Landmvrks Headline Show | Stay Gold | 7th April
When you hear that a band accustomed to commanding massive European festival stages is doing an exclusive headline show in a room as intimate as Melbourne’s Stay Gold, you drop everything and go. With Marseille metalcore heavyweights Landmvrks currently navigating Australia for the colossal A Day To Remember and Papa Roach arena tour, this sneaky sideshow was always destined to be a sweaty, chaotic treat. There's just something unmatched about catching a stadium-ready band in a tightly packed club.
Local melodic hardcore crew Saving Face opened the night, and they did exactly what a great opener should do: set the standard high. They've been building a ton of solid momentum in the Aussie heavy scene lately, and their set proved exactly why. Bringing a dynamic sound heavily anchored by raw, emotive lyrics and a genuinely heartfelt delivery, they warmed the room up perfectly. A massive highlight of their set was when they brought out Russell from Bad Juju for a guest vocal spot, which absolutely fired up the hometown crowd and set the frantic tone for the rest of the night.
By the time Landmvrks hit the stage, the energy inside Stay Gold was totally unhinged. Honestly, the crowd was half the entertainment. Seeing genuine walls of death and relentless, non-stop crowd surfing in such a tiny, densely packed room was absolute madness in the best way possible. Special shoutout to the absolute legends dressed up in a banana suit and a Pikachu onesie who were throwing down in the centre of the pit all night—proof that heavy music shows don't always have to take themselves too seriously.
Musically, the French outfit brought a setlist packed entirely with bangers, leaving zero room for filler. They completely nailed the dynamic range of their studio records in a live setting, perfectly balancing the absolute blasting mayhem of their heaviest tracks with those slower, chilled-out sections that give the room a brief, desperate second to catch their breath before the next breakdown hits. The production elevated the whole experience immensely. Even in a smaller venue, the lighting setup was incredibly tight and synced flawlessly with the tracks, making every single tempo change and drop feel ridiculously impactful.
The volume in the room was definitely pumping, and while the bass was admittedly pushed a little too hard at times, occasionally burying Flo’s versatile vocals and some of the intricate guitar work, it honestly barely put a dent in the night's massive momentum.
The energy never dipped for a second, capping off with an unforgettable moment where Flo himself dove straight into the pit to crowd surf during the finale. What made the night feel even more special, though, was the band’s genuine appreciation for the fans. Instead of rushing to the green room, they hung around long after the house lights came on, chatting with everyone and signing heaps of gear.
Catching Landmvrks in a room this size is a rare privilege these days. If this was just the sideshow, the arenas on the rest of this tour are in for an absolute beating.