BRING ME THE HORIZON // THE SSE HYDRO, GLASGOW
BRING ME THE HORIZON RETURN TO SCOTLAND BRINGING A MASSIVE LIGHT PRODUCTION STAGE AS PART OF THEIR ‘POST HUMAN: WORLD TOUR’
★★★★★ (5/5)
BRING ME THE HORIZON PERFORMING AT GLASGOW’S SSE HYDRO - 21.09.2021
PICTURE BY: | PAUL STORR PHOTOGRAPHY
Formed in London in 2014, English rock duo Nova Twins open proceedings tonight.
Their alternative rock sound goes down well with the crowd which has already gathered inside the SSE Hydro.
Playing songs from last year's release "Who Are The Girls?", guitarist/singer Amy Love has a superb stage presence while bassist Georgia South brings the rhythm. With a lot of duo groups on the go just now, you could be forgiven for thinking "how many twins are too many?", but in this case the confidence they ooze reminds you of a headline act, and Nova Twins fully deserve their space here.#
Main support tonight comes from pop rock stalwarts You Me At Six. Kicking things off with "Nice To Me", the first song on new album SUCKAPUNCH, it's immediately obvious that the crowd are in for a treat.
"Glasgow, are you ready to get Reckless?!" screams frontman Josh Franceschi, before the band launch into the 2011 hit of the same name, which sees the full crowd singing the lyrics right back.
Tonight is the first gig back at the Hydro since the pandemic, so Josh makes sure the security are working to full capacity, encouraging everyone to crowdsurf before playing "Lived A Lie". The crowd duly take part, creating a scene which resembles a hurricane of limbs and teenage angst.
Having been a band for 15 years now, when new album SUCKAPUNCH went to No1 it was a welcome reminder of the power house that You Me At Six still are, and the new songs sound huge live.
A highlight of the set comes in fan favourite "Underdog" before Josh tells the crowd "my Grandad was from Glasgow, and I know he would be stoked to see this!" and then launches into "Beautiful Way" to round things off.
In all honesty, it's no surprise that You Me At Six are so well received, they have a huge following and will no doubt be headlining the Hydro themselves again very soon.
The lights drop and headliners Bring Me The Horizon take to the stage, launching into "Teardrops" from this years phenomenal EP "POST HUMAN: SURVIVAL HORROR", accompanied by confetti cannons.
The band have evolved majorly over the years, with frontman Oli Sykes these days rocking a superb suit. Someone in the crowd hits out with how he looks "smooth, like an owl wearing a waistcoat" and to be honest, we can't argue with that.
A huge lighting grid drops down and covers the full stage, before Oli turns his back to everyone and screams "when I turn back round, I want to see a massive circle pit!" and they play a blistering "House of Wolves", accompanied by lights which resemble wolves on the grid throughout the song.
The full force of the now capacity crowd is properly felt with the 'S-P-I-R-I-T spirit, let's hear it!' chants in "Happy Song", and the lighting grid then appears again for "Ludens".
Some recent criticism of newer Bring Me The Horizon music has branded them as becoming too mainstream, but "Dear Diary" from the PH:SH EP is anything but that. It resembles the bands early work, and sounds absolutely HUGE in a live setting.
Another track from the EP which gets an airing is "Parasite Eve", with lyrics "I've got a fever don't breathe on me" aptly fitting to the pandemic. Pre breakdown Oli screams "you are all infected!" before people in hazmat suits appear and spray the crowd.
Amy and Georgia of openers Nova Twins join the band onstage for "1x1", before they then play their new single "DiE4u" for only the second time ever live.
One of the standout tracks from the PH:SH EP "Kingslayer" sounds phenomenal live, and creates a mass of energy throughout the room.
A highlight of the set comes in an acoustic version of "Follow You" which sees Oli demanding the crowd to get on each others shoulders for a good old fashioned singalong before the main set is then closed with fan favourite "Drown".
An encore of "Obey", "Throne" and "Can You Feel My Heart?" is a perfect way to wrap things up, with even more streamers at the very end of the evening.
If you are going to any of the remaining tour dates, you are in for a treat. Before entering the venue on your chosen night, just remember to strap yourself in and get ready to feel the lightning, because as things stand Bring Me The Horizon are one of the most electric bands on the scene right now.
