Tuesday night saw thousands head towards the Etihad Campus for two massive events: one of them being Man City playing in the Champions League and the other one, arguably the biggest metal gig of the year as Sleep Token made their Co-op Live debut.
The alternative prog metal group have had an unreal 12 months or so and while the mysterious, masked rockers have actually been around since 2016, the past year has been truly seismic for their now global profile – hence why they were able to sell out Manchester’s biggest arena at the first time of asking.
Bands don’t just walk into places like the 23,500-capacity Co-op Live arena; anyone playing gigs of that size needs to have earned a rather massive audience in order to do and, in the case of this particular artist, that following feels a little bit more cult-like and fanatical.
We mean that in the nicest way possible, by the way, and we now well and truly have faith in the musical and slightly macabre church of Sleep Token. It all started with an unforgettable intro.
Actually, first off, we have to give a huge hand to warm-up act Bilmuri. We were admittedly almost just as excited to see these guys for the first time and they pulled an absolute blinder landing the support slot for this modern metal gig as, much like the main event, their music is just a bit different.
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In the same way that Sleep Token aren’t just straight-up heavy, thrash, death or any particular kind of metal for that matter, neither are Bilmuri. For one, they’re straight-up hilarious, with frontman Johnny Franck spending lots of time both cracking up and ‘cranking’ up the crowd by ‘the hog’ in between songs, amidst playing a mix of alternative metal, post-hardcore and pop-punk.
The various genres being fused on stage are truly wild. Growling and Kevin James at the Daytona 500 samples (yep) are followed by everything from catchy pop choruses to wonderful jazzy solos from their incredible saxophonist and backing singer Gabi Rose, and that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Point is, us fans in the crowd may have only been few, but it worked because their style is every bit as sprawling.
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Bilmuri will be back playing the Ritz here in Manchester in March of next year; we sincerely recommend you give them a listen and grab a ticket because they were just non-stop fun. We can only imagine how good value for money a full headline show in a smaller venue filled their listeners is. Now onto the ‘cult’.
We love these guys so much – give them a try. (Credit: The Manc Group)
Sleep Token took Manchester to mass
Although the London-formed five-piece has fully lent into this whole semi-religious angle – even labelling attendance to one of their gigs and singing along to the often celestial vocals of their once anonymous frontman as ‘worship’ – it’s a theme that’s sadly been used as a stick to beat metalheads with in the past.
There is undoubtedly a gothic and somewhat satanic element to their aesthetic, especially on the face of things with the painted black arms, Japanese-influenced masks covered in ritualistic markings and dripping with blood etc., but when you actually look beyond the surface it’s simply good world-building.
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Lead singer ‘Vessel’ (all of the band members go by specific monikers) had his identity figured out not too long ago, but the whole idea of his overall style, purpose and allure is that he’s supposed to be the physical embodiment of something bigger and a conduit within the wider Sleep Token lore.
Oh yeah, this stuff is super detailed.
Most notably, though, it was probably the visuals overall that really struck us the most. It wasn’t just in looking at the various slightly demonic-looking characters on stage and hooded figures that served as the most enchanting backing singers, it was the utterly stunning production levels.
When we say it was possibly the most impressive use of lighting and effects we’ve come across in our many years of gigging, we’re not exaggerating. From that incredible entrance and hanging LEDs dripping with colour throughout slow songs, to the smoke literally creeping along broad beams of light like some kind of ghostly presence, it felt like we were in a trance at several points throughout the gig.
Mesmerising (Credit: The Manc Group)
Metal isn’t just lots of aggressive guitar and drums – at least not any more
It was in moments like this that we were taken aback by just how wholesome the crowd had been all night – again, something that heavier rock gigs never get credit for. In fact, a current trend at metal shows is for people to hold up pictures of their cats and that was exactly what we walked into. Adorable.
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The point we’re getting at is that while this particular show had plenty of headbanging of course, especially with how insane some of the bass and drum work is in Sleep Token’s many breakdowns, Co-op Live wasn’t pure moshpits and carnage. Far from it, to be honest.
When those aforementioned lights were tracing around the massive arena, we constantly found ourselves looking around the room and staring up at the sky, before immediately noticing thousands of other people doing the same. There were just as many heart symbols in the air as there were devil horns.
