A sober Oli Sykes delivers an inspiring performance
Review by Magnolialux
The third date of Bring Me The Horizon’s anticipated Post Human tour takes place in the bands Hometown, Sheffield. The excited queues to enter Sheffield Arena wrap around the building, but this hasn’t dampened their spirits. The atmosphere inside is buzzing and and the suspense continues to build as You Me At Six close their set with crowd favourite, Underdog.
Teardrops opens the show in clouds of smoke and streamers, while the stage is soaked in white light. The band are dressed in suits while Oli Sykes forgoes a shirt to showcase his extensive tattoos. The crowd reacts vibrantly to each track and Sykes’ performs with relentless energy. The audience erupts into circle pits during Parasite Eve and shout back “This is a war” as the lyrics flashed up on stage. Wonderful Life leads to a rowing mosh pit in the centre on the standing audience. Sykes encourages everyone to join in throughout the show, with countless people watching from the shoulders of others. Half way through the set, opening act Nova Twins return to the stage with infectious energy for their feature on 1×1.
Visually the show is staggeringly impressive, with multidimensional effects and transparent screens displaying immersive videos, live lyrics and sketched drawings. Sykes creates a real connection with the crowd in the way he communicates and effortlessly persuades them to repeat positive manifestations back to him, all accompanied by hypnotic visuals. The references to the pandemic are light hearted but still hit home.
Throne followed by Can You Feel My Heart was the ultimate closure to the show. An explosion of lights and streamers fill the arena while Sykes creates a heart with his hands that is soon mirrored back by the thousands in the arena.
The band has grown and developed through the years, and the show is a clear mark of this progression. Their genre has changed but so have their fans. Sykes shares that this is the first show that he’s done sober, and he didn’t know that gigs could feel like this. The open communication he has with the audience is a raw and vulnerable moment and something that should be talked about more often in the music industry. All together the show feels intimate and meaningful, despite being in a sold out arena. This isn’t a show the audience are going to forget anytime soon.
Set List
Teardrops
MANTRA
The House of Wolves
Medicine
Happy Song
Ludens
Dear Diary
Parasite Eve
Shadow Moses
Wonderful Life
1×1 (with Nova Twins)
DiE4u
Itch for the Cure (When Will We Be Free?)
Kingslayer
Follow You (Acoustic)
Drown
Encore:
Obey
Throne
Can You Feel My Heart
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