Bring Me The Horizon: NX_GN WRLD TOUR 14/01/2024

I couldn’t wait to go back to Glasgow for another concert, even though it had only been a couple of months since I was last there. I am only attending one or two concerts a month until summer, when my schedule gets much crazier. That might sound like a lot but is less than I am used to, so I was eagerly awaiting my first concert of 2024. Paul drove me to Glasgow, which was more fun and less anxiety-inducing than attempting to get a bus down in these winter conditions. January seems like a strange time for a concert but this is a worldwide tour, spanning several months across many different countries. Paul didn’t join me for the actual concert, as he is not a fan at all. Bring Me The Horizon are very different from the usual bands I listen to, which usually lean much more on the Pop side of things. BMTH are heavier than what I’m used to but their songs are catchy and creative with a definite beauty to them. I only got into their music last year after seeing so many people walking around sporting their hoodies, which piqued my interest. I knew most of their songs on this setlist word-for-word, with the exception of ‘MANTRA’, ‘Diamonds Aren’t Forever’ and ‘Antivist’, which I hadn’t listened to enough to fully appreciate. I arrived at The Hydro after 5:30pm when the doors were due to open, naively expecting to get in promptly. It took forty-five minutes to wind my way through the zig-zagging queue to the front doors, which was surprising because we were all seated instead of standing and I didn’t expect people to arrive so early, considering BMTH weren’t due to come onstage until 9:15pm. I couldn’t figure out why it took so long to get the queue moving but the staff were pleasant and wished me a good night after they searched my bag and checked my ticket, which softened my annoyance. I stood in line to get a t-shirt since I missed the pop up shop selling official merchandise elsewhere in Glasgow, which had been advertised on social media. I didn’t hear about it until afterwards but I am happy with the t-shirt I got even though it was £40, which was nearly as expensive as my ticket.

I missed part of the first opening act, Static Dress, as I had to battle those two giant queues. They are an up-and-coming Metal band from Leeds. Fronted by Olli Appleyard (great name), they were an energetic start to the evening and confidently pumped up the crowd and encouraged a mosh pit to form straight away, which was unusual since the main act still felt in the distant future at this point. Cassyette, from Chelmsford in Essex, followed them after a short break. Cassy Brooking’s vocals really captivated me and held my attention, even though I didn’t know any of the songs. They promised new music in the summer and played a mixture of old and new tracks. Bad Omens concluded the three opening acts and had the biggest hype surrounding them, by far. I wasn’t aware of them before this tour either but have been converted into a fan. I’m glad I listened to some of their songs before going, as it made me appreciate their live performance even more. My favourite song of theirs is definitely ‘The Death Of Peace Of Mind’, which is simply hypnotic. They are an American band who formed in 2015, which makes them new to the scene compared to BMTH, who formed twenty years ago. It was fun seeing Oli Sykes (BMTH) and Noah Sebastian (BO) perform ‘Antivist’ together, later in the night. People have been going wild over the duet online and videos of them have been getting thousands of views. Two girls behind me were screaming along with their songs so loudly that I could barely hear BO over them but they quietened down for BMTH, which I was grateful about. The opening bands complemented each other very well and they all brought their own sound to the table, adding a good amount of variety to the night. Although three opening acts sounded daunting and too many for my short attention span, the evening passed extremely quickly and my attention never wandered. I was seated in Section 216, which is about as close as you can get with a full view of the stage since the arena is large and circular in shape. Standing would have been preferable but I was excited to snag this second-hand ticket and didn’t feel too far removed from the excitement.

There was a considerably longer gap between BO and BMTH, so I roamed around and grabbed a bag of chocolate and a cup of Irn-Bru (which was neither in a reusable cup or filled to the top) from downstairs. I wasn’t keen on the new ticketing system which was in place at the upstairs bars which meant you had to order from a machine, so went the old-fashioned route by ordering face to face. I was relieved to see that it was still an option. And I realise that makes me sound very old. On my way back up the escalator I saw a boy coming down the other side reaching over to try and steal a chip from a girl in front of me. I’m sorry if that was you because you looked really upset with him but I found his immaturity kind of hilarious. When I returned to my seat a video-game menu screen appeared, instructing someone to press the play button. That lasted for fifteen to twenty minutes before the action finally commenced and the character EVE (which stands for ‘Evolutionary Virtual Experience’) appeared on-screen to introduce the show and comically scan the crowd for mosh pits and evidence of illegal substances. BMTH entered the stage to an explosion of confetti right off the bat, which caught me off-guard. They definitely know how to make an entrance. I loved that they opened with ‘DArkSide’, since it was released shortly after I became a fan and I’m very fond of it for that reason. My other favourites from the night were ‘Kool-Aid’, ‘Kingslayer’ and ‘Parasite Eve’ but every song packed a punch and elicited a huge response from the crowd, who went into a complete frenzy. The band was bursting with energy and charisma from beginning to end, even though they recently bid farewell to their long-time keyboardist Jordan Fish, who left to join the band Architects. This was my first time seeing them so I didn’t have any preconceived expectations and thought everything sounded spot-on. The chats with the crowd were interrupted a couple of times due to people getting injured, so I’m not certain if JF would have been mentioned or what else OS might have talked about between songs. I haven’t looked up concert videos from the other nights of the tour, though I’m sure there are plenty. Thankfully the concert overran the 11pm curfew and we were fortunate enough to hear the set in completion.

EVE popped up now and then to provide a running narrative and continue to entertain us with her unpredictable dialogue. She teased us with a few unreleased BMTH songs then asked us to all sing along with lines for a song in the upcoming album. OS apologised for the length of time the album is taking to create and assured us this segment will make a lot more sense once the album is released. The whole night was a massive spectacle with multiple screens, gorgeous effects, a fantastical stage built to resemble a church, confetti explosions, flames, smoke machines and strobe lights. Near the end, an emotional video montage showed the history of the band and all of their ups and downs throughout the years which was a nice and meaningful addition to the show. For ‘Drown’, OS jumped off the stage and sang with members of the crowd along the front row. It was clear from the looks on their faces that it was one of the best moments of their lives and I got some really funny photos of over-whelmed fans. Someone wrapped their arm around his neck which was a bit extreme but he made it out unharmed. He expressed his love for everyone in the venue to segue into ‘Can You Feel My Heart’ and described ‘LosT’ (the song which inspired me to re-listen to them in the first place) as a lot of fun, exaggerated by the attention grabbing multi-coloured screens. ‘Doomed’ was an unusual addition to the setlist as I don’t think they perform it often live and ‘Throne’ was the perfect closer, as it is so iconic and upbeat. I left feeling energised and positive even though I had to catch an early bus home in the morning to go to work. Walking back to my hotels in Glasgow has never been an issue and there were a lot of people heading in the same direction, since the Ibis is also just across the road from where I was staying. I intend to see BMTH when they tour again, although I don’t know when that will be. OS commented on the fact it had been a while since they had performed here after he amused everyone by faking a Scottish accent. I would try harder to get a standing ticket in the future as I think that would have been a whole different experience but, as I said, I didn’t feel like I was missing out. I could still see the band clearly, although my photos make my seat look further away from the stage than it was. The sound was also excellent, though I have heard mixed reviews for this venue in the past. I recommend buying a ticket if you still have a chance to catch BMTH this year, as this concert is something you really have to experience to believe.

Felt like ages since I had last been in Glasgow