Lacuna Coil @ The Northcote Theater (15/02/2026)
- Tia Babatzikos
- 21 hours ago
- 3 min read
Last weekend I had the absolute privilege of attending the sold out headline show for Italian goth-metal legends Lacuna Coil, as part of their SleepLESS EMPIRE Australian tour.
Taking place at the stunning Northcote theatre, it was such a magical evening enshrouded in gothic beauty, gloriously heavy music and a crowd of passionate fans. Being Lacuna Coil’s first headline tour in Australia in a decade, this was one that you absolutely did not want to miss.
Melbourne-based metalcore band Future Static set the vibes as the opening act for the evening, joining forces with Lacuna Coil across the majority of their shows around Australia. Consisting of enchanting lead vocalist Amariah Cook, Kira Neil on bass/backing vocals, Ryan Qualizza on guitar/backing vocals, guitarist Jack Smith and drummer Jackson Trudel, this five-piece is a force to be reckoned with.
Playing mostly bangers from their 'Liminality' album, each track was defined by powerful joint vocals from Amariah and Kira, as well as electrifying heavy breakdowns that beautifully contrasted against those entrancing melodic moments. This duality was done with absolute technical precision, blending alternative, melodic, and progressive into something emotionally charged and very powerful. I was truly blown away by Amariah’s vocal range and her ability to traverse between high operatic notes to absolutely brutal gutturals. She is insanely talented and in my opinion, one of the most striking and impactful voices coming out of the Melbourne scene.
Future Static also played a new unreleased track, which was super high-energy and a certified banger. Keep an eye out for it ;)
The overall production value of this set was also totally next level, with heavy strobe lights dancing around the room that worked to enhance the atmosphere. One of my favourite moments was when they busted out their heavy cover of 'Gasolina' by Daddy Yankee, which was iconic and a fun little whiplash from the other songs. Future Static will be playing a free show at the Espy on Feb 27th, so my Melbourne baddies better make their way over!
I decided to move down from the balcony where I had watched Future Static's set to the main floor to watch Lacuna Coil, which was fully packed by the time I made it down there. The anticipation and excitement in the air was palpable as AC/DC’s ‘For Those About To Rock’ started to blast out of the speakers.
The band slowly took to the stage, with their distinct signature black and white facepaint and matching long-sleeve shirts. Vocalist Andrea Ferro was striking as he joined the stage, with gory fake blood smeared along the tops of his hands. Then, the stunning Cristina Scabbia took to the stage in a bright red ruffled dress and wearing layers of black lace, looking every part the vampiric queen with her long dark hair flowing around her.
Opening with ‘Layers of Time’, the crowd erupted and the energy was intense. Each track was performed to theatrical flawlessness, with Scabbia’s iconic melodic vocals entwined with Ferro’s brutal fierceness. Their dual vocals have always been hypnotic to listen to, but experiencing it live is a wholly different feeling. Cristina is magnetic, enrapturing the crowd and commanding your attention with ease through her voice and movements.
Playing a mix of tracks from their latest album ‘Sleepless Empire’, such as 'Hosting The Shadow' featuring Randy Blythe from Lamb of God, as well as absolute bangers from their older albums like ‘Comalies’, the setlist was a perfect mix between both realms.
I have to apologise to the guy standing in front of me for the way I screamed when they started to play ‘Kill The Light’, ‘Heaven’s A Lie’ and ‘Swamped’, which are some of my all time favourite Lacuna Coil tracks!
Before heading into 'Nothing Stands In Our Way', Cristina gave an empowering talk about following your dreams and led the crowd to chant "we fear nothing", which was a really special moment to be a part of.
After seeing Lacuna Coil for the first time in 2022 at Good Things festival, my expectations for this night were not only met, but absolutely blown apart. Being in an enclosed venue created an ambience and atmosphere that was haunting and deeply memorable. As the lights slowly rose, the set finished as Type O Negative’s ‘Christian Woman’ filled the room and I had to take a moment to recompose myself.
Overall, this evening was truly so special and I'm very grateful that I had the opportunity to witness such talented front-women.
