Paledusk | Stay Gold | Melbourne | 28th February
It was a warm Saturday night in Brunswick as Paledusk, from Fukuoka, Japan, headlined Stay Gold for their sole Australian headline show after their run supporting Thornhill’s sold out Bodies Tour. I had caught them the night before at The Forum, so seeing them again in a more intimate setting was a great chance to experience them differently.
PENI PARKER from Sydney was first up. I had not heard of her before that night, so I was keen to see what she had in store. She definitely did not disappoint, engaging with the crowd and clearly having a lot of fun on stage. A nice surprise was her covers of League of Legends’ Legends Never Die and GODS, but her own material stood just as strong, with tracks like Curse and Disrupt getting a great response.
Fallweather, from right here in Melbourne, were up next. They have a very close-knit community, and it felt like much of the crowd had some kind of connection to the band. Even though they were down a drummer, Jonah Seago filled in seamlessly and they did not miss a beat. They are always a blast to watch live, and at the rate they are going, it would not be surprising to see them headlining a venue like 170 Russell before long.
Deficit were the penultimate act of the night, and easily the heaviest band on the bill. They did a solid job of hyping up the crowd for Paledusk while also winning over new listeners, myself included. Blending nu metal and hardcore, they hit with intensity and hype, driven by electronic beats and heavy, blasting riffs. It is safe to say no one is safe at a Deficit show. As their set went on, the pit only grew and became a warzone right through to the final track.
After a brief intermission, the lights dimmed as Paledusk prepared to take the stage. What came through the speakers immediately sent goosebumps over my body and chills down my spine. It was PALEDUSK THEME SONG #1 with a slight remix, and everyone could hear the intro of Bring Me The Horizon’s AmEN! worked into it, a fitting touch given Daidai’s role in helping write on their Nex Gen album.
The band slowly emerged onto the stage. Guitarists Tsubasa and Daidai, drummer Bob, touring bassist John, and finally frontman Kaito came together one by one. As soon as the theme song ended and the crowd let out its cheers, they wasted no time launching into AREA PD. If I made it seem like the pit was intense for Deficit, it was nothing compared to what broke out during this track and the rest of the set.
Paledusk have to be up there as one of my favourite bands of all time. They are such a well-rounded band, and they have a sound that is unmistakably their own. Kaito took a moment to speak to the room, visibly taken aback by how many fans in Australia were singing along, even with so much of their music written in Japanese. There was something genuinely moving in the way he spoke, as he and the band showed how grateful they were for the support. He said Australia had come to feel like a home away from home.
They also played a few songs that made their overseas debut that night, including NO WAY!! and GOOD DEATH, which made the set feel even more special. A major highlight for me was DIVE INSIDE FOREVER IN THE DARK, where Kaito stepped back and the rest of the band moved forward, locking in to deliver one of the tightest performances I have ever seen. In that moment, you could see the hard work, blood, sweat and tears that have gone into shaping them into the band they are.
Their final track was HUGs, the theme song for Gachiakuta, which to me is one of the best new-generation manga and anime series. It was my most played song of last year, and for good reason. It has everything I could ask for, so finally hearing it live was a genuinely life-changing moment for me.
They were not planning on doing an encore, but it was obvious the crowd was not ready for it to end. With the all clear from the venue, they came back out for one more song, Lights, which holds a special place in my heart. As everyone lifted their phone flashlights and sang the “woahs” back with Kaito, Stay Gold lit up in one of the most memorable moments of the night.
As Lights came to a close, the band took a photo with the crowd, bringing their Australian run to an end. With one final “Arigatou gozaimasu” from Kaito, it was over. 2026 has already been off to a flying start for me, and it is hard to imagine many shows topping finally getting to see these guys live again. All I can ask now is that they come back again, and judging by how much they love Australia, hopefully that will be sooner rather than later.