There is a fantastic atmosphere surrounding the 1921 art deco former cinema in Glasgow this evening. Maybe it’s the fact that it is Saturday night. Maybe it’s the gloriously sunny weather. Or maybe it’s the fact that Breaking Benjamin are making a rare appearance in the city. Coming almost ten years since the last appearance by the Pennsylvania rockers, it’s a very rare visit indeed, and the Breaking Benjamin faithful are out in force, with the 2,500-capacity venue long sold out.

Led by the sole constant and namesake of the group, Benjamin Burnley, Breaking Benjamin don’t come around these parts often, and when they do, they make it a night to remember for their legions of fans who often have to travel to North America to catch a BB show.

Tonight, the second show in a run of six UK & Ireland shows, is fantastic value for money, with fellow veterans Chevelle and rising hotshots Return to Dust also on the bill. But, in all honesty, Breaking Benjamin could have performed on their own and still sold it out.

If the headliners and main support are the experience, then the opening act, LA-based Return to Dust, are the youthful exuberance. The perfect band to light a fire and get the night off to a livewire start.

Heavily influenced by grunge, Return to Dust wear their influences on their sleeves, or at least they would if they were wearing any. It’s hot in here tonight. Damn hot. And those large electrical fans above the numerous bars in the venue are obviously just decorative. The quartet grab their time to impress and run with it. What they lack in years and experience, they make up for with confidence, stagecraft, and more importantly, songs.

The masterful ‘Black Road’ opens the 2024 self-titled debut album and the show. Thick, crunching hits from drummer London Hudson, who, because of the three-band set-up, is perched close to the lip of the stage, meaning he can be both seen and heard. The co-vocals of bassist Graham Stanush and guitarist Matty Bielawski work well together, with Stanush possessing a lower range, while Bielawski’s range is higher.

‘Shine’ is a highlight. Lifted from 2025’s ‘Speak Like the Dead’ EP, it’s a great sign of the growth within the band, and special mention has to go to lead guitarist Sebastian Gonzalez, who, like all lead guitarists should be, is flash, and pulling out all the guitar-hero poses – including down on his knees in front of his speakers, coaxing every inch of feedback out of them. He loves a wah-wah pedal and is not shy to use it to great effect. If ‘Black Road’ and ‘Shine’ lean more toward Alice in Chains, then ‘Sweet Escape’ bucks that trend for more of a Soundgarden vibe. Throw in a stunning, gnarly slowed-down cover of Outkast’s monster hit ‘Hey Ya’ and this is an impressive way to introduce yourself to an audience encountering you for the first time. Keep an eye on these guys, and not in the sense that they might steal your wheel trims. But, yeah, keep an eye on them.

Wary of the fact that regional UK shows are few and far between, Chevelle bypass the latest album, 2025’s ‘Bright as Blasphemy’, and instead go for the bangers; the crowdpleasers; the hits. And judging by the insane reception that greets the trio, there are a lot of Chevelle fans in the room tonight. From the minute that the band – original members (and siblings), Pete Loeffler (lead vocals and guitar) and Sam Loeffler (drums), along with touring bassist Kemble Walters – take to the stage with opening track ‘An Island’, right up until the fading strains of set closer ‘Mars Simula’, the connection between band and audience is amazing to witness. Some here have clearly waited a LONG time for this gig.

More alternative rock than traditional, mainstream American rock, at times, Chevelle pack a bit of a Placebo-meets-Muse punch. ‘Self Destructor’ is a fine example of this. Lifted from 2021’s rather magnificent studio album ‘NIRATIAS’, it certainly has a transatlantic feel to it, and the cinematic overtones in the darkness of the O2 are magnificent. ‘Send the Pain Below’ keeps those Muse-like thoughts brewing in the background, while the sharp, aggressive, unsettling intro to ‘Family System’ gives way to one of the heaviest moments of the well-received set. Sam Loeffler is a joy to watch. It’s always a pleasure when the drummer is visible, and tonight it’s like watching a master at work.

It’s twenty minutes or so before Pete Loeffler addresses the crowd, and when he does, it’s to ponder what took Chevelle so long to make it north of the wall. He asks if anyone remembers 2002, and mentions that he is “…getting tired of singing this song, but I’m going to do it for you anyway…” and once he starts up ‘The Red’, the reception from the crowd means it was a wise decision to include it in the set. The lyrics “They say, “Freak”/When you’re singled out/The red/Well, it filters through” still slapping some 20+ years on. After the NIN-tinged ‘Comfortable Liar’, the band casually drops an insane live version of ‘Mars Simula’ into the conversation, and leave the stage to thunderous applause. Headline dates surely have to follow?

With very little fanfare or fuss, the headliners stroll on to a wall of noise from the sold-out crowd. Guitarist Jasen Rauch adjusts his trucker cap in a gesture of “How you doing?” and vocalist Ben Burnley leans back and unleashes a scream as the band crashes into the defiant ‘I Will Not Bow’. The crowd does indeed go wild. This one has been a long time coming. And finally, Breaking Benjamin are back in the UK, and it’s not outdoors in a huge field in the East Midlands.

As part of the coolest Bring Your Kid To Work Day ever, Ben Burnley Jr is onstage for what his Dad refers to as “on-the-job training…” and Burnley junior is scarily right at home onstage, playing guitar, and singing, in front of a huge crowd. It’s great to see the little fella making some life experiences that will live with him forever. Some cool memories right there.

It’s a setlist for the fans. And every song is greeted by the crowd with massive roars of delight. Even the bar staff are getting in on it, and during a full-on version of ‘Until the End’, one of the staff at the bars at the back of the venue is losing his shit during the huuuuuge chorus of “Why give up?/Why give in?/It’s not enough/It never is/So I will go on until the end”. Can’t imagine AI-created music having that effect on someone.

Having been on the road in Europe since the start of June, the band are in great form and purring like a finely tuned Rolls-Royce engine. None more so than drummer Brian Medeiros, who is playing out of his skin, especially on ‘Evil Angel’, which starts as heavy as balls, with some top riffage, and becomes lighter than light on the other parts. Very hooky, it has loads of space for the crowd to play their part. With a smattering of harsh growls, ‘Red Cold River’ is one of the heavier moments of the set, and like most of Breaking Benjamin’s material, it has that juxtaposition of light and darkness. Angst-ridden. Thick, pummeling bass from Aaron Bruch, who has formed a killer backbone with Medeiros.

Judging by the crowd’s reaction, ‘Angels Fall’ holds special meaning for many in attendance, and Burnley could, if he wanted to, turn the mic over to the crowd, especially during the soaring chorus. Keith Wallen’s gentle guitar intro to the slow-burning ‘So Cold’ is another highlight, as is ‘Polyamorous’, which quickly follows it, with Burnley going with harsh growls on the intro. The crowd are loving this one, and it still packs an almighty wallop in 2026. The reception for ‘Polyamorous’ is nothing compared to that for the set closer, which, of course, has to be ‘The Diary of Jane’.

With Ben Senior’s severe phobia of flying, visits to the UK and Europe are rare, so the Breaking Benjamin fanbase knows not to expect a tour every two years, and that is perhaps what makes them really go for it when the band is onstage in front of them. Which makes a Breaking Benjamin UK gig all the more memorable, and in doing so, spurs the band on that extra few miles when perhaps thoughts are turning to home after five weeks on the road.

Catch the final few UK shows below:

16/07 – O2 Victoria Warehouse, Manchester VENUE UPGRADE – SOLD OUT
17/07 – O2 Academy Brixton, London VENUE UPGRADE – SOLD OUT

Review – Dave

All images – Dave Jamieson