Evanescence, Poppy, K.Flay – First Direct Arena, Leeds – 8th September 2026
ECLECTIC BUT PERFECTLY SUITED
Long before the doors were due to open, black clad hordes gathered around the FD Arena in Leeds in readiness for this eclectic but perfectly suited bill. Some were queuing early, determined to get to the barrier, while others were relaxing in surrounding bars with goths, emos and metal heads all happily rubbing shoulders. It was noticeable that several generations of fans were represented, testament to the enduring and wide appeal of the bands on the bill.
K.FLAY
An hour or so after doors, K.Flay took to the stage with her band and a set of genre defying angst ridden punky indie pop/rock anthems. Raw Raw came early and the packed floor lapped up the pulsating bass line before Tomboys Don’t Cry and its indie rock sensibilities complete with K.Flay on guitar looking very comfortable at the end of the small runway in the middle of the stage. A set highlight for me was the magnificent, hypnotic Blood In The Cut with a haunting, almost sinister, undercurrent. The set was full of sass, staccato rhythms and frenetic energy before being pulled to a close with new track Ants, having impressed the ever growing crowd and deservedly getting a much better reception than most bands that open arena shows.
POPPY
After a short turn around, Poppy’s set opened with a pulsating and deceptively heavy Have You Had Enough before a pop laden The Cost Of Giving Up which built to its heavy metalcore midsection. Poppy was resplendent in white, in contrast with the rest of the band and stage backdrop which were all black. Scary Mask swung from pop ballad to metal and back several times and saw the first pit of the night.
A change in atmosphere saw the crowd bouncing to the disco beats of Crystallized before we returned to more familiar territory with Vital and Guardian during which it struck me how much heavier Poppy are live than their studio material. Time Will Tell got the crowd moving with its infectious melody, nu metal undercurrent and heavy growls. A crushingly heavy version of V.A.N saw a small pit open up before a stomping rendition of New Way Out brought the set to a close complete with a wall of death. This had been a triumphant set worthy of a headliner, as had been the crowd response, and I have no doubt Poppy will be returning to arenas as headliner in the near future.
EVANESCENCE
The bar had been set high, but Evanescence were more than up to the task and were the best I have seen them for many years. Making full use of the stage with a video screen backdrop and illuminated ramp, as well as impressive pyros and flame bars, they really put on a show for the adulating crowd. A huge cheer greeted Amy Lee’s appearance onto the stage, launching into Sanctuary in front of images of a gothic church, opening a set which included all twelve tracks from the latest album. Tell Me When You’ve Had Enough saw another pit open up in the middle of a sea of mobile phones, all desperate to record the performance.
The first older track was Going Under, taking us back to the debut from 2003, and was greeted with another loud response as the nu metal crunch rang out around the arena. Despite being older than many in attendance, the track did not sound at all dated and was immense. As the song came to a close, a hole opened at the end of the runway and a piano rose to the stage, seeing Amy Lee on piano and vocals for a powerful and emotive rendition of Lithium. Her voice was incredible, full of emotion and passion and as impressive as ever, supported by backing vocals from bassist Emma Anzai.
20 YEARS OF THE OPEN DOOR
Amy Lee then reflected that it has been twenty years since The Open Door had been released and said that to celebrate this, then band had decided to play a track from the album which they had not played live previously, before launching into Like You. It was great to hear a deeper cut, but it was obvious that a lot of the crowd were unfamiliar as there was a very muted response. The pyros and flame bars made an appearance during Calm Down with the guitarists being elevated into the air on risers either side of the drum kit before a loud cheer and emotional sing along for Call Me When You’re Sober. The pyros made another appearance for Fight Like A Girl which saw K.Flay join Amy on vocals (a track which they had previously recorded together) which sounded great.
The energy seemed to drop a little for the next couple of tracks except for a lady in front of me who was enthusiastically air drumming! The piano reappeared at the end of the ramp for Forever Without You. Amy Lee introduced this by saying that it was personal to her but knows many others have been through similar things, encouraging people to take the first step out of a bad situation, sounding very emotional. The room was entranced in respectful silence, hanging on every emotional word of this beautiful ballad, with Amy Lee’s vocals sounding exquisite. This had been an unexpected highlight of the night.
PYRO AND CONFETTI
The atmosphere immediately changed as the opening to Bring Me To Life rang out around the arena. As expected the track got a huge crowd response singing the male sections with pyros and confetti augmenting this nu metal anthem. Staying with the debut album, Imaginary also sounded immense and saw a stream of crowd surfers, as well as a lot of people leaving. I guess some had been here to hear “that song” and were content to head off afterwards which was a shame but their loss. Better Without You and About Us were powerful and emotive before End Of You saw Poppy join Amy on vocals (the track was originally recorded by Amy Lee, Poppy and Courtney LaPlante), followed by a shout out to K.Flay and Poppy.
The final section began with Who Will You Follow which led into the magnificent My Immortal with Amy singing and playing piano in front of a white sheet backdrop. There was a shout out to the crew, band members and fans, as well as an invitation to sing along as the track began with a loud roar and the arena was lit up with mobile phones. This was a genuine ‘hairs on the back of your neck’ moment as the poignancy of the track hit home. As the track built, the band became visible as silhouettes behind the sheet as they joined the rendition. The set closed with Wide Open Heart bringing a close to a magnificent, triumphant set.
SOME LEGACY
Anybody who feels that Evanescence are a legacy band needs to get themselves along to a show, with an open mind, and they will leave with their mind fully changed. This had been stunning, with Evanescence showing that they are not just relevant but also vital to today’s modern alternative music scene.
Photos taken on a phone from the crowd
Evanescence: Website
Poppy: Website
K.Flay: Website