Oliver (Oli) Sykes himself said it best.
“There’s so much pain in the world right now. But, we are all here together, so let’s make the most of it,” Sykes told the crowd, flanked on all sides by his fellow bandmates. As he kneeled down, the few thousand fans inside Municipal Auditorium anxiously awaited the Sheffield natives’ performance. It has been three years since Bring Me The Horizon (BMTH) last set foot in Nashville, and their return was well worth the wait.
(Miguel Beristain)
As the show began with a beautiful rendition of the iconic “Can You Feel My Heart,” something stood out amidst the bustling crowd and blinding set lights: Oli Sykes was better than ever.
Sykes has admitted in the past to fighting a ketamine addiction and battling depression stemming from self-loathing. The time off from performing due to the pandemic opened the door for a relapse, the demons that haunted Sykes coming back. Yet, he rebounded from rock bottom. Since those dark times, Sykes addressed his issues and has been sober for over a year now. The progress was evident as the man yelling for the heavens on stage seemed like a different person. Sykes’ voice was much clearer and his transitions from passionate shouts during “sTraNgeRs” to demonic bellowings during songs like “Shadow Moses” were effortless. Sykes fluidly pranced around the stage, a smile plastered on his face. Throughout the night, he pulled the mic away for seconds at a time to listen to people in attendance singing the lyrics for all of his songs back to him. For me, it was a comforting feeling to see one of my favorite vocalists in his element despite all that he’s been through. There was no sorrow in sight.
From frenzied teens to bouncing young adults to older rock fans who’ve stuck with the band since their formation in 2004, the concertgoers all had unique backgrounds and relationships with BMTH and their music. This enthusiasm was even noticeable from the few children I could see seated on the levels above the ground floor, captivated by the hype and sheer energy of a rock concert. Regardless of their differences, Bring Me The Horizon fans were united by their love for the group and appreciation for one another.
The tour serves as the triumphant culmination of the band’s achievements and career. Their recent gigs have shown that BMTH seeks to appeal to everyone. The concert ricocheted from headbanging metalcore hits to more sentimental emo-rock tracks. For instance, the tumultuous rage-filled EDM and hard rock hybrid “Obey” was quickly followed by its tonal polar opposite, an acoustic variation of “Follow You.” This constant reversal of moods kept me on my toes the entire night. Moshpits opened within the center of the crowd in a constant blur of bodies until the next tune arrived, causing a seismic shift in the audience as they mellowed out, cruising along to the softer sound. Even with this back-and-forth, the mob-like enthusiasm of BMTH fanatics never faltered.
Closing out the night with “Throne,” Bring Me The Horizon cranked up the intensity once again. Crouching in center stage, Sykes gave a quick glance to one of his guitarists before turning his head to the sky and shouting an order for everyone to “Lose your minds!” As the electrifying riffs of the track raged on, Sykes brought the crowd to a standstill, stopping the song as he commanded everyone to take a seat. Everyone, from the top-seat rows to the standing room dropped to their knees, awaiting the music’s return. Once it arrived, the audience jumped to their feet as crowd surfing, moshing and an absolute explosion of energy ensued until the end. Sykes triumphantly held his microphone up and relished in the cheering crowd as, once again, Bring Me The Horizon turned a normal concert into a breathtaking experience.
