SHINEDOWN & BUSH – JOHN CAIN ARENA – MELBOURNE – 25.09.2026
Review: Craig Eriksson. Photos: Jason Rosewarne.
American chart-toppers SHINEDOWN and British alternative legends BUSH have teamed up for a massive co-headline tour of Australia and last night, it was Melbourne’s turn to experience these two powerhouse rock icons at John Cain Arena.
COAST ARCADE are an up and coming 4-piece indie band from Auckland, NZ who opened the show with their fresh, youthful energy and infectious feel-good melodies. Frontwoman and lead guitarist Bella Bavin has great stage presence and her vocals carry a featherlight purity, delivered with a worldly confidence. Bella and her band (Chris, Thom & Hans) provide a punk surf rock vim, with their fast-paced drumming and guitar riffs creating a vibrant affair for the audience. Their debut self-titled album was released in 2025 and they gave us a good taste of it with AFTERTHOUGHT, GREENER, CYCLES, CITY LIMITS, ACETONE, BAITED. They also performed a wonderful cover of Velver Revolver’s SLITHER.
BUSH were up next and were mesmerising from the get-go, with a set full of 90s post-grunge and infectious rock anthems spanning their 34-year career. I last saw Bush as part of Under the Southern Stars concert at Margaret Court Arena Melbourne in 2022. Rose Tattoo also played on that bill and this week their iconic frontman Angry Anderson sadly passed away (Vale Angry). Bush kicked off their set with EVERYTHING ZEN which became one of the band’s signature tracks from their multi-platinum debut album Sixteen Stone (1994), gaining them worldwide success. This was followed by QUICKSAND from The Kingdom (2020) which was a surprise deep cut featuring its nu-metal style intro with softer, melodic vocal hooks. During this song, frontman Gavin Rossdale journeyed down into the photographer’s pit to greet some of the fans on the front barrier. Bush also offered us a taste of a few of their more recent tracks with THE LAND OF MILK AND HONEY and I BEAT LONELINESS from their 10th studio album I Beat Loneliness, released in 2025. These songs showcased that the band still retain their signature sound with a balance of 90s grunge nostalgia and polished modern rock. Definitely a crowd fave was the fierce, heavy riff-driven MACHINEHEAD, which transformed the moshpit into a swirling chaotic vortex of flying limbs and colliding bodies. Bush played several songs from The Art of Survival (2022) with ALL THINGS MUST CHANGE, HEAVY IS THE OCEAN, HUMAN SAND and MORE THAN THE MACHINES.
Frontman and rhythm guitarist Rossdale has a magnetic authenticity that connected him with the crowd and had them in the palms of his hands. His vocals remain as strong and powerful as ever during both the soft rock ballads and the heavy rock anthems. The current line-up consists of Chris Traynor on Lead guitar, Corey Britz on bass and Nik Hughes on drums. THE CHEMICALS BETWEEN US from The Science of Things (1999) paved a different path to their other songs and had an industrial rock sound inclduing electronic loops and dance beats. Bush played several hits from Sixteen Stone (1994) with LITTLE THINGS and the rock ballad GLYCERINE, where Rossdale performed a stunning stripped down, acoustic-style solo. The gritty, powerful and emotional vocals by Rossdale were a standout throughout the show along with the quality of the band’s tight musicianship. Hughes sat high on a drum riser so we could see him pounding the drums like Animal out of The Muppets. His drumming was mesmerising and combines stop-start tension and heavy, open-crashes with driving backbeats on the choruses. Traynor on lead guitar plays with such force and intensity, creating brutal hardcore and soaring riffs. Britz on bass plays hard, fast and loud delivering a heavy, fat bass sound. These familiar riffs and distinctive heavy grunge grooves had the crowd headbanging throughout the whole set as though in some kind of hypnotic trance. A highlight of the show came during the anthem FLOWERS ON A GRAVE, which saw Rossdale head out into the audience with fans going crazy taking selfies, giving him hugs and high fives. Rossdale made his way back on stage and said: “I love doing that, it’s one of my favourite parts of the show!” They closed out their set with COMEDOWN which left fans with a lasting unforgettable impression.
