Zebrahead - Gig Review & Photo Gallery 9th October @ Lion Arts Factory, Adel SA

Zebrahead
Lion Arts Factory, Adelaide SA
October 9th, 2025 
‍Supports: Thomas Nicholas Band

Since the reopening of borders, post-pandemic, Australia has been spoiled with a continuous announcement of touring artists from home and abroad. So much so, that there are nights where you have to pick and choose what shows you attend, and which you may have to miss. Thursday night in Adelaide was one of those nights, with the alternative scene being forced to choose between the homecoming of heavy metalcore kings I Killed The Prom Queen and the long-awaited return of California punk rock veterans, Zebrahead.

Those punters choosing the latter (this reviewer included) were treated to an entertaining night filled with pure energy, chaos, and beer-soaked fun leaving the room with full hearts, massive grins, and no regrets.

It’s been seven long-awaited years since Zebrahead graced Australian shores, last bringing their intensity to the 2018 Soundwave Festival, and the Orange County five-piece did not disappoint. With a career spanning more than 25 years, Zebrahead has been releasing genre-bending skate punk, with elements of rap, rock, pop-punk, and ska, often discovering new fans through movie and game soundtracks, such as Dude Where’s My Car and Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3.

With nostalgia in the air, the night was kicked off by Thomas Nicholas Band—the musical vehicle for actor and producer Thomas Nicholas (of American Pie and Rookie of the Year fame). Opening their set with ‘Stifler’s Mom’ (an American Pie-themed cover of Fountains of Wayne’s ‘Stacy’s Mom’), Nicholas was joined by Australian locals Luke Vandersleis (Heroes for Hire) on bass and Scott Eckel on drums. The set weaved original songs amongst popular punk covers; it was a solid way to warm up the building Thursday night crowd, although it felt like it would have had a bigger response at an American Pie-themed party night. Closing their set with ‘1999’, an American Pie rendition of Bowling For Soup’s ‘1985’, and a cover of Millencolin’s ‘No Cigar’, Thomas Nicholas Band vacated the stage to make room for the main event, inviting fans to come say hello after the show.

The crowd built in anticipation. The red-bricked room of Lion Arts Factory may have only been around half full, but the dedicated fans, both young and old (and one guy in a sick pirate hat), moved to the front, packed against the barrier, and shared the same eager expressions awaiting Zebrahead’s return.

As the lights dimmed, The Offspring’s ‘The Kids Aren’t Alright’ blasted to singalongs, before ‘America… Fuck Yeah’ saw the five-piece take the stage alongside their own on-stage bartender! Kicking off the set with ‘When Both Sides Suck, We’re All Winners’ and ‘We’re Not Alright’ from the 2019 album Brain Invaders.

From the first note, Zebrahead showed why they have a reputation for their live performance. Their solid musicianship was delivered alongside incomparable showmanship, effortlessly commanding the crowd into a fury. It wasn’t long before circle pits were erupting, with the crowd moshing, dancing, singing, and clapping along. The band was lively, making the most of every inch of the stage and beyond, with rapper/vocalist Ali Tabatabaee and guitarist Dan Palmer spending a significant time in the crowd.

Playing a set that spanned their nearly three-decade career, the crowd response never waned for a moment, with old classics like ‘Hello Tomorrow’ and ‘Check’ receiving equal responses as recent release ‘Sink Like A Stone’. Layering and intertwining vocal duties created a full dynamic live sound. Tabatabaee’s rap/rock vocals, which a similar delivery to Linkin Park's Mike Shinoda, paired with Adrian Estrella’s lead vocals, and Palmer and bassist Ben Osmundson’s harmonies, really create something special.

Asking the room, “Adelaide, did you come to party or what?!?” The band launched into a cover of Beastie Boys’ ‘(You Gotta) Fight For Your Right (To Party!)’, that led into ‘Who Brings A Knife To A Gunfight?’. When every voice in the room screamed the chorus, ‘I wanna party party, We wanna party party’, you felt the conviction—the party was officially brought to Lion Arts Factory tonight.

Closing the set with ‘Anthem’, Estrella joined the crowd one last time, inciting a circle pit with him in the centre. The room screamed in unison: ‘Get up, get up / Let the good times roll / Get up, get up / Take my heart and my soul’, a perfect analogy for the moment we had collectively shared.

Departing the stage momentarily, an encore saw them return for another frenzied burst of partying with ‘Falling Apart’. Thanking the crowd for bringing the energy, and hinting at their plans to return soon, "Tell all your friends… we want to come back soon" - before a wall of death was called, sending the crowd off with the crescendo of ‘All My Friends Are Nobodies’.

This show was a riot, proving that Zebrahead’s reputation for a chaotic, high-energy party is well-earned, firmly cementing their status as a must-see live act. They still have plenty of adrenaline to share across the country, with the party continuing in Melbourne (Friday 10th October – Max Watts), Sydney (Saturday 11th October – Crowbar), and Brisbane (Sunday 12th October – Crowbar).

Review & Gallery by Daniel Hill @No.Quiet.Photography. Please credit Wall Of Sound and Daniel Hill if you repost photos.

Setlist

When Both Sides Suck, We’re All Winners
We’re Not Alright
Hello Tomorrow
Homesick For Hope
Lay Me To Rest
Rescue Me
Postcards From Hell
The Perfect Crime
No Tomorrow
Mike Dexter is a God, Mike Dexter is a Role Model, Mike Dexter is an Asshole
Hell Yeah!
(You Gotta) Fight For Your Right (To Party!) (Beastie Boys cover)
Who Brings a Knife to a Gunfight
Drink Drink
Sink Like a Stone
Worse Than This
Check
Call Your Friends
Anthem

Encore

Falling Apart
All My Friends Are Nobodies