GalleryDitch This MagazineNovember 09, 2025gallery, live, melbourne, Evanescence, PICA, Amiee Harris, Michael Prebeg, Destroy All Lines

Evanescence @ PICA 07-11-25

GalleryDitch This MagazineNovember 09, 2025gallery, live, melbourne, Evanescence, PICA, Amiee Harris, Michael Prebeg, Destroy All Lines

photos: Amiee Harris @rixoncaptures
Words: Michael Prebeg

From the moment Evanescence steps out on stage, the energy is electric. Opening with newer track ‘Afterlife’, it’s an assertive, cinematic beginning that sets the tone for the night. The sound is huge, but not overwhelming—tight drumming, strong guitars, and above it all, Amy Lee’s unmistakable voice, powerful yet emotive. Without pause, they launched into ‘What You Want,’ which thunders through the venue with intensity. The industrial setting of the Port Melbourne PICA warehouse lends the performance an added grit, perfectly matching the darker edges of the music.

‘Going Under’ arrives like a nostalgic storm. The audience erupts as Lee commands the stage. Her voice hasn’t lost an ounce of strength or clarity and it’s as haunting and defiant as it was two decades ago. ‘Yeah Right’ follows and is a modern favourite that showcases just how well Evanescence have evolved their sound.

When the opening chords of ‘Call Me When You’re Sober’ ring out, the crowd roars with recognition. It’s a moment of shared release as hundreds of voices join Lee’s in full-throated harmony. The song’s sharpness still hits hard, and its themes of strength and independence seemed to echo even louder now.

“It is so good to be with you tonight. This moment is all about you. This moment is all I needed! We're throwing out some songs that we don't have in the other shows, she exclaims to the delight of fans who managed to get tickets to this coveted intimate headline show.

Lee is excited to support Metallica tomorrow night in Melbourne but explains that a show like this with their people brings her the kind of release that only this type of show can give. They do their best to play a set mixed with some of their best material and some special songs they don’t often play. Lee takes a seat at a grand piano centre-stage two piano-driven tracks ‘Lithium’ and the magnificent deep cut ‘Lost In Paradise’ from their self-titled third album. Every note resonates and every lyric carries weight as the audience sings along as Lee summons a raw vulnerability in her deeply emotional performance.

Newer track and collaboration with K.Flay ‘Fight Like A Girl’ is a welcome addition to the setlist for fans to hear this live for the first time. Lee’s commanding presence that’s fierce, graceful, and entirely in control. The band around her plays with precision and fire, delivering a sound that is both faithful to their origins and freshly alive.

‘Take Cover’ is loaded with sweeping melodies and anthemic rhythm pushing toward its emotional climax. The song builds alongside Lee’s voice soaring above the dense instrumentation. ‘Better Without You’ follows, bringing a balance between melancholy and empowerment. These songs may be newer additions but live they felt instantly timeless and proof that Evanescence continue to write with both passion and purpose.

‘Imaginary’ follows shortly after with a haunting and cinematic highlight that showcases the band’s ability to create atmosphere through texture as much as melody. The room is drenched in purple light and Lee’s vocals soar with an otherworldly quality for the fan-favourite deep cut from their debut album ‘Fallen’.

“This is our sanctuary. All the hate, and lies, and greed, and all the devices used to tear us apart all over the world cannot touch us here. Why is that? Because we're all united over something. Even after everything against us, everything we've been through, we are still right here, standing together, seeing together. We define our humanity! Remember that we are in this together and together we are powerful. Can you hear me? It's your voice!” Lee shouts before unleashing the powerful track ‘Use My Voice.’

Before the final two songs, Lee asks us to let out whatever we’ve got left in us. “Thank you for those of you that have been with us for the past 22 years and for growing up with me,” she exclaims, before concluding the show with two of the band’s biggest songs ‘My Immortal’ and ‘Bring Me To Life.’

From the first piano notes, the crowd knew it was coming, and the response is explosive. Every person in the room sings along, fists raised, some with tears in their eyes. It is more than nostalgia—it’s a celebration of their legacy and proof that the song that introduced Evanescence to the world in 2003 still holds the same power as it did then.

By the time the final chord fades, Lee stands at the centre of the stage, smiling and visibly moved. She thanks the audience for their energy, their history, and their belief in what the band still stands for. The applause goes on long after the lights come up as the band takes their final bow and the crowd reluctant to let the moment end.