Bring Me The Horizon are in the middle of a packed summer, taking their brilliant new live show (or “touring freak show”) from festival to festival. With brilliant dystopian dancers, cinematic visuals and a shit ton of pyro, it’s a theatrical triumph for the band, and an example of why, after 15 years, they’re the band that have survived.
Pulling into Romania’s Electric Castle for their headline performance the band are on top form. Here’s what went down during their main stage show.
You ready?
“Romania! Are you ready? Here we go!” frontman Oli Sykes bellows as he launches himself on stage. “We are Bring Me The Horizon from Sheffield England, are you fucking ready?” he adds, as the band launch into set opener siri-banger ‘Mantra’.
Get in the pit!
From the get-go Sykes acts as some sort of demonic cult leader. Egging the crowd on to to create huge circle pits, then watching as the crowd transforms into glorious chaos. “You know what circle pits are in Romania?” he askes before ‘The House of Wolves’, “well let’s see some then…come on you fucking pussyholes…bigger, bigger, bigger.”
An arena sized show
This is the most showy the band have ever been. They walk on stage in matching boiler suits (before a costume change after a handful of songs). From the start there are eerie dancers in creepy hazmat style masks, who whip out flamethrowers during ‘Wonderful Life’. There’s even some almost choreography from Sykes, who isn’t quite dancing, but is definitely moving with purpose amongst the dancers.
All the pyro
From the aforementioned dancers with flamethrowers, to liberal use of pyro during every other song, this is one stage you wouldn’t want to be near if you were wearing anything flammable.
A cinematic experience
The band’s on-screen visuals are a real spectacle, and especially on Electric Castle’s gigantic panoramic screens. From the creepy wolf animations during ‘The House of Wolves’, to the cartoon Dani Filth during ‘Wonderful Life’ and the unnerving sci-fi screens during ‘Nihilist Blues’, it’s a proper cinematic experience.
Video stars
And it’s not just the elaborate visuals that entertain on the big screen. Sykes acts up for the camera throughout, especially when he performs the final verse of ‘Happy Song’ to the camera, finishing by giving the lens a big ‘ol snog.
Their Alex from Glasto moment
“Which one of you is going to sing it?” Sykes asks the audience before ‘Antivist’, dragging a guy off the front row on stage. “What’s your name lad?” he asks. “Andrei” is the answer. As they get ready to launch into the volcanic tune, Sykes offers the fan some sage advice: “don’t step over here as that’s fire, and that’ll kill you.”
And then they’re off, and it turns out that Andrei knows all the words. In an Alex from Dave at Glasto moment, the Bring Me stan chucks himself around the stage, keeping up with the band and nailing every scream. “You’re the best yet, fucking smashed it bro” Sykes tells him at the end. A future as a metal-core screamer may be coming for you Andrei.
Bring the encore
“I didn’t know people in Romania cared about our band! I don’t know what to say, but thank you!” Sykes tells the crowd as the band reappear for their encore. Blasting through ‘Drown’ and finishing with a ground-shaking rendition of ‘Throne’, the show ends with a flurry of confetti and pyro. And just like that, the “touring freak show” rolls onto the next city.
Bring me the Horizon played:
Mantra
Avalanche
The House of Wolves
Medicine
Wonderful Life
Shadow Moses
Happy Song
Can You Feel My Heart
Sugar Honey Ice & Tea
Nihilist Blues
Antivist
Follow You
Encore
Drown
Throne
