Parkway Drive - Gig Review & Photo Gallery 9th June @ Opera House, Sydney NSW

Parkway Drive
‍Opera House, Sydney NSW
June 9, 2025

Parkway Drive with Symphony Orchestra at the most iconic music venue in Australia - if not the fucking world. And for some ungodly reason they’ve let in Australia’s boganest (it’s a word dammit) metalhead through the doors to cover the prestigious occasion.

When famed Danish architect Jørn Utzon's Sydney Opera House opened in 1973, not for a second could he have imagined that a band the likes of Parkway Drive would exist, let alone be afforded the opportunity to perform on this esteemed stage. Yet here we are, standing on the steps of one of the worlds most prestigious and revered buildings, to witness Australian heavy metal history. I just hope that Parkway’s infamous pyrotechnic display doesn’t burn this iconic joint to the ground.

After an impressive six year stint that saw Parkway Drive headline Wacken and Good Things Festival in 2019, a triumphant post Covid return with Knight and Day in 2021, a declarative performance on the inaugural Australian leg of the KNOTFEST, plus their sold out 20th Anniversary arena tour in 2024, you’d think a metal band couldn’t level up any more in this country. But these five legends from Byron Bay are here to show the world otherwise. This isn’t just another show. This is a statement. They’re here to declare that there is no stage on this planet that can deny the might of Parkway Drive. This isn’t simply a case of a band making it. This is a band cementing their position as one of the preeminent headliners of the heavy music world, and where better to make such a statement, than HOME.

Now I know how Parkway got here. Their back catalogue is flawless, their performances are mind blowing and they’ve used every opportunity laid before them to elevate their standing on the worldwide metal stage. But how the fuck did I get here? I don’t have nice enough teeth to be in this building. It’s been suggested that I’m a bogan, and to be honest, if this wasn’t black tie, I’d be wearing my very best King Parrot flannelette shirt. Jesus, they’re lucky I’m wearing shoes. The last time I wore a tie was in high school, and it definitely wasn’t black. But here I am looking my absolute best and I am not alone. Sydney has timed this event to coincide with their annual Vivid light festival, and no one is more dressed for this fine affair than the metalheads here tonight. Proper, five star suits adorned with pentagrams, spiky studs, impractical yet stylish footwear and the occasional formal battle jacket.

One fit check in my three man crew and Pheebs gets a 10/10 for hair and suit, I look like a drunk pilot and Browny in top hat and tails is a monocle away from looking like the Monopoly guy.

Get to the wind tunnel they’ve set the merch tent up in, and at 4.30pm it’s so cold you could hang meat out here. While in line with the stunning, yet freezing metal masses, we start a count of all the people that look like Parkway's lead guitarist Jeff Ling and even before we’ve headed inside, the count is already up to 4. It also turns out that people have come, not just from around Australia, but from around the world to witness this spectacle. With reports of people making the way here from France, Switzerland and New Zealand, it’s fair to say that the eyes of the world are on Parkway tonight.

After a few selfies, a couple of drinky-poos and a quick visit to the ‘Home’ media wall, we head inside this blessed venue to be welcomed by the most exquisitely adorned stage. Long gone is the industrial hellscape of their last sold out tour. This is the Garden of Eden. A native fish mash of Australian plants surrounding Ben Gordon’s drum riser, which sits front and centre before the inclined orchestral pit. Faux Green Grass covers the stage floor, with long coloured cloth hanging from high in this cavernous ceiling. I reckon its fair to say there's not gunna be any pyro tonight, not unless we want to see the Opera House turn into one giant Vivid fireworks display.

The lights dim as three Indigenous performers Matthew Doyle, Brock Tutt and Jock Sly join the already seated orchestra to deliver the single most rousing Welcome to Country I’ve ever borne witness to. As it finishes, with the orchestra still holding sway and the didgeridoo echoing off these walls, five well dressed blokes from Byron swan on out and the crowd collectively loses their shit.

Parkway Drive take to the stage of the Sydney Opera House, launching into ’Home Is For The Heartless’ and an immense sense of pride hits me like a mallet. A perfect opener to this grand occasion that sees 2,000 people scream to the ceiling “If home is where the heart is, why do I feel so fucking heartless”, and if they’re not careful they may just blow the sails off this joint. ‘Glitch’ follows and everything goes up a notch. This well and truly sold out crowd should be on their feet, but these aren’t surroundings that this community is used to. The truth is, no one is sure how to act in a building of this reverence. It’s like watching Ricky Bobby try and figure out what to do with his hands. ‘Prey’ hits like a shotgun through the heart of the room, which compels a few to instantly stand to attention. Not everyone is on their feet, but that’s not to say they’re not into it. Far from it. You can feel the energy in this room. Everyone is dancing in their seats, singing every word and loving every minute.