Phone torches were held high during ‘Euclid’ and the room lit up like a night sky. That’s nothing at gigs these days, we know, but it’s worth noting just to put things into perspective for those who may have long misunderstood the metal crowd, ‘moshers’ and ’emos’ – whatever meaningless word gets thrown around most these days.
Who wore it better?He truly was a godly figure up there on that stage at times.Cosplays and a Manc choir? There was nothing ‘devil-worshipping’ about this crowd, they were wholesome AF. (Credit: The Manc Group)
The highlights were as you would expect if you’re a fan: ‘The Offering’ got those grumbly distorted guitars in nice and early, ‘Granite’ had everyone from the goth girls to the middle-aged blokes doing their very best sexy dance; ‘Alkaline’ put literal chills on our spine – as did all of the vocals from start to finish.
It may have just been our ears playing tricks on us but Vessel’s voice and quivering hands were so full of emotion that we swear we could hear him crying through the lyrics on more than one occasion. Whether for the pageantry or not, there were plenty of very real people smiling up at him with teary eyes.
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You’ll never hear quite as much genre-bending as you do in ‘The Summoning’ and watching everyone change gears from just pure, no-nonsense heavy metal to grooving out to the sudden shift to funk rock was a real joy. It was probably the standout of the whole night, but it was a triumph all-round.
We’ve been enjoying Sleep Token from afar for a while now and always really appreciated how technically impressive and groundbreaking the music felt, even just on a pure sonic level, but it’s only now we’ve been to one of their shows that we think we ‘get‘ the obsession and why more and more followers are flocking to see them live in the flesh.
Call it unique, strange, disturbing — call it whatever you want, the fans couldn’t care less. It was a pseudo-religious experience for a lot of people in that room and while it may take us a while to fully convert, we’re very open to the concept. Even if just for that magical intro alone, to be honest.
Live music has always been like church to us, so we can always get behind hero-worshipping like this.
Gig review | DMA’s have Manc in their DNA, whether they know it or not
Danny Jones
Yes, we saw the crowds in Brixton, Leeds and so on, and they were also box office, no doubt – and we’re sure there’s plenty of bias coming in here – but DMA’s final night in Manchester was just magnificent on every level.
Still managing to bring a real Friday feeling even though it was a Sunday night following the protracted Valentine’s celebrations, when most were already dreading the inevitable Monday blues (morning, all), it felt like the perfect way to close out a weekend with everyone’s first love: music.
During a period when we’re all encouraged to be a little bit more sincere and spread pure positivity, seeing the sea of happy, smiling faces watching DMA’s on night two at the O2 Victoria Warehouse was just the injection we needed.
For starters, you can’t ask for much more than getting to hear not only Hills End from start to finish but ‘Lay Down’ live twice in one night. The limbs were just as mad the second time around, if not even more.
To quote a fan speaking in the comments under this video, for some, it was beyond good: “The best gig I’ve been to in my 45 years on this planet”, apparently.
Quite the bold statement, and while we’re not sure we’re quite ready to be so superlative just yet, hearing them play their debut album from cover to cover on its 10th anniversary did make for a perfect set and an “unreal night” as we’ve heard and seen so many remark in the hours since the gig.
One person wrote, “If the next album is good, these will be absolutely huge”, while another declared that they’re “the greatest on Earth” already.
Whatever point on the scale you land on, pretty much everyone almost universally agrees that their first record is still their best, even with all the bangers they’ve put out since.
One of the best moments of the entire nostalgia trip was when they bookended the show with ‘Timeless’ and played their usual extended outro with multiple repetitions of the chorus and a proper breakout, letting their instruments do the talking in a fast, frenetic flurry as the crowd thrashed around.
DMAs never let you down when it comes to a performance, and neither do Manc crowds.
One of those where you saw way more arms in the air than phones. (Credit: Audio North)
And maybe that’s just it, as far as bands that come to this region and do well, the Sydney trio are one of the VERY best, vouched for by pretty much every mate and regular gig-goer whose opinion you trust implicitly; you can certainly add us onto that list.
Maybe it’s somehow to do with some of those Melbourne roots, too, as we’ve often heard the parallels drawn between the two cities, and they even asked if there was anyone in from ‘Melbs’ between songs – there was a notable cheer – or maybe it’s just some kind of uncalculable magic we can’t understand.
Either way, besides the ongoing rise of Aussie rock and Anzac bands doing very well around the UK in general, there is something very special about this particular indie outfit’s connection with the North West and Manchester, specifically.
