By Olivia Burns
Bring Me The Horizon, probably one of, if not the biggest bands in the scene, bought their Next Gen tour down under and after seeing plenty of highlights as they played their overseas show, the anticipation was at an all time high to finally witness this spectacle firsthand. If there wasn’t already enough of a reason to go, Sleep Token was co-headlining the tour, along with Make Them Suffer and daine opening, what a lineup that warranted multiple arena shows in all states, which had sold out. On the 18th of April, it was the second show that they had played in Melbourne, however this time it was at Rod Laver Arena, making it an even bigger show than the first.
The crowd started filling the large arena as Australia’s own Daine and Make Them Suffer both put on a great performance warming up the crowd, we didn’t even make it to the end of the openers sets before we saw a circle pit happening getting the crowd ready for the rest of the night ahead.
A long intro only made the wait to have Sleep Token up on stage that much more agonizing for all those eager to see them. Having seen them last year, and it being my favourite live performance of the year, I was really keen to see them again. Starting off with The Offering, as soon as they started playing, it really did take you to a different place, especially with Vessel’s vocals. They played a mix of older and new songs including Rain, Granite and Alkaline. For a band that doesn’t partake in crowd interaction through speaking, they sure can captivate their audience just on performance and sound alone. I always love being impressed by bands/artists that sound the same, if not better than they do in the studio, and Sleep Token definitely exceeds expectations.The only criticism I had about this set was that it should have been longer, and I know I’m not the only one that thought the same. However, I feel like if we went over all of the songs we wished they played we would have been there for 3 hours.
As the main event approached, the venue filled with eager fans, some diving into the mosh pit while others watched from the outside. A gaming-style menu appeared on the screen, building suspense with a thumping beat. Then, Eve, the AI bot, took the stage on screen, crafting the narrative about AI’s dominance. With her final words, “Melbourne, are you ready to live your lives like you’re ready to die?… Enjoy your experience,” confetti went off and Bring Me the Horizon exploded onto the stage with “Darkside.” From the start, I already knew this was going to be an incredible night, it really felt as though they put everything into this show from start to finish. The set design was stunning, featuring tiered platforms where band members were placed at each tier and dynamic graphics, like a burning church backdrop for the opening. “Kool Aid” was accompanied by pyrotechnics throughout most of the song. There was so much to take in, I think I counted 4-5 different types of confetti going off at different parts of the show. As we moved onto the intro for “Can You Feel My Heart”, the fire turned into a snowy blizzard and bits of white confetti fell from the ceiling onto the front of the crowd, turning it into a magical atmosphere. All these little details really just added to the whole show, it wasn’t just a band getting up on stage and performing, they gave you an entire experience.
Highlights of the show were a interactions with the crowd, as singer, Oli Sykes got down off the stage for their song “Drown”, where he joins the fans with a holding a camera and makes his way singing the words, which I’m sure this memory would last a lifetime for those dedicated fans that were up front. Later in the set, they had an audience member jump up on stage to join them for “Antivist” which incited a wall of death encouraged by Oli and the guest fan.
Bring Me the Horizon’s cohesion as a band was remarkable, each member delivering an energetic performance. Oli’s vocals were powerful, showcasing his growth in live vocals and stage presence over the years. The setlist included some old classics along with a lot of their newer tracks, with the show lasting just under 2 hours. I do think that even if you were stuck longing for them to go back to the pre- ‘That’s The Spirit’ album sound, it would have been hard to come away without a newfound appreciation for their newer tracks. It was great to see how the latest songs, also along with old favourites translated into a live setting with such a high quality production. Ending on “Throne”, was a great send off, band and crowd alike putting all their energy into one final song, as the last chorus came in, red streamers were set off and covered the mosh pit. The applause and yelling lasted long after the song had finished, everyone amazed with what they had just witnessed.
Bring Me The Horizon are continuously evolving as a band, and whatever they do, they do it well. I left the venue in complete awe of the entire show. Overall I feel like they have found who they are as a band, the seamless flow of the show made it seem well practiced but their personable performance felt like it was fresh at the same time. I don’t think I’m alone when I say that this definitely is a top contender for the best show of 2024. With the new album finished and on the way, I can’t wait to see what is next and hopefully with that, it won’t be long before they are back.
Photo Gallery : Bring Me The Horizon – Rod Laver Arena (04.18.2024)