Three songs done and Parkway pauses as vocalist Winston McCall delivers a very Australian “How ya going?” The band takes this moment to reflect on where they are, right this very minute, telling us that this is “Beyond a dream come true”. It’s a sentiment that is felt throughout the audience. Metal fans have always felt like outsiders, and to be fair, that’s true. But to see our music on this stage is very rare indeed. Opeth have played here in the past, and will again later this year, but for our very own, very Australian boys to do it, the lads we’ve seen grind their way from their parents basement to the biggest stages on the planet, well this is a dream come true.

We could all sit here and hug each other politely, but the string section gets shit moving, triggering the audience to belt out a collective ‘Carrion’. Any rules regarding Opera House etiquette can well and truly be damned. Everyone is on their feet and its a high energy singalong. Every line hits hard and at this point I’m so transfixed on the band, that I’d somehow forgotten that there are 70 other people on stage with them, all of who are the best at what they do. A few of them have Cheshire Cat grins when ‘Soul Bleach’ hits and judging by the joy spread across their faces I can’t help but think that for a few of these upstanding musicians, this is their dream gig.

A purple haze envelopes the stage as the intro to ‘Horizons’ plays and any nerves the fellas may have had are well and truly gone by now. I catch the guys taking little moments to let this whole affair set in. A powerful experience in itself but the shining moment for me though is seeing guitarist Jeff Ling immerse himself in the sound from the orchestra as he slides into his solo. Eyes closed, head back, leaning into his guitar like they’re fused together. I hear an onlooker say “fuck he’s sexy” not so quietly and I have to agree. The violin section leads the charge into ‘Shadow Boxing’ as Parkway take a brief sabbatical at the sides of the stage. After having their backs to the orchestra this whole time, it allows them to sit back with the rest of us and watch the best metal orchestra on the planet, do what they do best. It builds to silence and then, “Do you see me?” The lads re-emerge with proud Yuin rapper Nooky in tow and watching him trade barbs with Winston gives goosebumps. Nooky might be a little nervous, but he absolutely delivers with an updated version of the song, featuring rapping in his indigenous language which Winston has also learned and the pair bounce back and forth sharing vocal duties throughout.

‍‘Chronos’ follows and a few legends in the wings are air-violining along. While all eyes in the Orchestral pit are on conductor Alec Roberts, Parkway's bass player Jia O’Connor is locked in on Ben. He’s dead focused on this performance and is rock solid as a result, even if he does look like he’s screaming ”don’t fuck this up, don’t fuck this up” over and over in his head. To see him on this stage is a true joy as, for many fans, he is the heart of this band.

I knew I’d need tissues tonight. When the band exited the stage, leaving Winston to stand alone with the orchestra to perform ‘The Colour Of Leaving’, it hit hard. A lot of dust got into peoples eyes as the great frontman pushed through tears to deliver a flawless vocal tribute to his dear departed friend. The moment was made more poignant, given the enormity of the night, that his family and friends are in the audience this evening, and that his mate really should be here with them to see this.

Intermission.

Back in the lobby, Browny is a mess. I’ve seen this face before, when Gwen Stacy died in The Amazing Spider Man 2 and when Captain America summoned Thor's hammer. I look around the foyer, past the long lines to the toilets and bar to see a few more people trying to stop their mascara from running. An absolute triumphant first performance, with the best yet to come.

The orchestra gets started as the stragglers rifle their way back into their seats, shuffling along in time to the choir who really are loving every minute. Parkway Drive make their way out and Winston beckons to the mob seated at the rear of the stage. They all rise, waving and cheering as ‘The Greatest Fear’ gets the second act started. As they tip toe into ‘Cemetery Bloom’ it occurs to me that this really is the closest in vicinity we’ll ever get to Parkway again. There’s no security standing between us and the band. The stage itself is so short I could step up onto it from the Stall floor and the front row could reach out and touch the fellas if they wanted. From here on out its large arenas and stadiums for our lads. Unless they bite the bullet, revisit this fine venue and do a string of shows, instead of just the one.

The seats start to get a punish when ‘The Void’ hits as the punters on hand rock back and forth in unison. If I gave them all oars, we could take this Opera House out to sea. The orchestra pit is churning hard as arms and heads flail violently, maintaining pace with these five metal maestros. The precision and passion emanating from this assembly elevates this already impassioned music and justifies this union between them and Parkway Drive.

‍Ben runs up to the back of the orchestra pit where the percussion section stand as the rest of the band takes a breather so Ben and a few other blokes can stand around beating the shit out of stuff for a bit. Now I’ve seen a few drum solos, and with a few epic exceptions (Satchel - Steel Panther), I usually use it as a chance to go take a piss. But this was different and felt very organic. While it was definitely rehearsed, it didn’t seem like it was initially planned. Almost like they were stuffing around at rehearsal, and it morphed into this very cool moment where Ben Gordon, a celebrated and highly revered metal drummer, got to hold his own against the academic percussionists that regularly grace these fine halls. A huge moment. Well deserved mate.

