WHILE SHE SLEEPS // O2 ABC, GLASGOW
WHILE SHE SLEEPS DELIVER ENERGETIC HEADLINE SHOW AT GLASGOW'S O2 ABC
WHILE SHE SLEEPS PERFORMING AT O2 ABC, GLASGOW - 08.02.18
PICTURE: CWY PHOTOGRAPHY
★★★★★
The hardcore four piece Blood Youth opened up the night: the band were formed in Harrogate in 2014 and released their debut album ''Beyond Repair'' in April last year. New tracks like "I Remember" and "Making Waves" sounded huge and blended well with tracks from their previous EPs. The crowd were energetic and proved they were up for moving around from the start with frontman Kaya Tarsus encouraging them to keep it up throughout the set. Closing with their single "Reason to Stay" and a ton of crowd surfing, they prove exactly why they were chosen to open up the tour and made sure we were all suitably warmed up for the upcoming acts.
Main support came from the London five piece Counterfeit. Although they were maybe not quite as heavy as the other bands on the bill, they delivered another energetic set and worked the crowd even harder. Having also released their full-length debut "Together We Are Stronger" last year their set consists mainly of tracks from the album and there's plenty of riffs to go around. Songs like "As Yet Untitled'' and "You Can't Rely" are fast paced and sound great. Dropping a couple of older tracks near the end of their set, frontman Jamie Bower and guitarist Sam Bower pull a microphone and their guitars into the crowd and play from there, then jump back on stage for set closer "Enough". Counterfeit definitely brought their A game and were an entertaining choice for support.
Tension was high though for While She Sleeps to take to the stage and when the lights finally dropped to the acoustic intro of "You Are We" you know the room was about to explode. Having released their latest album of the same name last year without any record label support, they created a bit of a movement as the album was completely funded from the support of fans through the PledgeMusic platform.
"Civil Isolation" was one of our first tastes of the new album and is fast paced and delivers a savage breakdown. Dropping some older tracks from previous albums, we are treated to a brilliant singalong during "Seven Hills" and the breakdown from the title track to their previous album "Brainwashed" sounds absolutely brutal. All of the band members don't stop moving throughout the set and frontman Loz Taylor darting from side to side and getting up close and personal with the front rows.
Things are taken up another gear somehow when they drop "Crows" from their first EP which sends the crowd into overdrive, with the band treating us to an extra addition of the main riff from "My Conscious, Your Freedom". With an appearance from Bleed From Within's vocalist Scott Kennedy during "Four Walls" and closing the night with a one-two punch of their singles "Silence Speaks" and "Hurricane" which sound absolutely massive, While She Sleeps tonight prove exactly why they had a huge amount of hype during the release of You Are We and 2018 is only just getting started for them.
WHILE SHE SLEEPS SETLIST - 02 ABC GLASGOW, 8th FEBRUARY 2018:
You Are We
Civil Isolation
Seven Hills
Brainwashed
Death Toll
Empire of Silence
Feel
The Chapel (interlude)
This Is The Six
Our Courage, Our Cancer
Steal the Sun
Trophies (interlude)
Crows
Four Walls (with Scott Kennedy)
Silence Speaks
Hurricane