Superheaven, Angel Du$t, Secret World @ Lion Arts Factory, Adelaide 5/5/2026
Wow! This gig had all the hallmarks of a blockbuster and it certainly lived up to that. Being sold out for several months is the proof in the pudding and it was a case of good luck trying to find a ticket anywhere. Arguably this could have been in a much bigger venue so to say we have seen them in the intimate surrounds of Lion Arts Factory is no doubt a feather in the cap. Originally called Daylight, Superheaven was a significant influence to the 2010s grunge revival and more so the heavy alt-rock wave it is of no surprise that this is one seismic tour. Add to that Angel Du$t and Secret World making this a formidable line up.
Hardcore rock ‘n rollers Secret World set the pace early making the most of the chance to spruik their wares to big crowd there early. Whether you know them or don’t know them that didn’t phase them as they ploughed through their set that include the likes of Everywhere Now and The Way It Goes. I’m sure we’ll be seeing a lot more of Secret World in 2026.
Angel Du$t wasted no time at all getting in to it and having made the last adjustment to their instruments it was go. Their set was played with such fury and intensity there was hardly a moment to catch your breath between songs as they were in to the next and demolishing that one also. The heart and sole of the band is Justice Tripp and it is equally as interesting going through the history of the band with connections to Turnstile and Trapped Under Ice. Their set list covered a lot of ground especially with forty five minutes to play with so seventeen songs is really good going. What kept their set interesting was that there was so much subtle variations to their sound maintaining the ferocious intensity but still groovy in some ways. Hardcore crowd pleaser Toxic Boombox was killer as was singles Pain Is A Must, Cold 2 Touch, Space Jam and The Beat. Finishing on the tune that barely stretched to a minute in “Stepping Stone” it was definitely a case of leaving the fans wanting more.
This has been a while in the making and their ten year absence from Australia has been sorely missed. Anticipation and excitement were all the feels in amongst the crowd. Superheaven have had a gruelling tour schedule prompting front man Taylor Madison letting the crowd know he was tired and needed to “wake his ass up”. Their revered debut album Jar is one of those incredible albums that’s just still just as relevant now as it was back then so it only seemed appropriate to open with the brilliance of Sponge. Leach followed with similar energy and intensity maintaining the flow of the show letting it gain its own momentum.
Absolute gold watching the crowd sing the words back to the band so when then Madison suggested that this was the most lacklustre crowd for the entire tour I don’t whether that was sarcasm, fatigue, poorly chosen words or something to challenge the crowd to get in to it more. I’d like to think it was the later although he did later use other words to add to the word “lacklustre”. Not sure what he was seeing but the crowd looked more than into it from where I was standing.
Nevertheless, it was fantastic to hear these songs again from such a revered and influential band that I thought that I’d never get to see ever let alone here in Adelaide. Iconic hits in the ilk of Numb to What is Real, Stare at the Void and No One’s Deserving were just brilliant. Even the crowd realised the significance of Youngest Daughter which blew up on TikTok to the likes of In on It and show closer Poor Aileen is what music folklore is all about. That sense of anticipation and excitement had been met even though we were “lacklustre”.
Live Review By Rob Lyon