everything it had to the headliners.

Playing a large variety from their new album, All Is Beautiful Because We’re Doomed, we got the Australian debut of the likes of ‘bad luck’, ‘red smoke’, and ‘lake of fire’. With bassist Andy Glass’ epic spins and vocalist Dave Stephens’ beastly screams, every track far exceeded expectations live. Adding a soft extended intro to ‘one by one’, the song was transformed into a powerful emotional moment that sent the crowd into a sea of movement when the band kicked in.

Of course, the band couldn’t forget the OG fans — those who have been along for the ride since early Warped Tour days and the era of To Plant A Seed. Hearing the echoed ‘woah’ intro of ‘Cold Like War’, it was clear just how beloved We Came As Romans truly are. With a full crowd yelling “cold like war!”, the band fed off that energy, delivering an even more explosive performance leading into ‘Wasted Age’. I know I wasn’t the only one smiling ear to ear as the band bounced across the stage.

Despite being well into their set, the crowd somehow found a spare reservoir of energy to turn things up to an 11 for each of the Darkbloom tracks. With a sold-out crowd singing along to the powerful choruses, there was a beautiful sense of community looking out over a sea of black. Keeping the energy levels sky-high following ‘Darkbloom’ and ‘one by one’, the band launched into one of the heaviest tracks from the new album: ‘b2tm’. Between the vicious screams, pounding drums, and headbang-worthy riffs, it felt like being hit by a freight train — in the best possible way.

Taking a moment to speak to the crowd, Dave Stephens shared the importance of not giving up on your dreams and learning to grow from failure. Acknowledging the aspiring musicians in the room and noting how it’s not an easy path (or else everyone would do it!), the band led into ‘no rest for the dreamer’ — a song that perfectly captured the sentiment.

Closing the evening with ‘culture wound’, the iconic sample echoed throughout The Tivoli as drummer David Puckett took his seat behind the kit. Watching the band take the stage for the final time that night, it wasn’t hard to see the passion they still hold nearly 20 years on. Bringing the night home with ‘culture wound’ and the live-favourite ‘Daggers’, the crowd gave absolutely everything they had left.

Be sure to catch We Came As Romans, Caskets, and Headwreck on the rest of their 2026 Australian tour. Dates below:

Saturday 7th February 2026 – Sydney Metro Theatre
Sunday 8th February 2026 – Newcastle King Street Bandroom
Wednesday 11th February 2026 – Perth Magnet House
Thursday 12th February 2026 – Adelaide The Gov
Saturday 14th February 2026 – Melbourne Riviera Beach Club