On Wednesday night, Bring Me The Horizon played a raw and intimate show at the legendary Los Angeles music venue Whisky a Go Go. The venue, with a capacity of just under 500 people, was a notable change from the band’s usual performances at arenas and stadiums across the world. TikTok sensation Jeris Johnson and modern metalcore innovators SeeYouSpaceCowboy joined them for the event.
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In late October, Bring Me The Horizon began teasing a special appearance at the famed Los Angeles venue Whisky a Go Go. Tickets were eventually released Oct. 25, only to sell out within minutes. The performance would be the band’s first time playing in the U.S. in nearly two years due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
The show would also be a proper warm-up for their massive direct-support appearance at the Los Angeles date of Knotfest Nov. 5 at Banc of California Stadium, hosted and headlined by American metal heavy-hitters Slipknot.
For anyone unfamiliar with the history of the Whisky a Go Go, the venue has been a staple in the Los Angeles music scene for decades. Most notably, it was the epicenter of the ‘80s glam and hard-rock scene, hosting early performances from now iconic acts such as Guns N’ Roses, Mötley Crüe and Led Zeppelin.
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A standout performance from the night came from SeeYouSpaceCowboy, who put on an emotional set of chaotic and melodic metalcore, orchestrated by vocalist Connie Sgarbossa, who has proven to have the best scream the genre has seen in years. Her ability to command a crowd is beyond impressive, and her dynamic vocal range gives each and every song its own distinct personality.
Finally, the moment every die-hard fan was waiting for, Bring Me The Horizon took the stage in triumphant fashion. They sported their signature suit-and-tie attire from the music video for their 2015 hit “Drown” and unleashed a ferocious performance of the opening track from their 2020 record POST HUMAN: SURVIVAL HORROR, “Dear Diary.” Instantly, the floor of the venue began to shift as hundreds of fans broke out into a series of circle pits and a sea of crowd-surfing.
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As soon as the first song ended, the band continued to rip through a 17-song setlist featuring fan favorites from their past few records, with the inclusion of their most recent standalone single “DiE4u.” Vocalist Oli Sykes looked to be in wonderful spirits, smiling ear to ear as the excitement and energy in the room was almost intoxicating. Toward the end of the set, the band performed a beautiful stripped-down acoustic rendition of their 2015 hit “Follow You,” which surely brought teardrops to even the toughest fans’ eyes (no pun intended).
While Bring Me The Horizon have rightfully graduated from the club circuit to become an arena-rock band, it’s clear that the band are as humble as ever and will take the opportunity to go back to their roots whenever possible. This intimate performance was a testament to the band’s strength as performers and felt like a shining moment in their legacy where they allowed their die-hard fans to look back to the past and see how far they have come in their nearly 20-year career.
