Bring Me The Horizon review

Intimate gig is night out to die for

Bring Me The Horizon are one of the biggest alt-metal bands in the scene right now. As they prepare to embark on a European album tour, they chose Liverpool to play their EP in full for the first time on Monday. ZOE WHEELER went along to hear more

Liverpool Guild of Students is bustling with electric energy in anticipation for what was promised to be Bring Me The Horizon’s exclusive launch gig. The first opportunity to hear their latest EP ‘Post Human: Survival Horror’ live from start to finish. An assortment of individuals pack into the, just over, 2000 person capacity venue, as to be expected for a band that have been in the rock and metal scene for 16 years. Although this intimate show was intended to take place before the Sheffield based band’s massive arena tour, covid-19 had other plans. Nonetheless, the constant chatter and laughter that fills the room, which has been engulfed in blue stage lights, suggests this rare opportunity to see the band on such a small capacity venue is just as exciting for everyone involved. The slightest bit of motion from the stage as the crew sound-checked caused the crowd to cheer excitedly for the band to come on stage.

The room erupts as the lights start to dim and the instantly recognisable riff from ‘Dear Diary’ booms across the room. It’s impossible to not pinch yourself as an EP that was largely produced in lockdown is performed live in front of a more than an eager audience; although you are, quite literally, pushed back into reality as frontman, Oli Sykes, screams to the crowd to open a mosh pit.

As the first song comes to an end, the venue has seemed to have risen by 20 degrees as the crowd appears to all feel the same emotion: “It’s good to be back.” As ‘Ludens’ comes towards the end, Sykes endearingly changes the lyrics from: “You call this a connection,” to “You call this a f***ing moshpit?” which is met as a

Bring Me The Horizon Performing. Photo: Zoe Wheeler. John Jones Rhythm Guitar. Photo: Zoe Wheeler.

challenge by the crowd who push the pit further. Almost exactly a year after the release of ‘Post Human: Survival Horror’, arguably one of the band’s most experimental records to date, it is clear to say this album was meant to be performed live. Bring Me The Horizon captivate the crowd to give just as much energy to ‘Dear Diary’, a track reminiscent of their older heavy metal sound, as they do to ‘Kingslayer’, a track featuring Japanese rock band, Baby Metal. After Sykes apologised for not knowing the song very well, ‘One Day The Only Butterflies Left Will Be In Your Chest As You March Towards Your Death’, made it’s live debut as the song that was expected to play them out. The reception from the crowd was simply goose-bump inducing. The EP title ‘Post Human: Survival Horror’, seems very fitting to the cyber-punk, dystopian performance they put on. Although this gig was a lot more stripped back than the high concept production, than their arena tour, the Liverpool crowd were definitely not left disappointed. The band, consisting of front man Oli Sykes, bassist Matt Kean, lead guitar Lee Malia, drums Matt Nicholls and keyboard / programming Jordan Fish, were able to connect with the intimate crowd in a way they haven’t been able to on such a small scale for a very long time.

Every so often, Oli stops to chat with the crowd between songs making it clear to everyone in the room how grateful they are to have the fans supporting them which is met with an eruption of screams. As the band get ready to surprise the crowd with five extra bonus songs from their wider discography, after playing ‘MANTRA’, Sykes introduces their latest single ‘Die4u’ by saying: “You know I’d die for you Liverpool, if it came down to it,” which is matched with an uproar of screaming from the audience. With ringing ears and the faces in the crowd full of sweat dripping down once perfectly applied eyeliner, Bring Me The Horizon step off stage from their penultimate UK show.  The MNL podcast is coming!

WE’RE BACK NEXT WEEK WITH THE LATEST NEWS AND VIEWS