Architects | Festival Hall
Architects kicked off their Australian tour at Festival Hall in Melbourne, returning to the same room they last played back in 2023. It felt fitting to see them open the run here, a venue that has become a familiar stop for the band in a city they clearly love. Having followed Architects for a long time now, it was genuinely special to be back in the crowd watching them do what they do best once again.
President are still very much an unknown quantity, an anonymous band stepping onto Australian soil for the first time and early in their live journey. That sense of mystery followed them onto the stage as the room filled with a soft wash of pink light, casting their silhouettes rather than revealing too much and letting the atmosphere do the talking. They opened with Fearless, setting the tone immediately, before moving through tracks like Dionysus, RAGE, Conclave, Destroy Me and In the Name of the Father. For a band this new to stages of this size, their performance held together well and set a strong foundation for what is clearly just the beginning.
House Of Protection wasted no time shaking things up once they hit the stage, bringing a surge of energy that carried straight through the room. Early in the set, Stephen Harrison stepped off the stage and into the pit with his guitar, the floor opening up as a full circle formed and ran around him while he played. It is not something you see often at live shows, and that moment alone pushed the atmosphere to another level. Somewhere amidst the chaos, his microphone vanished into the crowd, only to make its way back shortly after, a moment the band laughed off before regrouping back on stage.
The set moved comfortably between faster tracks and slower, moodier moments that kept the room locked in throughout. It is their second time touring Australia this year in rooms of this size, and seeing how naturally they connect with a crowd, it feels like only a matter of time before they return for a headline run of their own.
House Of Protection / Photo credit: @_tristanphotos
Architects came out swinging, launching straight into a strong opening run that set the tone early on. Tracks like Elegy, Whiplash, when we were young, Black Lungs and Curse landed back to back, giving the crowd very little time to breathe and immediately locking Festival Hall in. The pacing of the set felt deliberate, with each song flowing naturally into the next as the room continued to build.
There were plenty of moments throughout the night that stood out. Hearing Gravedigger make its way into the set was a welcome nod to earlier material, sitting comfortably alongside newer tracks and the Australian live debut of Red Hypergiant. Mid set, Stephen Harrison from House Of Protection joined the band on stage for Brain Dead, a crossover moment that lifted the energy again and brought a fresh dynamic to the performance. As the set pushed on, it was clear Sam Carter may not have been feeling at his best, but watching him push through and still give everything to the room was genuinely inspiring.
Architects / Photo credit: @_tristanphotos
A brief tease of Gone With The Wind leading into Doomsday and Blackhole made for a huge close to the main set, setting the stage perfectly for the encore. Seeing Red kicked things back into gear, before Animals closed the night to full venue participation. As a tour opener, it was a strong reminder of why Architects continue to draw such dedicated crowds, and why their connection with Australian fans remains as solid as ever.
As the final notes rang out and Festival Hall slowly emptied, it felt like a fitting way to open Architects’ return to Australia. Between a strong support lineup and a band clearly grateful to be back on local stages, the night set a solid tone for the rest of the tour. If this first show is anything to go by, Architects’ relationship with Australian crowds remains as strong as ever, and it will be interesting to see how the rest of the run unfolds.
Architects / Photo credit: @_tristanphotos