Outside the Oshkosh Arena, fans were lined up for a night of great music with an excellent lineup. The tour featured James and the Cold Gun as the opener, along with Mammoth and headliners Bush.
James and the Cold Gun, a rock band from the UK, took the stage at 7 p.m. With an alternative and grunge influenced style, they were a great addition to the tour. The band had strong stage presence with plenty of energy throughout the set. The guitar riffs were catchy, and vocalist James Joseph sounded fantastic live. The band was clearly thankful for the opportunity to be on the tour. Joseph mentioned that back home they are used to playing shows in front of around 15 people, so performing in arenas on this run was something they deeply appreciated. Overall, they did a great job getting the energy going for the night, and the crowd seemed to really enjoy the set.
Mammoth was next up, and it was easy to see they had plenty of fans in the crowd. Not only were there loud cheers as they took the stage, but there were also plenty of Mammoth shirts throughout the arena. The band sounded excellent live, and this night was no exception. Wolfgang Van Halen has a great voice that translates extremely well live. His guitar playing was one of the standout moments of the set, featuring fast tapping sections reminiscent of his father Eddie Van Halen’s signature style along with several impressive solos.
Mammoth opened with “One of a Kind” from their latest album The End, which was released in October 2025. One of my favorite moments of the set was “Distance,” Wolfgang’s tribute to his father Eddie Van Halen. It is already an emotional song, but hearing it live made it even more powerful. The eight song set ended with “The End,” leaving me looking forward to the next opportunity to see them perform again.
After that, anticipation continued to build as fans waited for headliners Bush. Once the lights went down, drummer Nik Hughes began alone on stage, pounding on the drums while strobes flashed across the arena. After about a minute, the rest of the band joined him and immediately launched into “Machinehead” for a high energy start to their 19 song set.
Gavin Rossdale constantly kept the energy moving with his nonstop stage presence, which translated directly to the crowd. The lighting and sound throughout the set were excellent. Rossdale’s voice sounded fantastic live, and Bush continues to prove why they have remained one of rock’s most successful bands since the 1990s.
The setlist featured many classic hits alongside songs from the band’s latest album The Land of Milk and Honey. Tracks like “Scars,” “I Beat Loneliness,” and “We’re All the Same On the Inside” sounded great live, with “We’re All the Same On the Inside” becoming one of my favorites from the newer material.
Other highlights included “Glycerine,” which Rossdale performed stripped down and alone on stage with his electric guitar, along with crowd favorites “The Chemicals Between Us,” “Everything Zen,” and “Comedown,” which closed the night. During “Flowers On The Grave,” Rossdale entered the crowd and made his way through the arena and up into the bleachers while continuing to interact with fans.
Bush continues to be one of the most consistently enjoyable live bands in rock. Nearly three decades into their career, they are still releasing strong new material while delivering energetic performances packed with hits. If Bush is coming to your area, it is absolutely a show worth seeing.
