Tool Shake Up Auckland Show With Surprise Return Of ‘Prison S*x’ And Rare Deep Cuts (Video)

Tool delivered a massive surprise to their fanbase during the second night of their New Zealand tour, resurrecting the controversial classic “Prison Sex” for the first time in over two decades.

The performance took place on November 23 at the Spark Arena in Auckland, capping off a weekend that has fundamentally rewritten expectations for the band’s current international run. The track, the second single from their 1993 triple-platinum debut Undertow, has been absent from setlists since 2002, with frontman Maynard James Keenan having largely retired the band’s more visceral early material in recent years.

The return of “Prison Sex” was the centerpiece of a night heavy on rarities. The setlist also featured the return of “Intension”, a hypnotic track from 2006’s 10,000 Days that had not been performed live since March 2014. Additionally, the band debuted “Mockingbeat”, the instrumental closing track from their latest album Fear Inoculum, marking its first-ever appearance in a live setting.

This adventurous programming follows a historic opening night in Auckland on November 22, where the band broke a 27-year silence on “Crawl Away” and performed the Ænima favorite “H.” and Lateralus‘s “Disposition” for the first time in over 20 years.

The unpredictable nature of these New Zealand shows stands in stark contrast to the controversy that engulfed the band earlier this year. In March 2025, the band’s inaugural destination festival, “Tool Live In The Sand” in the Dominican Republic, sparked backlash when fans—who had paid a premium for travel packages—criticized the band for playing nearly identical setlists on consecutive nights. The Auckland concerts appear to be a direct answer to those calls for variety, blending modern progressive metal epics with the raw aggression of their 90s output.

The evening concluded with a cover of Black Sabbath’s “Hand of Doom”, a staple of their recent touring cycle, before closing with the 10,000 Days hit “Vicarious”.

Tool – Spark Arena, Auckland – November 23, 2025 Setlist

Main Set:

• “Fear Inoculum”
• “The Grudge”
• “Lost Keys (Blame Hofmann)”
• “Rosetta Stoned”
• “Intension” (First time since 2014)
• “Right In Two”
• “Pneuma”
• “Prison Sex” (First time since 2002)
• “H.”
• “Sweat”

Encore:

• “Mockingbeat” (Live Debut)
• “Hand of Doom” (Black Sabbath cover)
• “Invincible”
• “Vicarious”