Photographer: Garrett Poulos
Artist: Bush, Mammoth, James And The Cold Gun
Location: Red Hat Amphitheater – Raleigh, NC
Date: April 14th, 2026
Raleigh, NC – Tuesday, April 14, 2026
Bush has always been one of those bands that sits slightly off-center from the rest of the post-grunge wave, and their stop in Raleigh at Red Hat Amphitheater Tuesday night felt like a reminder of just how dialed in they still are. This band helped define the sound of 90s alternative rock, and they played like none of that momentum ever really left.
From the jump with “Everything Zen,” the energy was immediate. Heavy guitars, tight rhythm section, and Gavin Rossdale with a welcoming smile, cutting through the lyrics with that familiar grit built for a live setting like this.
Bush broke through in the mid-90s during a crowded era of alt rock, but they carved out their own lane. Tracks like “Glycerine” and “Comedown” became everywhere songs, driven by strong hooks and Rossdale’s unique vocal tone. That blend of heaviness and melody put them in the same broader world as bands like Nirvana, Stone Temple Pilots, Alice in Chains, and Soundgarden, but Bush always leaned a bit more hook-driven while still keeping that weight underneath it.
They’ve also never been a band that stayed in one lane. Even early on, they pushed beyond straightforward post-grunge, experimenting with darker textures and layered production instead of just leaning into traditional hard rock formulas. That willingness to shift shows up in how their live set flows now. It is not just about the hits, it’s about how those songs sit next to each other.
At this point, Rossdale is the only original member left, but the current lineup with guitarist Chris Traynor, bassist Corey Britz, and drummer Nik Hughes feels completely dialed in. There is no sense of a band getting familiar with each other.
The set moved between eras without losing momentum. Tracks like “Testosterone,” “The Chemicals Between Us,” and “Greedy Fly” gave the middle of the set a heavier, darker stretch, while newer material like “More Than Machines” and “We’re All the Same on the Inside” fit in naturally.
“The Land of Milk and Honey” landed early and felt right at home. Tracks like “Love Me Till the Pain Fades” stood out as one of the more stripped back moments of the evening, adding a different dynamic before the set ramped back up again.
Later on, “Glycerine” brought everything down to just Gavin Rossdale solo, which always shifts the entire crowd’s attention. Before starting, he mentioned that “the world’s on fire, but we’re gonna have a good time tonight,” which felt like one of those off-the-cuff moments that stuck. It’s a reminder that a lot of people come to live shows to step away from everything else going on, even if it’s just for a couple hours.
Not long after, he moved through the audience during “Flowers on a Grave,” adding that unpredictable, up-close energy that works especially well in an outdoor amphitheater setting.
They closed the main set with “Little Things,” then came back out for an encore that didn’t hold back. “Machinehead,” “Swallowed,” and “Comedown” ended things on a run that felt just as strong as the opening.
Bush could easily coast on their catalog at this point, but this show did not feel like that. It felt like a band still pushing forward, trying out their new material while fully aware of where they came from.
Opening the night, James and the Cold Gun from Wales, UK delivered a raw, no-frills set that leaned into straight forward rock energy and set the tone early. Songs like “Guessing Games” and “Above The Lake” stood out, before they closed their seven song set with “Chewing Glass.”
Mammoth came out swinging with a set that felt loud, confident, and fully formed. Wolfgang Van Halen, whose last name carries undeniable weight as the son of Eddie Van Halen, clearly has a deep-rooted instinct for rock and roll, but what stands out is how comfortably he’s stepped into his own identity, especially now that the project is simply called Mammoth, dropping the WVH from the name. Tracks from their 2025 album The End like “The Spell” and “One of a Kind” translated really well live, built on heavy riffs and tight arrangements that gave him space to really shred on guitar without it ever feeling like a showcase for the sake of it.
Bush continues their North American Tour through May 2026 before heading across the pond for a European run of shows in Germany, Bavaria and the UK.
For tour dates and more info, visit https://www.bushofficial.com/#tour
