I Prevail‘s return to Australia this week for their Violent Nature Arena Tour marks a massive milestone in the bands journey, solidifying the country as their official “second home.” From their earliest days playing intimate, sweaty clubs to packing out massive arenas in Brisbane and Sydney, the band has forged an unbreakable bond with Aussie crowds. The 2026 run allows the band to reflect on a decade of growth, turning each night into a celebratory reunion. These massive shows transform the arena floor into a sea of high-energy mosh pits and emotional, stadium-wide sing-alongs that define the band’s identity.
For the band members, the true magic of touring lies in the shared memories created both on and off the stage. Life on the road is defined by a mix of high-adrenaline performances and unique bonding experiences, from navigating long travel stretches together to experiencing local culture. Behind the scenes, the tour acts as a crucible for brotherhood, where late-night backstage laughs and the collective triumph of surviving gruelling schedules strengthen their unity. These shared moments of vulnerability and victory shape their music, ensuring that every tour leaves an indelible mark on their personal and collective history.
Frontman Eric Vanlerberghe took a trip down memory lane and told HEAVY some of his fondest touring memories.
Eric’s First Ever I Prevail Show
Our first show was in Pittsburgh at a venue that’s no longer there, called the Altar Bar. I think it was like a 500 cap room, and we didn’t know what to expect. We saw right before we got there that a couple of shows had sold out, that being one of them. We had Chasing Safety and Too Close To Touch on that run, and I think Too Close To Touch started the night.
I snuck up and saw the crowd, and I was like, “holy shit, there’s a lot of people here”. I saw them getting into Too Close To Touch, I believe that was their second tour, and their first full-length was out. And seeing kids starting to sing along, we were like, “Oh, okay, they got some fans out here. This is going to be fun”. And then the next band played, and I peeked out again, and I’m like, “okay, the crowd’s still here, they weren’t just here for the first band. They’re sticking around!”
And then I remember taking the stage, we only had our EP and that cover out. I think we had seven songs (laughs) to try to fill a headlining set with. Seven songs and some banter. It was kind of just a sink or swim, figure it out moment. And we had a blast. I remember getting off that stage and having such a high euphoric moment. I think I said on stage, “We’re going to be at the merch table. We’re signing anything anyone wants!” We went back to the green room, changed, and 15 minutes later, we were up there. Not a single person had left. We were like, “Oh my god, this is going to take us until bus call to sign everything!” And not in a bad way, not like, “oh, I regret it”. It was more like, “holy shit, everyone wants to say hi?! I can’t wait to meet everyone. This is insane”.
So that was our first show. And then two days later, we played our hometown to 1,100 people, sold out. And to this day, looking back, I’m still like, “how the hell did that happen? How the hell did it work out like that?” We were that lucky with that first hometown show, 1100 people, third show ever…I can’t even put into words how blessed I still feel.
From Then To Now: Lessons Learned Along The Way & Gratitude
You start getting to a rhythm four weeks into a six-week tour where you’re like, “Oh man, I would love my own bed right now, and I miss my dogs. I could take a break right now”. And sometimes there’s going to be nights where you’re just going through the motions, and maybe you have a bad night. But in those moments, I’m always just keeping in mind: all right, we gave 85%, we tried our best, and we just had a little bit of a rough show. But remember that for the kids out there at that 85%, that one bad show? They’re still having a good time.
And in those moments, I’ve tried my best to remind myself: I’m on a tour bus in X, Y, Z city right now getting to sing and scream at people for a living and hearing stories of people saying this song or that song or that experience either brightened their day or got them through some hardships. I also remember that I have Senses Fail lyrics tattooed to my chest because that record really pulled me out of a dark place when I was a teenager, and how blessed I am to be on the other side of the barricade, singing songs that mean something to me in some way. And even if it connects just to one person, it’s wild to think that music is like a bookmark or a chapter in someone’s life, and that we were able to play some part, even if it’s just in one person’s life.
That is the thing that I try to remember when we might have that bad show. It’s like, “okay, well next show I got to shake that off and go out there because there’s someone out there that’s never seen us before and they’ve saved up all their money for the month to come see us play for 65 or 70 minutes. We’ve got to go out there and have fun for them”. And it’s never lost on us how special and how lucky and blessed we are.
I’m still a fanboy at heart as well. I’ll go see up-and-coming bands or growing bands that I’m keen on, and we get to play shows with bands we love, too. We’re out with Three Days Grace, we’re actually taking a break to do our headliners, but we go back with them in the fall. I still remember buying their album One-X in the store. My dad and I were at a grocery shop, and I begged my dad to buy that CD for me. There’s also so many other bands that I’m a fan of going and seeing, and I love being at festivals like, “holy shit, we’re sharing the stage with Linkin Park” or whoever it might be. I’m out in the crowd drinking a beer or two, going, “I can’t believe I’m here. I can’t believe I’m here”. I think that being that fanboy still to this day and not losing that helps me remember to never forget why we do this, and to keep that energy for the fans coming out to our shows.
I Prevail: The Violent Nature Australian Tour
With Special Guests Imminence + Invent Animate
Sunday 14 June – Metro City, Perth
Tuesday 16 June – Entertainment Centre Theatre, Adelaide
Thursday 18 June – John Cain Arena, Melbourne
Sunday 21 June – Riverstage, Brisbane
Tuesday 23 June – Hordern Pavilion, Sydney
https://www.destroyalllines.com/tours/i-prevail-2026
