A Perfect Circle, 26th June 2026, Helviti, Copenhell Festival, Denmark

Photo: Goran www.urbanmescalero.com

Playing Copenhell for the first time, the alternative rock supergroup was set to take the main stage at 6:30 PM, which meant performing in broad daylight. Truth be told, though, any gig in Denmark in June is essentially a daylight show unless you hit the stage at 11 PM or later.
While it may seem odd to experience a band like A Perfect Circle in broad daylight, Maynard James Keenan has certainly pulled it off both times he has played the festival with Tool, most recently in 2024.

A few weeks ago, the band released a new single, and there has also been talk of a new album being in the works. The current tour also marks the return of drummer Josh Freese, who apparently, following his departure from Foo Fighters, has more time for some of his countless other projects.

The band took the stage to the opening notes of “The Package”, whose slow build-up was accompanied by nothing short of perfect sound. By the time the main riff kicked in, it was clear that the impeccably balanced mix remained just as pristine when things got heavy.

Keenan’s vocals were utterly gorgeous, delivered with remarkable technical control and emotion, yet also with a sense of playfulness. He allowed himself to alter the melodies here and there, and if there is anyone who knows how to slightly reshape perfect melodies without ruining them in a live setting, it is him. Whether with A Perfect Circle, Tool, or Puscifer, he has mastered that balance.

There is nothing particularly flashy about A Perfect Circle’s music, but their musicianship and interplay are simply outstanding. It was one of those performances where, despite the apparent simplicity of the music, the level of skill was almost overwhelming. Any of the five members could be singled out for praise, but it is the way they play together that elevates the experience and makes it greater than the sum of its already impressive parts.

That being said, every drummer should experience Josh Freese live, regardless of which of his many bands he is playing with. There is so much creativity, technical proficiency, and sheer physicality to his playing that any drummer could find inspiration in watching him perform.

In many ways, A Perfect Circle is not a typical booking for a predominantly metal festival, but that has always been part of Copenhell’s DNA. Given the nature of the band’s music, it came as no surprise that there was relatively little audience participation (with exception of “The Outsider”, “Counting Bodies Like Sheep to the Rhythm of the War Drums” and “Judith”) – but that is rarely the case even at the band’s own headline shows. Some concerts are simply meant to be experienced in quiet awe, soaking in every subtle, brilliant musical moment. In that sense, audience participation is hardly a measure of a performance’s quality.

What is a pity, however, is that at Copenhell 2026 we apparently find ourselves in a situation where a noticeable portion of the audience turns up to watch a band they have little interest in seeing, only to spend most of the performance talking, taking selfies, and doing anything but showing the artists – and the rest of the audience – the respect they deserve.

That, however, should play no part in judging A Perfect Circle’s performance. Because it was nothing short of exquisite. And if there was one song that encapsulated everything that makes the band special, and everything that made last night’s performance so memorable, it was “Orestes”. Witnessing that song live without experiencing goosebumps seems almost as unlikely as attending a festival and not having part of the crowd spend the entire concert talking loudly.

As someone in the crowd put it after the concert, “It doesn’t matter if you like this music or not. This is just on a whole other level to anything else that played the festival this year.”

SETLIST:

1. The Package
2. Weak and Powerless
3. Disillusioned
4. The Doomed
5. Rose
6. Gravity
7. Orestes
8. TalkTalk
9. 3 Libras (All Main Courses Mix)
10. The Outsider
11. Counting Bodies Like Sheep to the Rhythm of the War Drums
12. Blue
13. Starless
14. Judith