Escape The Fate ‘Australian 2026 Tour’ @ Liberty Hall Sydney 05/06/2026.

Remember every scar that your body and soul endured throughout your life growing up? The horrible times you had in high school that left you with a hole inside Ten Miles Wide and made you feel like you won’t win the war raging within the Gorgeous Nightmare of life? Well, thanks to bands like these guys, This War Is Ours! Tonight, U.S. metalcore pioneers Escape The Fate bring the first show on their 2026 Australian tour to Sydney’s Liberty Hall. For the past two decades, Escape The Fate have amassed a well-earned, devoted fan base through fans connecting with the band’s music, delving into layers of angst, heart-wrenching pain and struggles, lust and burning attraction, and a fierce determination to see the other side of it all with fists raised high. Their lyrical insight is driven by a rapturous blend of post-hardcore, metalcore, and hard rock that delivers through countless live shows that keep selling out all around the world, earning Escape The Fate the reputation of one of the best in the world of their genre.

Along for the ride are fellow U.S. metalcore favourites and long-time friends of Escape The Fate, The Word Alive. So needless to say, this show tonight will undoubtedly be one for the money and rockin’ good times!

After the audience tonight were thoroughly warmed up by Melbourne’s The Gloom In The Corner and, of course, The Word Alive (which Craig from Escape The Fate came out and sang a song with them on, seeing as Craig was a part of The Word Alive before joining Escape The Fate in 2008), the lights go down and intro music setting a dramatic, dark feel plays while Escape The Fate grace the stage. The band open the set with the rampaging, balls-to-the-walls track ‘Ungrateful’ followed by new single ‘De Ja Vu’. For a metalcore band of Escape The Fate’s notoriety, opening with the hard-hitting thrasher ‘Ungrateful’ to get the crowd riled up and energy pumping is typically a good move. Tonight, however, I feel like it might’ve fallen short slightly with the crowd. This is nothing on the band’s part; they deliver the song like we’ve all come to love and anticipate. The crowd, who by the sounds of things is dominated by women, are surprisingly not as crazy as I was expecting. Here I was not wanting to be caught too close to the front barriers’ centre to avoid copping the full brunt of the mosh, but even halfway between the centre and far left where I’m standing is surprisingly calm. Not just that, the venue seems full, but sadly not to max capacity.

The crowd all really get into ‘Ungrateful’ and new single ‘De Ja Vu’, the latter bringing the energy down ever so slightly to a more hard-rock feel, but it’s when the band whip out fan favourite lustful anthem ‘Gorgeous Nightmare’ that really sparks the excitement and mass sing-alongs from fans. On one hand, the way ‘Gorgeous Nightmare’ seizes the crowd in the palm of the bands’ hands, makes this song a more suitable opening song. On the other hand, however, for reasons previously mentioned, ‘Ungrateful’ is typically a good opening song. Plus, opening the set with an anthem like ‘Gorgeous Nightmare’ would’ve been risky in potentially serving up too much too soon.

The hyped vibes are kept up with fan favourites ‘Ten Miles Wide’, ‘The Flood’ and ‘Ashley’ after ‘Gorgeous Nightmare’. Even with the crowd’s excitement peaking and sustaining throughout this block of songs, it isn’t as insane around me as I would’ve expected. Granted, I think there might be the emergence of one crowd surfer potentially, but not 15 and not mass fights, death circles (from what I can detect) or wall of deaths (again, from what I can detect). There might not be any show-stopping incidents in the crowd, but there is on stage.

After about the fifth song or so, lead singer Craig needs to take a bit more of a break between songs, which he informs us that in the last song (I think during ‘The Flood’) he heard/felt a pop in his throat and it’s now in a lot of pain! Vocal haemorrhage? Acute vocal swelling or tearing of vocal tissue? (some common vocal injuries). Despite the injury, Craig still powers through and finishes the one-hour 15-minute set. I am surprised it didn’t go for the typical 90 minutes and the band didn’t play ‘Situations’ which even though features vocals from Ronnie Radke before Craig took over, the band have still played at other shows I’ve been to in the past 11 years. Plus ‘Situations’ is still the top song in Escape The Fates Apple Music profile and probably Spotify too. I initially thought that the band might’ve skipped the encore featuring ‘Situations’ plus one or two other songs, which would’ve rounded the set out to 90 minutes due to Craig’s injury, but I was able to take a photo of the setlist someone received, and it doesn’t include ‘Situations’ or an encore or it.

As for the sound tonight, I was really hoping it would be just like it was here at this venue for Lacuna Coil earlier this year, in that I wouldn’t need to use my heavy-duty concert earplugs. However, no, I still need to use them, or at least my left one oddly. It’s tricky, because I’m sure at the back of the standing crowd where the mixing desk is, the sound would be even and centred, but oh how I’d love it if the sound mixer came into the mosh and realised, “ohhhh, because of how the speakers are placed by the sounds of it, if you’re standing in the lefthand side of the mosh, you’ll cop more of the bassist” (I would imagine he’s somewhere in front of where I’m standing and there’s a speaker near him). And “oh, if I shimmy to the right-hand side of the mosh, I’ll likely cop more lead guitar (seeing as at times in songs from where I’m standing on the lefthand half of the barrier, the lead guitar doesn’t shine as bright as it should).. Plus Craig’s diverse, powerful voice stands out the most if you’re in the middle” The mix isn’t terrible by any standards, but it definitely needs improving for all patrons regardless of where they’re located.

As for the bands’ sound, even with Craig’s injury, supporting vocals from the guitarist (rhythm guitarist, I believe), help fill in the gaps nicely and give Craig’s voice a helping hand perfectly! On top of that, I feel that if the lead guitar was more pronounced in the mix where I’m standing, I wouldn’t be wondering if there are higher-pitched falsetto vocal harmonies in songs, I’d easily hear that it’s the lead guitar’s wailing melodies resonating with Craig’s lead vocals.

I know I’ve shone light on a few downfalls in this review, and I don’t like to focus heavily on the negative. Regardless, after the band finished the set with ‘One For The Money’, which is always ace, I’m left feeling rather good, satisfied, and pleased with the show on a whole! The band’s energy on stage and in their music was incredible; they connected with their audience constantly but not to the point of wanting them to stop talking and just get on with it. Thankfully, the crowd was generally pleasant, and we heard all the songs we’ve come to know and love that take us back to when we were in high school and after.

Plus, even with an obviously serious injury to his voice, Craig blazed in true metal dedication to the music and his fans, not giving up and powering on through the set despite the immense pain I’m sure he was in! Another reason for Escape The Fate’s Aussie fans to keep coming back, because with devotion like that, it screams ‘We Won’t Back Down’!

Until next time, keep a keen eye for concerts…