The Used's 25th anniversary tour of Australia has been nothing short of a victory lap.
Demand was so high that multiple second shows were added across the country – a testament to how deeply the band's first three albums continue to resonate among Australia'S lovers of emo and post-hardcore.
On Friday night (22 August), the Utah band took to Melbourne's Northcote Theatre for the second leg of the tour, performing their acclaimed 2002 self-titled debut in full to a sold-out crowd.
The opening act was Hevenshe, the latest project from Jenna McDougall (Tonight Alive), who stepped onstage with guitar in hand, accompanied by live drums.
Performing in front of a billowing white curtain that concealed The Used's stage setup, McDougall's stunning vocals and warm stage presence enveloped the room.
It was the first night of Hevenshe's run supporting the second leg of the tour (previous dates featured Hands Like Houses), and the crowd's response was more subdued than electric – polite applause, quiet focus, swaying heads.
Following her set, house music filled the theatre. As Shakira's 'Whenever, Wherever' gave way to Vanessa Carlton's 'A Thousand Miles, the first true sing-along of the night broke out. The millennials were out in force, and the buzz was building as eager fans filled the auditorium.
The crowd's anticipation reached boiling point when the white curtain transformed into a screen, flickering with a nostalgic montage of The Used on tour circa 2003 – a reminder of just how young the band were when their debut exploded.
Noticeably absent from the footage were founding members Quinn Allman and Branden Steineckert, both of whom left the band on difficult terms years ago. It was a disappointing omission – their contributions were key to the original record's impact, and the introduction felt incomplete without them.
Still, as the curtain dramatically dropped to reveal the current line-up – frontman Bert McCracken, bassist Jepha, drummer Dan Whitesides and guitarist Joey Bradford – the cheers from the crowd were thunderous as the band launched into opening track 'Maybe Memories'.
The Used - image © Sacha Lauder
McCracken, donning his classic fingerless skeleton gloves, carried the room back to 2002 (albeit with a notable absence of black hair dye and eyeliner).
In 'The Taste Of Ink', punters screamed the iconic "it's four o'clock in the f...ing morning!" line so loudly it nearly drowned him out. McCracken soaked it in, beaming, before leading an a cappella outro and declaring "f...ing beautiful! You guys f...ing rock!"
Throughout the set, the frontman's presence was a mix of stand-up comic and earnest host. He riffed on Melbourne's vaping culture ("there's a tobacconist on every single corner here") and spent time interacting with the crowd, whipping out a disposable camera to snap a grinning selfie in front of the packed auditorium.
However, he also took a moment before 'Bulimic' to call for an end to the genocide in Gaza, a topic he's been vocal about for years.
The Used - image © Sacha Lauder
Jepha handled the screaming duties in heavier tracks while holding down the bass, and Bradford shredded effortlessly, enjoying a couple of epic moments where he delivered a guitar solo as a fan blew his long hair around his face.
The stage design was straightforward yet thoughtful, with Whitesides elevated on a riser in front of a half-moon of lights, framing the iconic mannequin face from the album artwork at the centre.
Songs like 'Poetic Tragedy' and 'Blue And Yellow' softened the energy, bathed in moody light, while 'A Box Full Of Sharp Objects' pushed the performance into overdrive with a Whitesides drum solo that segued into the band playing a chorus of Nirvana's 'Smells Like Teen Spirit'.
Beyond that, the evening's set list stayed faithful to the record's original track listing. For 'On My Own', only McCracken and Bradford remained onstage, accompanied by an acoustic guitar.
Phones lifted high, arms waved in unison and many joined in with the impassioned raw screams in the latter half of the song. Yet despite the ballad's despairing lyrics, the atmosphere felt celebratory and warm – less about anguish and more about survival.
The Used - image © Sacha Lauder
That was the unspoken heart of the night. It felt like more than just an anniversary show – it was a reminder of how far both the band and their fans have come. The debut album was written from a place of chaos and pain, with McCracken battling addiction. To see him now – 13 years sober, beaming, healthy – was a powerful contrast.
For many in the room, these songs were the soundtrack to growing up and finding some sense of self in those messy, formative years. Revisiting them in such a celebratory, healthy space was genuinely comforting.
Finally, the band played 'Pieces Mended' and even pulled out 'Choke Me', the hidden track that closes out the debut.
Unexpectedly, fans were treated to McCracken screaming along in the song's blistering chorus – something he hasn't attempted live in almost a decade after famously damaging his voice from going too hard in the early 2000s (sometimes to the point of vomiting onstage). It was raw, cathartic and absolutely massive for those who are familiar with the band's lore.
The set wrapped a little after 10pm, clocking in at just over an hour. It felt like the right call – no dragging things out, just a concentrated hit of nostalgia and energy that left the room buzzing.
Far from feeling tokenistic, the show was solid, heartfelt and affirming – a tribute not just to an influential record, but to those who grew alongside it. Or as McCracken himself put it, grinning ear to ear: "We've been an emo band for 25 f...in' years – you're the reason we're still here."
More photos from the concert.
