LIVE REVIEW: Three Days Grace, Badflower, Laminor Arena, Bucharest, Romania, 27/11/2025
To say that people were shocked when Adam Gontier left Three Days Grace in 2013 would be an understatement. Likewise, it’d be an understatement to say that fans were excited when the singer announced his return to the band. Now a five piece, the Canadian rockers successfully completed a US. tour and are now halfway through its European counterpart. We were able to join those in attendance at the show in Bucharest, Romania, with the band returning three years after their last gig here. Most importantly, however, this would be Gontier’s first time performing in Romania, whether it be with 3DG or Saint Asonia. So, here’s what went down at the show on an otherwise very dismal day in this Eastern European capital.
First to take the stage were Badflower with their punk-infused rock show. Starting with Drop Dead and then straight into Number One, the Californian rockers immediately won the crowd over, with a plethora of excited screams constantly repeating throughout their set.
Their energy was on point as they played song after song, and frontman Josh Katz wasted no time in charming the crowd with his manic energy. From jumping off stage to play guitar in the middle of the crowd, to asking the audience to crowd surf him away (and then pleading to be sent back towards the stage) and returning with a half eaten banana (and giving the remaining half to someone at the barrier), it’s clear he’s a natural at this.
As their surprisingly pleasing set came to an end with Ghost and 30 (and with a final plea to “maybe buy a shirt if you liked us” said in Katz‘s typically manic delivery), the quartet wished everyone a good night before promptly clearing the stage. If this show is anything to go by, then Badflower have quite a future ahead of them – we can’t wait to see what it brings for them! 8/10
After a half-hour break, it was finally time for Three Days Grace to hit the stage, as the lights went out and thousands of fans started cheering in anticipation. With an instrumental intro tape culminating in “One, two, here we fucking go!”, the band launched into Dominate and the crowd went wild. This pumped-up energy was constant throughout the night and it only reached new peaks later on.
Classic tracks such as Animal I Have Become, I Hate Everything About You or Never Too Late saw everyone in the venue scream their hearts out (including this writer), often overpowering the onsite PA system. This kind of passion only showed how much those in attendance had longed to hear these tracks performed live with the same voice they heard years back.
Not to say that Matt Walst’s songs and his presence weren’t appreciated – quite the opposite! While his backing vocals enhanced the Gontier era staples, tracks like So Called Life, The Mountain and Painkiller showed everyone that the band could not have survived the twelve years before the reunion without Walst as frontman. Even Adam himself thought so, publicly thanking Matt & the rest of the guys for carrying on after he left.
As the show went on, the Canadian quintet continued playing tracks new and old, with Alienation songs such as Mayday, Apologies and Kill Me Fast perfectly showcasing the synergy between the two singers. With their voices (as well as drummer Neil Sanderson’s backing vocals) blending so well, it’s clear that Three Days Grace has hit gold with its current line-up, and we hope that won’t change anytime soon.
Speaking of newer songs, the band also played Don’t Wanna Go Home Tonight, during which Adam brought out his guitar tech and Saint Asonia bandmate, Cale Gontier. With one singer joined by his brother on bass and the other by his cousin on acoustic guitar, this song was a touching display of having your loved ones with you – both proper family members and found family alike.
To conclude, this concert could be summed up as “healing” or “cathartic” for many of those in attendance. Regardless of age, nationality or gender, not one soul in the industrial hangar where the gig took place was silent throughout the night. Whether playing newer songs or the older ones that put them on the map, the energy throughout the night from both the band and the audience was nothing short of electric. We hope we’ll get to see many more Three Days Grace gigs in the Gontier + Walst formula – it’s nothing short of perfection. 10/10
Written by Florin Petrut