Ben takes his place behind the kit as the rest of the band re-emerges to take the mantle of loudest ever performance at the Opera House with ‘Dark Days’. For four entire minutes I cop what can only be described as a sensory overload. Performers surging back and forth, a Vivid worthy light show and whoever is sitting at front of house has turned the volume all the way up. Its absolutely insane and all I can do is laugh maniacally. Thankfully, after sitting off to the side for most of the night, guitarist Luke Kilpatrick takes centre stage with an acoustic guitar and plays the beautiful intro to ‘Darker Still’. It allows a slight reprieve from the more robust tunes we’ve been privy to, yet serves as a powerful moment that brings a tear and really showcases this amazing ensemble. It also serves as a stark reminder of just how versatile and insane a guitarist Jeff Ling is. His solo in the midst of this symphony tonight will give me goosebumps for days.

‘Crushed’ hits and it all goes bonkers. The haunting opener riles up the crazies as Winston, along with the 2,000 strong crowd, collectively yells “BROTHERS. MY BROTHERS!!!” It’s complete Bedlam as a large chunk of the crowd rise to their feet and this whole room becomes one undulating organism. There's still a subsection of punters still trying to figure out what to do with their hands but by this point the majority couldn't give a toss. This might as well be twenty years ago at the local youth centre for all they care, and Lemmy only knows when we’ll be able to experience something like this again. The lads fake call it a night to a rousing applause but this room full of Jordan Belfort’s aren’t fucking leaving.

‍“PARKWAY DRIVE!” chants echo through the concert hall and after a couple of very vocal moments the intro to ‘A Deathless Song’ begins as eyes start to dart around looking…for her. Winston kicks off the song with a sombre approach before Jenna ‘Hevenshe’ McDougall saunters forth from the shadows. She takes a few steps out onto the stage, snaps right, and blows the sails off the fucking joint. I - along with a couple thousand other people - bellow out a collective “HOLY SHIT!” as two of Australia’s most beloved vocalists go one on one live, for the very first time. The duo elevate each others performance with each passing moment, but it’s Jenna that absolutely steals the show. Her captivating voice cuts through everything as she delivers a performance we’ll all be talking about until we die. An immeasurable number of Parkway fans have been waiting over 10 years for a live rendition of this IRE B-side, but it's safe to say many dreams came true following its closing bars. If Jenna doesn’t put on a show here herself she’s mad. I’m pretty sure a sizeable chunk of tonight's onlookers will turn up for it. Maybe bring back Parkway while you’re at it.

As she makes her way off stage, one legend up the back yells out “play it again” and no one here disagrees.

The show kicks on with another first as new single ‘Sacred’ gets the orchestral treatment, and doesn’t it pack a punch. This song is custom built to be played with a huge string section and I catch one of the Cellists headbanging along while playing. l can also confirm that this is the first time that the word “BLEGH” has been sung in these hallowed walls. 

Winston takes a moment to thank Parkway’s fans, friends, family, the orchestra and their crew. But they also use this moment to reflect on their career and how it all lead here. The entire room stands as a loud and very energetic show of gratitude, and judging by the looks on the orchestral section, they’re not used to such a rousing applause. But they too deserve it all too well. To be there on that stage alongside our boys, they’ve had to grind their whole life to be there too. It’s also because of them, that tonight is so special. Their expertise and passion has elevated the music we’ve all known and loved for over two decades. 

They all launch into ‘Wild Eyes’ and no one is sitting for this one. The entire place erupts in what will go down as one of the greatest musical moments of all time. The iconic Sydney Opera House, filled to the brim with the luckiest fans on the planet, singing as one with Australia’s greatest heavy metal band, shaking the very foundations that have held this building in place for over a half a century. A truly tremendous occasion to mark the next huge stage to this bands career. It’s been a  long grind to get here, now it’s over, all too quickly. 

For the record, insider reports state that the volume maxed out at 120.7dB, the loudest any show has been in this venue's 52 year history. Australia’s biggest musical export AC/DC hasn’t played here, nor has Metallica, the biggest metal band on the planet.

For Parkway Drive though, from here on out, no matter what they do with their lives, all five of these lads can get on the Manly ferry, point out the window to this fine architectural wonder and tell the person next to them, “I played there once”.‍

They’ve also given new hope to the legions of Aussie metal bands that follow in their wake. No longer is there a limit on the sort of venues they can perform at. The glass ceiling has been well and truly smashed, showing the rest of the Australian metal elite that there's opportunity for them to perform beyond the dive bars I love so much and the community centres of Australia.

‍Parkway Drive have raised the bar, and put on a historic performance in the process. An all time night. Where to from here. 

Madison Square Garden?
Wembley?

They say the skies the limit.

Might be time for Parkway to get a rocket.

Parkway Drive at the Opera House. If you missed it….

Review by Duane James @duanejamestattoo

Setlist

Home Is For The Heartless
Glitch
Prey
Carrion
Soul Bleach
Horizons
Shadow Boxing (feat. Nooky)
Chronos
The Colour Of Leaving

Intermission

The Greatest Fear
Cemetery Bloom
The Void
Drum Solo
Dark Days
Darker Still
Crushed

Encore

A Deathless Song (feat. Jenna McDougall/Hevenshe)
Sacred
Wild Eyes

Photo Gallery supplied by Third Eye Visuals @thirdeyevisualsau