On February 5, Paris welcomed Papa Roach, the emblematic band of the alternative metal scene, to the heart of La Villette.
Although the doors opened at 5.30pm, the audience was warned that the first band wouldn't take to the stage until 7.50pm, letting a far too long await for a simple playlist. And that's where they found an innovation: a DJ. Indeed, from 6pm to 7:30pm, DJ Mike Rock was on stage behind the turntables, treating us to rock and metal hits from the 90s to the 2000s. Green Day, The Offspring... It was a varied playlist, but the audience seemed to be waiting for a real atmosphere. The room was completely lit and the stage very diark, offering little visibility to this DJ who seemed to be having a good time.
Wage War : A strong start to the evening
20 minutes after the DJ's departure, the lights went out and the crowd started screaming. One by one, the musicians enter the stage, provoking a thunderous roar with each appearance. The first notes of The Show's About To Start ring out, and the atmosphere in the jam-packed Parisian venue is already set to a song perfectly chosen to kick off a memorable evening.
we could notice the starter-pack of the metalhead: headbang, circle pit, mosh pit... And cups flying in all directions. Right from the second track, Godspeed, Brighton Bond counted to three to get the crowd jumping, and they were very receptive, playing along without hesitation. Unfortunately, it was at the end of this track that David Rau, a drummer of boundless energy, broke his snare. While the technicians sort it out, Brighton takes the opportunity to talk to the audience and ask who has seen Wage War before, and who is seeing them for the first time. The show soon resumes as if nothing had happened.
The setlist gives pride of place to Stigma, the album released in June 2024, with 6 tracks out of the 10 that make up the set. The singer shares the vocal line with Cody Quinstad, his guitarist, who takes over the clean vocals. An excellent cohesion is perceptible between the two musicians, which makes their performance even better!
They leave the stage after playing Manic and thanking a French audience more than delighted with the performance they've just witnessed.
Papa Roach : The long-awaited moment
Only half an hour separates the departure of Wage War and the arrival of Papa Roach. A few minutes before the mythical band's entrance, a large white sheet with the silhouette of a cockroach rises in front of the stage. And just by the placement of this scenery, the whole room cries out in astonishment, excited at the approach of the long-awaited moment.
At 9 p.m., each of the band members takes to the stage, backlit and casting their shadows on the cloth separating them from the crowd. The first notes of Even If It Kills Me (their new song) are barely audible as the crowd cheers them on. When the music gives way to the chorus, the cloth falls away at the first thump of the bass drum and the first guitar riff, shattering the wall separating the artists from their fans. Lights shine from all sides, illuminating not just the stage but the whole room, allowing us to admire the circles and mosh pits that have already started.
The band salute the Parisian audience before moving on to Blood Brothers, then Dead Cell, which Jacoby Shaddix is sure to get the crowd screaming. It was on this third song of the set that the crowdsurfers began their run, perhaps annoying the front rows a little, but who soon forgot all about it when Jacoby came to sing at the barriers with them a few seconds later.
Before ...To Be Loved, he takes the mic and explains that their last appearance in France was at Hellfest in 2023, and that he wants to recapture the atmosphere of that festival in the Zenith.
"Paris, I wanna see some old school circle pits !"
Getting Away With Murder brings the atmosphere of a nightclub, which seems to delight the mythical Papa Roach singer. However, in certain areas of the pit, spectators are stuck on their cell phones, while in certain areas of the stands, spectators are stuck in their chairs, earning an "It's a motherfucking rock show!" Get off your phones and up your chairs!" from the frontman.
It's during Liar that he asks the audience to get down before the chorus begins:
"Everybody get down, I wanna see this place explodes !"
When there's a moment of calm between songs, the crowd roars and cheers for Papa Roach as if each interlude were an encore. But the crowd, which seemed already won over, revives even more when the band starts Forever with a few seconds of Linkin Park's In The End! At the end of the track, the crowd screams the name ‘Chester’, applauds, gives a standing ovation... This gives Jacoby time, with tears in his eyes and difficulty speaking into the microphone, to collect his wits before thanking the audience and singing Falling Appart.
The band leave the stage and a video that we'll entitle ‘Talk Away The Dark’ plays in the background. We see lyrics and hear Jacoby's words. It's all about suicide prevention, and this has been the project since the release of the song, which has had millions of views and listens since its release. He explains that part of the profits from the tour will be donated to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. It's a powerful message, and one that concerns him personally. When the video ends, Jacoby and Jerry Horton, with an acoustic guitar, take to the stage to begin Leave A Light On, which echoes Linkin Park's One More Light. The rest of the band join in as the song progresses, offering a message of hope to a room lit up by cellphone flashlights.
This moving track is followed by Roses On My Grave, then No Apologies, at the end of which Tony Palermo delivers a sumptuous drum solo that is as technical as it is danceable. The audience is hypnotized by every blow striking the instrument, and cheers loudly when the musician delivers the final blow of his performance.
Jacoby Shaddix is particularly happy and playful, and seems as taken with the evening as the audience. He makes them sing, he makes them scream, he communicates with them, he has fun with them.
"I'm living my fucking dream with y'all tonight !"
But it wouldn't be the 25th anniversary of Infest without a moment of nostalgia! Just before playing Scars, Jacoby talks about the early days of a band, and that when it comes to writing and composing a song, nobody knows if it will work, and that he didn't know if this one would work but that it ended up being a great turning point in their career.
"Take your pain and turn it into purpose !"
says the band leader before singing Born For Greatness.
Here come the encores, with the crowd going wild, not stopping until a new video appears at the back of the stage. It shows maggots and cockroaches, a real masterpiece for any entomophobe in the room. It's with this visualizer that the band return to perform Between Angels And Insects, during which Jacoby incites the crowd to a big wall of death.
This is followed by Infest, where he sings ‘We're coming to infest’ in the middle of the stands. He makes a full circle of the room, shakes hands and even takes a selfie with a fan. And while it's easy to be sceptical about the audience for an artist of his notoriety, everyone remained chill and respectful, and there was no major crowd movement, although everyone followed him.
He then returned to the stage for a moment of fun. He began with Eminem's Lose Yourself before switching to Broken Home. We're then taken back in time with a few seconds of Blind (Korn), My Own Summer (Deftones), Break Stuff (Limp Bizkit ) and Chop Suey (System Of A Down).
Finally, what better way to end a concert on Infest's 25th anniversary tour than with their iconic track Last Resort? Jacoby then spoke on behalf of the band:
"I can’t fucking wait to do this again with you Paris ! Until next time I get to see you guys, thank you ! We love you all ! We’re family ! And we are PAPA ROACH !"
The concert ended with these words, with the audience still shouting “Papa Roach” over and over as the band left the stage.
All in all, it's fair to say that this eagerly-awaited concert was a success. The members were upbeat and energetic, especially Jacoby, and the audience left with their expectations fulfilled. I think it's safe to say that France and its people are already looking forward to welcoming Papa Roach back to one of the capital's stages!
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