The Violent Nature tour stopped off at Cardiff's self proclaimed ‘natural home for live music’ The DEPOT last night.
Tasked with warming up this unique 2,500 cap Warehouse was ‘GORE.’ who stepped in to replace Amira Elfeky after she was forced to pull out of the tour due to "unexpected logistical issues.”
Alas, GORE. certainly rose to the challenge enticing well received circle pits early on in their set. It wasn't just the crowd moving either bassist Devin Birchfield clearly wanted in on the action, rarely spending a second still as he constantly spun across the stage, setting a high-energy benchmark for the rest of the night. With a mixture of gentle vocals and visceral screams anchored by heavy, technical grooves, fans of As December Falls and Spiritbox will find plenty to sink their teeth into.
Second on the billing was a band that probably needs no introduction coming all the way from Australia, Polaris, bringing all the energy of a headline set. Kicking off strong with the punishing aggression of ‘Dissipate’ before playing their newest track ‘Without You’ which was met with a roar of cheers around me.
Between the constant mosh pits and sing-alongs it was safe to say the crowd were primed. Midway through the set, the house lights were brought when a member in the crowd required medical assistance. A credit to both band and venue for handling this well and getting the person help quickly. With Jamie Hails stating ‘your safety is more important’. Once it was clear the fan was in safe hands, Hails instructed the crowd to get right back at it and go crazy, a command the Cardiff audience obeyed without a second thought, sending the room back into total chaos for the remainder of their set.
Just after 9pm ‘Clint Eastwood’ by Gorillaz set a tense expectant calm through the warehouse. As the track fizzled out, the low end thrummed directly into the band’s intro, building the atmosphere to a breaking point before I Prevail rose to the stage barking the command “Cardiff tear this place apart!” launching into ‘NWO'
As NWO came into it's final breakdown the crowd got a first taste of the high-octane production I Prevail are renowned for with heavy bursts of flames / pyro - a visual element that fans at earlier stops in the tour had missed out on. Far from a one-off burst, the flames continued to rise across the first five songs.
That pyro heavy barrage peaked with ‘Violent Nature’ which proved to be an absolute standout of the night. Having first gotten into I Prevail around 2020 off the back of Trauma (2019), and keeping tabs on them through TRUE POWER (2022) and rediscovering them with 2025’s ‘Violent Nature’, hearing this track live showed just how colossal their sound has become. Paired with the heavy visual production elevated this experience, it sounded massive and hell did they deliver.
Before launching into this track Eric and Dylan injected some quick humour into the room, bantering back and forth about "finishing each other's words” a play on Frozen's “finish each other's sandwiches" line. They then turned up the crowd work, getting the entire warehouse involved in a call-and-response: “if I say violent you say…” NATURE
Impressed by this Eric gave the crowd two options: circle pit or wall of death - fans immediately opting for the latter. “I see you've already chosen” Eric joked “you don't want to do your cardio”.
Moving past the non stop heavy hits, the set took a nod toward the band's history with their iconic cover of ‘Blank Space’ the track that famously launched their early success.
It was a song former frontman Brian Burkheiser and the band never shied away from, even while fighting tooth and nail to prove they were far more than a viral Taylor Swift cover. Many fans around me seemed genuinely surprised, having expected them to leave it off the setlist for that exact reason. Hearing it live now feels like a victory lap; they’ve more than proven their legacy is built squarely on their own heavy, original music, but bringing it out serves as a nostalgic nod to where the journey all began.
Another highlight of the night came just before ‘Blank Space’, when the band brought up Hayley from Gore for their track ‘Paradise’ (originally featuring Amira Elfeky). Despite missing Amira, this live pairing sounded flawless with Hayley bringing a fresh dynamic to the stage.
Bringing things full circle once more, they also threw in a massive nod to Lifelines with ‘Come and Get It’. As the roar of the crowd echoed the line, "I am the headline," it felt incredibly apt they definitely are, and with the major level of performance on display tonight, it’s no surprise I Prevail have already secured a string of major headline festival slots for next year.
Concluding the night with ‘Gasoline’, any remaining pyro and unused energy from the crowd was completely burnt up in one last chaotic spectacle. The Violent Nature Tour was a statement performance from head to toe proving that I Prevail aren't just riding the wave of their past success, but actively asserting themselves as one of the defining heavy live acts of their generation.
5/5
Words and Imagery by Callum Linklater
Setlist:
NWO
Bow Down
Self Destruction
TFILG
Violent Nature
Body Bag
Paradise
Into Hell
Bad Things
Sad But True [cover: Metallica]
Rain
*Drum Solo* [Satisfaction]
GOD
Choke
CAGI
Hurricane
Gasoline
With thanks to Good As Gold & The Depot Cardiff 
I Prevail: Violent Nature Tour @ Cardiff Depot