Johnny, Tommy and Matt have all themselves cited it as a ‘second home’ throughout their career, having hit the ground running and finding a cult following here right from the off.
In fact, they admitted that the full touring band still regularly flies into Manchester first whenever they’re heading to the UK. Love that.
‘Olympia’ and ‘Silver’ were also big standouts beyond the Hills End part of the setlist. (Credit: The Manc)
Perhaps labelling them part of the ‘Britpop revival’ is a bit reductive, but it certainly hasn’t done them any harm thus far, and conversely, it’s definitely done them plenty of favours here in Greater Manchester.
They’re not just adopted Brits who understand our history as a nation of audiophiles; they get our crowds and this city’s culture down to a tee.
Put simply, either through blind luck or divine intervention from the music gods, DMA’s are Mancs by proxy, and whether or not that means anything to them, it sure as sh*t means a whole lot to us.
Here’s to HE10, and we can’t wait for the next celebration in whatever form it comes.
Fatboy Slim at Aviva Studios – still electrifying after decades in the game
Lonnie Bowes
At Aviva Studios, Fatboy Slim showed that even after decades in the game, he’s still finding new ways to electrify a room.
Set against a backdrop of lasers, confetti cannons and LED Screens Fatboy Slim felt less like a DJ and more like the lord of acid ballroom, ready for the tidal wave of fans in front of him.
Whether you’re an old-school Mancunian rave head or a new kid on the block you knew he was always in control, issuing a constant bombardment of psychedelic colours and smiley faces.
Long before he stepped up to the decks, anticipation had been building and when the first beat dropped the response was immediate.
From the very beginning it was clear he knew his Manc audience were hooked. Pictures of cultural iconics like Chadwick Bosman, Idris Elber and Andy Warhol were totted on the screen behind him.
He played The Rockafeller Skank, setting out his set with an obvious hit.
It was Ya Mama (Push the tempo) to bellow out across the vast floor of Aviva Studios next, accompanied by the original 2010 music video on the backdrop behind him.
Fatboy Slim at Aviva Studios in Manchester. Credit: The Manc Group
From there, the set unfolded like a guided tour through decades of dance floor dominance, old and new blending seamlessly.
The crowd was then hit by ‘Groove Amada – I see you baby (Fatboy Slim Remix)’ the shift that occurred at that moment is something only a tune of that stature can deliver.
Throughout the set, he doubled down on the heavier moments. ‘Weapon of Choice’ landed like a controlled explosion with lights strobing, bass reverberating through your chest, while a remix of ‘Mr Brightside’ originally by The Killers showcased his ability to stretch a breakdown just long enough to keep thousands hanging in suspense.
The emotional high point arrived with ‘Praise You’. Phones lifted, arms wrapped around shoulders, strangers turned into temporary best mates. For a few minutes, Aviva Studio’s felt less like a room and more like a shared memory in the making.
But sentimentality didn’t linger for too long. This is Fatboy Slim, after all. The pace soon ramped back up with ‘Eat, Sleep, Rave, Repeat’ delivering that spine tingling, hands in the air, friends on shoulders moment that defines nights like these.
Even between tracks, he worked the crowd with the confidence of someone who knows exactly what they’re doing, after 40 years it’s absolutely no surprise to us. A Hawaiian shirt , a well-timed rewind, a teasing fake drop and not to mention a for airhorns it’s showmanship at it’s finest.
As the main set drew to a close, ‘Right here, Right Now’ felt like a finale in itself. The track even these days feels defiant, euphoric, and was shouted back in fragments by a crowd that’s lived with this track for years, while a percentage of the crowd hearing it live for the first time.
The encore didn’t mess about. One final surge of energy, one last seismic drop, and boom! More confetti, fireworks, lights and smoke than even Greater Manchester Fire Department could handle. It sent Aviva Studios into a closing frenzy. Fans were sweat-drenched, smiling, and reluctant to see the lights come up.
Fatboy Slim at Aviva Studios wasn’t just another tour stop. It was a reminder that while trends shift and scenes evolve, few artists understand the architecture of a great night out quite like he does. Decades in, and he’s still orchestrating chaos with pinpoint precision. Once again proving that some acts don’t fade with time, they just refine the formula.
Danny Jones -
27th November 2024 
