Live at The Powerstation
25 February 2025
Live Review by Music Journalist: Paul Marshall
A Day To Remember Ignite The Powerstation with a Genre-Bending, High-Energy Set
A considerable changeover is happening on stage. The opening band Hatebreed backline is being swiftly dismantled, making way for an all-new setup for A Day To Remember. In a venue the size of The Powerstation, this would be a stage manager’s worst nightmare—but not tonight. A solid local crew, including master audio technician Brody London, are on hand to ensure that everything runs like clockwork. For London, it’s just another day in the office.
The crowd—draped in black, covered in ink—couldn’t care less about the wait. Smiles are all around, fans happily chatting, revealing in the camaraderie that defines metal and punk crowds. To the untrained eye, they might look like a battalion of warriors from some dystopian, Mad Max-inspired wasteland, but in reality, they’re some of the kindest, most loyal people in music. In the pit, if you go down, you’re getting picked right back up—no hesitation, no questions asked.
Judging by the chaos that unfolded during support band Hatebreed’s set, it’s clear we’re in for more mayhem when A Day To Remember hit the stage. And when they finally do, it’s nothing short of an explosion.
A Day To Remember launch into "Sticks and Bricks," and the room instantly detonates. Hands in the air, fists pumping, a chorus of voices screaming every word back at Jeremy McKinnon, who occasionally lets the crowd take over entirely. And this is just the first song.
The beauty of A Day To Remember lies in their ability to blend metalcore brutality with punk energy, pop sensibility, and just a hint of emo nostalgia. They’re puppet masters in the art of live performance, pushing and pulling the audience at will. The crowd isn’t just watching a show—they’re part of it.
McKinnon takes a moment to address the audience. “If it’s cool with you, we’re gonna play a lot of fucking songs—how ’bout that?” The crowd roars in approval. “This next song, we put out a while ago, but to be real with you, we pretty much stopped playing it immediately because every time we played it, people just stared at us. So we stopped. But then everyone was like, ‘Why the fuck don’t you guys play ‘Violence’ anymore?’” The response is deafening.
The set is a relentless assault of fan favourites. During "Rescue Me," oversized beach balls rain down on the crowd—an arena-sized spectacle in an intimate venue, a moment that makes The Powerstation feel bigger than it is. "Rescue Me"—co-written with EDM titan Marshmello—stands as proof of the band’s versatility and willingness to experiment outside of their core sound.
Midway through the night, I catch up with the show’s promoter, Paul Brommer, a veteran in the New Zealand live music scene. I ask him about the last-minute venue switch from Eventfinda Stadium to The Powerstation. “It’s tough out there,” he admits. “People are struggling. We had a lot of interest early on, but as time went on, ticket sales didn’t reflect the fans’ ability to purchase. It’s an ongoing battle for promoters in these times.”
Despite the change, the vibe is electric. In some ways, the switch feels like a blessing in disguise—stadiums are great, but there’s something raw and special about seeing a band like A Day To Remember in a sweat-drenched, tightly packed club.
The setlist is stacked with bangers: "Miracle," "Family," "Mr. Highway’s Thinking About the End," "Sonic," "Make It Make Sense"—each song met with a wave of crowd surfers and circle pits that never seem to lose steam.
After a brutal, high-energy 20-song run, the band exits. But the crowd isn’t ready to say goodnight. A relentless encore chant echoes through the venue until McKinnon and the crew return to the stage, firing off a blistering three-song finale, culminating in the massive singalong closer, "Downfall of Us All."
A Day To Remember promised a hell of a night, and they delivered. Hard. Walking out of The Powerstation, adrenaline still surging, one thing is clear—this was more than a concert. This was a goddamn experience.
Reviewer: Paul Marshall
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