From Bring me the Horizon’s humble beginnings in Sheffield to the festival-headlining, mainstream chart-smashing shooting star that the group is today, their popularity has skyrocketed over the past decade. Last year’s fantastic headline show at Download Festival 2023 promised great things for their 2024 performances and they did not disappoint. Kicking off their London shows on the 20th of January at the O2 arena, no one was prepared for what their NX_GN WRLD TOUR was going to hold. Going through some of the band’s biggest hits like ‘Teardrops’, ‘AmEN!’ and ‘Shadow Moses’, BMTH delivered performances that were nothing short of their recorded counterparts; sometimes even better. ‘Can You Feel My Heart’, for example, is a sharp record, but live, the band created an immersive emotional experience around it. Frontman Oliver Sykes’ theme for the night was openness, gratitude and joy in abundance.
The effort put into the brilliant visuals are gobsmacking in their own right, circling around rogue experiments told by AI narrator EVE. BMTH started their set off with a thrilling performance of ‘DarkSide’, setting the tone for a crazy night. As they played through their setlist, the crowd was put on a rollercoaster of emotions. During their newest single ‘Kool-Aid’ you find yourself gasping at the big, decaying angel crashing through the church backdrop, ‘DiE4u’, ‘Drown’, and ‘Can You Feel My Heart’ ignite the already electric atmosphere even further, inspiring passionate sing-alongs and frenzied mosh pits throughout the whole arena. Bring Me The Horizon’s delivery was nothing short of otherworldly. With their catalogue of songs, their visually stunning stage design and special guest appearances from Yungblud during ‘Obey’ and Bad Omen’s own Noah Sebastian for ‘Antivist’, BMTH created a night that will be carved into the memories of all those in the audience. The successful Combination of the futuristic with the gothic, is evident throughout the whole show, be it the CG cyberpunk dancers filling in for Babymetal on ‘Kingslayer’ or the draugr warrior with flaming scythe on ‘Throne’, or Daryl Palumbo’s screaming head on a communion wafer on ‘AmEN’. On top of all that, the well known arena bells and whistles are here, with the CO2 cannons, the fore, the confetti and the laser displays.
One of the most memorable and moving moments however goes to Sykes throwing himself into the crowd, causing a wave of excitement and borderline hysteria paired with many happy tears. The connection between the band and their fans was evident, making the experience all the more unforgettable. Another Highlight of the night has to be their “cliche” moment of the beautiful acoustic version of ‘sTraNgeRs’, showcasing the band’s versatility in between their older heavier renditions of songs like ‘Diamonds aren’t forever’.
Bring Me The Horizon once again proved why they are in a league of their own. Emotions and stunts aside, musically, they were the most powerful they have ever been. Each member’s performance was flawless. Sykes acted as their dark troupe leader throughout, taking everyone on a spectacular ride through the night. As confetti rains down on the crowd during their explosive final track and their show comes to a triumphant end, the impact they’ve made on modern rock music is hard to ignore. From 2008 to 2024 this was a masterful celebration of Bring me the Horizon’s story so far.
Photos taken at the show in Sheffield.
Bring Me The Horizon
Bad Omens
Static Dress
Written by: Laura Finkler
Photographed by: Naimh Louise
Edited by: Naomi Krauthausen
