Review of the "Three Days Grace" concert

From the perspective of a fan of heavier sounds, could there be anything more beautiful than powerful vocals combined with an energetic and dynamic performance by the entire band—from the very first riffs right through to the final exit from the stage? Well… yes, absolutely. There can even be two such powerful vocalists, which doubles the impact of the musical experience. And the Three Days Grace concert at Atlas Arena proved this to us perfectly!

Right from the start, the Canadians made it clear that they weren’t going to take any musical prisoners or make any compromises that evening. “Dominate,” played as a greeting to the Łódź audience and also the opening track of their latest album, took on a truly symbolic dimension here—right from the start, the band seemed to be sending a clear message: we’ve come here to dominate this place and give everyone a great time in the process.

Badflower in Bloom

At this point, however, it’s worth noting that the band from Ontario had an easier time of it, thanks to the excellent opening act provided by Badflower. The guys from Los Angeles were given 50 minutes to work with, and they made the most of that time. In total, they played 10 songs, offering a cross-section of their work from various releases. They started with “Drop Dead” from the “Temper” EP, which preceded the release of their debut album—with the rather provocative title “OK, I’m sick”—by nearly a decade. From that album, we heard three tracks toward the end of the performance: “Heroin,” “The Jester,” and “Ghost.” From their next album, “This Is How the World Ends,” Josh Katz and company also performed three songs: “Don’t Hate Me,” “Johnny Wants to Fight,” and “Stalker.”

In addition, Badflower treated us to one track from this year’s album, *No Place Like Home*—the upbeat “Number 1.” There was also “Move Me,” featuring an incredibly “juicy” drum solo by Anthony Sonetti. And to wrap things up, the California quartet played “30”—a single that hasn’t been released on any album yet, which premiered in the early months of the pandemic. The whole show was definitely a hit! The guys from Badflower have never hidden the fact that their creative inspirations—both musically and lyrically—are very broad: from classic rock, through alternative, to folk. We saw confirmation of this in Łódź, and the aforementioned shifts in rhythm and overall vibe clearly went over very well with the crowd. I have to admit, it’s been a long time since I’ve seen such a great time during a support act. Another thing is that it’s also rare for such a large venue to be filled to such a degree for a support act as it was for Badflower.

A merger full of benefits

You could sense that seeing so many thousands of clapping hands at Atlas Arena gave both the Badflower musicians and, later, the headliners an extra rush of adrenaline on stage. I’d bet that if you showed someone less familiar with the band a video—showing the crowd on the floor bouncing rhythmically at the start of “Animal I Have Become,” which 3DG played as their second song—that person would never believe it was a band that doesn’t get much airplay (which is a shame!) on our radio stations. And there were many more brilliant moments like that on that Tuesday evening…

It’s worth noting here that the decision to bring Adam Gontier back into the band (he was the group’s lead singer from the very beginning—back in the ’90s—until 2013) while keeping Matt Walst on the lineup (he’s been the voice of Three Days Grace since 2013) turned out to be a huge success. When, in their first joint interviews, both men assured us that “their voices really blend well” and that the collaboration feels “more exciting than nostalgic,” one might have wondered if there wasn’t a bit of marketing spin involved. In Łódź, just as at previous stops on the “Alienation Tour,” we saw and heard for ourselves that those assurances were not exaggerated.

A whirlwind of excitement

“So Called Life” alone was enough to confirm that there’s great chemistry between the two frontmen. Throughout the song, both 47-year-old Gontier and Walst—who is four years his junior—moved seamlessly across the stage, constantly encouraging fans on all sides to join in the fun. And at the same time, they sounded clean, powerful, and feisty. Rock energy simply radiated from them the whole time. No wonder, then, that the song—released four years ago as a preview of the album “Explosions”—truly kicked off the concert frenzy not only on the album but also in the stands!

Later, the band returned to some of their older songs, performing “Break” from their 2009 album *Life Starts Now* and “Home” from their 2003 debut album *Three Days Grace*. Despite this, the temperature at Atlas Arena didn’t drop by even half a degree. On the contrary, we had the feeling it was still rising. But it couldn’t have been any other way, since we’d just been treated to two more number-one hits from the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart by our guests from across the ocean. Let’s add that the previously played “So Called Life” and “Animal I Have Become” were also at the top of that chart, as were… the next four songs performed shortly after. In total, by the end of the concert, we heard—no small feat—fourteen such “number ones,” which is practically three-quarters of the setlist. Not bad, right? And let’s note right away that Matt and Adam didn’t sing all of their songs that reached number one on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart that day…

Photo: Radoslaw Zydowicz

Memories Between Sounds

It’s also worth mentioning that before “Home,” the musicians admitted that they always feel at home in Poland and love coming back here. It’s hard to say whether this was mere courtesy, but the fact is that everyone likes to be praised and appreciated, so the audience’s enthusiastic reaction to these words probably doesn’t even need to be described… Before “The Mountain,” Adam decided to briefly recount the band’s history—from their first musical endeavors together back in high school, through signing their first contract in 2001, to the release of subsequent albums that won over the hearts of an ever-growing audience.

When he spoke about leaving his bandmates, the fans let out a telling groan for a moment. But a moment later, they began cheering—when he thanked the rest of the band for giving him another chance to play with them and asked for a round of applause for Matt for everything he’d accomplished as the band’s sole vocalist for over a decade. Just a nice, friendly interlude, testifying to the very good atmosphere within the band. Let’s also emphasize that “The Mountain”—the only song on the setlist from the 2018 album “Outsider,” sung for the most part along with the fans—came across incredibly convincingly. So much so that probably everyone in the Atlas Arena felt an extra surge of strength to fight against adversity and climb the titular mountain.