Before Shinedown took the stage, the house lights dimmed and a spotlight illuminated a figure dressed in a sharp suit and tie sporting a retro box television for a head known as TV Guy. He busted out some high-energy dance moves to Peter Gabriels’ Sledgehammer to warm up the crowd. It was hilarious!
SHINEDOWN emerged on stage to thunderous applause. It’s been 16 years since they last played in Australia at the Soundwave Festival in 2010 and you could feel the fans’ pure excitement. The set kicked off with the full throttle, heavy hitting SAFE AND SOUND from Shinedown’s 8th album called EI8HT (2026) featuring driving rhythm, powerful riffs and vocals. It was a huge opener involving flames, fireworks, laser lights, strobes and smoke cannons. Frontman Brent Smith asked the crowd if they wanted to hear an oldie from back where it all began. This led into FLY FROM THE INSIDE from Leave A Whisper (2003) with Smith’s explosive vocals, Eric Bass relentless basslines, Zach Myers churning and powerful guitar riffs and Barry Kerch driving rhythms on drums.
This intensity continued with the high energy alt metal anthem DIAMOND EYES (BOOM-LAY BOOM-LAY BOOM) from their triple-platinum album The Sound of Madness (2008) which had everyone rocking, fists punching the air and chanting the chorus out loud. The melodic rock anthem HOW DID YOU LOVE showcased Smith’s raw and soaring vocals blended with driving drum kicks and spirited guitar licks. Myers and Bass both had great stage presence and played with plenty of attitude and energy. Throughout the night, Myers guitar work was relentless like a rhythmic engine, grinding, pounding with mechanical precision. Song after song, Myers churned out a thick, turbulent waves of sound, rising and falling with aggressive momentum and locking into a heavy groove. Bass did more butt kick jumps than any other guitarist I’ve ever seen and he was so hooked into the music. The haunting 45 showcased Smiths raw, powerhouse vocals and had the crowd singing along. Shinedown then cranked things up again with the brutal, hardcore CUT THE CORD from Threat to Survival (2015), DEVIL and MONSTERS from Attention Attention (2018) which kept the heavy, aggressive, driving drum beat, soaring riffs going.
During ENEMIES from Amaryllis (2012), Smith split the crowd down the middle creating a clear path for him to walk down into the audience and get amongst the fans. During A SYMPTOM OF BEING HUMAN everyone held up their phones, creating a sea of lights which looked amazing. Smith asked the crowd if they wanted to hear a brand new song, which led into the catchy and upbeat YOUNG AGAIN (2026). Lead guitarist Zach Myers took over lead vocals and guitar duties when he played a solo rendition of 3 Doors Down’s KRYPTONITE, as a heartfelt emotional tribute to the late Brad Arnold who tragically passed away in Feb 2026 losing his battle with cancer. This had the entire arena crowd singing along and the band then joined in and seamlessly paired their famous rendition of Lynyrd Skynyrd SIMPLE MAN to complete a very moving part of their show. The powerful anthem SOUND OF MADNESS then had everyone raising a fist. Shinedown closed out their set with their most successful hit and rock ballad SECOND CHANCE, which was a stunning, feel-good song to end an incredible evening with and Smith stating: “It’s never goodbye, it’s just ‘til next time!”
BUSH – SET LIST:
Everything Zen
Quicksand
The Land of Milk and Honey
Machinehead
All Things Must Change
The Chemicals Between Us
Little Things
Heavy is the Ocean
Glycerine
Human Sand
Flowers on a Grave
I Beat Loneliness
More Than Machines
Comedown
SHINEDOWN SET LIST:
Safe and Sound
Fly From the Inside
Diamond Eyes (Boom-Lay Boom-Lay Boom)
How Did You Love
45
Devil
Enemies
A Symptom of Being Human
Young Again
Cut the Cord
Monsters
Kryptonite (3 Doors Down cover) / Zack solo (Shortened)
Simple Man (Lynyrd Skynyrd cover)
Sound of Madness
Second Chance
