FAILURE KICK OFF LOCATION LOST TOUR IN PERFECT FORM
PHOTOS BY PRISCILLA CHAVEZ SCOTT
Photo: Priscilla Chavez Scott
Highly influential alt-rock veterans Failure have returned with a new album, Location Lost, and kicked off their nationwide tour with a relatively intimate show at the 300-capacity Zebulon in Los Angeles.
Cold Gawd opened the night with a set that somehow managed to feel both laid-back and fully charged. Everything about the SoCal group points to shoegaze, and they lean into that label themselves, but there’s a heavier edge here that sets them apart. Across a tight 35-minute set, they blended dreamy textures with bursts of post-hardcore intensity, giving their sound more weight than you’d expect. The mix of atmosphere and aggression landed well with the crowd, and with the buzz they’ve been building lately, it’s clear they’re a band to keep an eye on.
When Failure took the stage, the response felt more like a homecoming than a typical tour stop. The reception was immediate and loud, the kind reserved for a band with a deeply loyal following. A minor stumble during the opening song “The Air’s on Fire” didn’t slow them down for long, and the set quickly found its footing. The band worked in several new tracks from Location Lost, including the groove-heavy “A Way Down” and the more expansive “The Rising Skyline,” which closed out the encore.
Across 75 minutes, the setlist pulled from every era of the band’s catalog. Recent favorites like “Headstand,” “Submarines,” and “Counterfeit Sky” sat alongside older staples like “Frogs” and “Undone,” while a strong run of material from Fantastic Planet kept the energy locked in. Songs like “Stuck on You,” “The Nurse Who Loved Me,” and “Smoking Umbrellas” still hit with the same weight they’ve carried for years.
There’s a reason bands like Tool, A Perfect Circle, and Hayley Williams have all pointed to Failure as an influence. They have a way of controlling a room without forcing it. Even as the newer material finds its place, the crowd’s connection to Fantastic Planet remains undeniable, and it’s easy to see why.
The band has bookended this tour with Los Angeles shows, opening here at Zebulon and wrapping things up at The Belasco Theater on October 30, with stops in major cities in between. If they’re coming through your area, it’s worth making the effort.
Location Lost drops April 24, with Failure touring across the U.S. throughout 2026 in support of the release.