Never give up

“Mayday”—a track that premiered almost exactly a year ago as the first single from the album *Alienation*—came across as equally motivating and inspiring. On the one hand, it’s an emotionally charged track about feeling lost, chaos, and alienation. On the other hand, however, it’s practically a manifesto urging listeners never to give up, no matter the circumstances. The evenly chanted “We’ll never say, we’ll never say, Mayday” echoed incredibly throughout the Atlas Arena, from the floor all the way up to the roof.

Next up were heavy riffs contrasting with a catchy chorus that grabs you from the very first second. This is, of course, “Pain” from the album “One-X,” which is featured just as prominently on this tour as the band’s latest release (five songs each). And it’s hard to believe that it’s been almost 20 years since the album’s release—the lyrics remain remarkably relevant, and the melodies of each track still keep you moving.

A momentary change of mood

With two vocalists on board and a choice of material from eight albums, Three Days Grace kept switching up their setlist. After the older “Pain,” we had “Kill Me Fast,” the band’s latest single. A bit calmer than the previous ones, so as they performed it, the Atlas Arena quickly began to shimmer with thousands of lights from smartphones. Such concert scenes, paired with a catchy melody, always stay in your memory for a long time!

After that, the guys from the Land of the Maple Leaf decided to go back to their roots and treated us to “I Hate Everything About You.” It’s the band’s first-ever single and also TDG’s most-viewed video on YouTube, with nearly 450 million views. The level of euphoria in the venue at that moment? Yes, you’re right—10/10. After the song “that started it all,” it was time for the slightly younger “Time of Dying” from “One-X.” Years go by, and I still can’t fathom how a song with such potential was never released as a single. In my subjective opinion, it was definitely one of the most epic moments of the entire evening.

Photo: Radoslaw Zydowicz

Music, sports, or… drugs

After that rock-metal blast, the guys slowed things down a bit with another new track—“Apologies.” And then things took a decidedly melancholic turn, as Adam Gontier was left alone on stage with his guitar to sing “Creep”—a cover of Radiohead’s now-timeless hit. By the way, this was the third time in just a month that the Łódź audience got to hear this song—after all, Piotr Rogucki and Kasia Nosowska performed it twice (in two different arrangements) at the end of October during the “Światło i MRock” concert. And who knows—considering that after a seven-year hiatus, Radiohead has just returned to touring and is doing great—maybe someday we’ll get to hear the original version at Atlas Arena as well?

The next song from Three Days Grace—once again performing with the full lineup on stage—was “Don’t Wanna Go Home Tonight.” Before we heard this track, which appears on their new album, Adam once again shared some memories and reflections. “It’s a song about our youth. In the neighborhood where we grew up, young people had practically only three options to choose from. They could get into music, try their hand at sports, or get into drugs. As you can see, we devoted ourselves to music, though we had our share of adventures with drugs too,” admitted one of TDG’s leaders.

Without looking at the calendar

After a somewhat nostalgic trip down memory lane, the guys picked up the pace once again. And how! “I Am Machine” is one of the first big hits recorded with Matt Walst on vocals, and at the same time one of many—generally speaking—in a classic stadium rock style. There was once again plenty of dynamic drumming and signature riffs, all perfectly brought together by a catchy chorus.

“I know it’s the middle of the week, but we’re not slowing down—we’re still having a blast. After all, we all love the good life!” Adam Gontier shouted to the fans before the next song. It was immediately clear that “The Good Life” was coming up, along with another dose of rock-metal at its absolute best. And right after that, the Canadians played “Painkiller.” “This is the first song I recorded with the guys,” recalled Walst, inviting the daredevils to form a circle in front of the stage and go on a wild chase within it during the song. There was no shortage of volunteers, so the band, fueled by a massive dose of adrenaline, looked nothing short of spectacular from the stands.

An impressive finale

To wrap up their set, Three Days Grace performed two more classics from the album *One-X*. First up was “Never Too Late.” “We know this song has already helped many people through tough times. We hope it will continue to be a source of support for those in need. Turn on your phone flashlights and sing along with us,” Gontier asked. The response to this request likely exceeded his expectations, as a truly mystical atmosphere took hold of the Atlas Arena. The collective singing, swaying, and harmonious movement of the lights created a fascinating atmosphere. For the record, it’s worth noting that “Never Too Late” is the second most-viewed song from TDG’s catalog on YouTube—it has nearly 315 million views.

There were no surprises in the setlist compared to previous shows on the European leg of the tour, and “Riot” proved to be the crowning moment of the otherwise fantastic show in Łódź. The title phrase, shouted by Gontier, flew through the arena like lightning—piercing the audience in every corner at every turn… The concert’s closing was therefore exactly like its opening—in a truly energetic style. And it confirmed Three Days Grace’s excellent form at this stage of their career.

Perfection in every detail

Well, anyone who hesitated about coming and ultimately didn’t make it has something to regret. In total, the band performed 19 songs for us, which lasted nearly an hour and a half. And everyone, regardless of age, surely found something to their liking in the setlist. It was hard not to notice that the combination of Adam Gontier and Matt Walst’s personalities works surprisingly well together on stage, further enhancing the performance. Add to that the excellent acoustics and interesting lighting design, and the show really had no weak points. All in all, this evening can safely be called more than just a successful concert!

Photo: Radoslaw Zydowicz