It’s been a huge couple of years for Sleep Token. From a band playing the support slots or being lower on the bill of a festival lineup they have exploded in popularity and tonight they are headlining the o2 Arena in London, a venue they sold out in mere minutes to around 20,000 people. The first of two shows at this iconic venue in the middle of their first arena tour.
It didn’t take long after doors opened for the venue to fill up and as the nights support Bilmuri took the stage the venue was quickly filling up. To some Bilmuri seems to be a stark contrast to the nights headliners, with a lot of on stage banter between members and humour. However their music has a similar appeal, their songs feel almost experimental with a sound that is hard to define and pin down yet feels very clear and purposeful. There is a natural blend of genres and elements in the songs which very easily grabs your attention, from some more pop rock inspired elements, heavier guitars and a saxophone accompaniment. It was clear the crowd was engaged in the performance and the band themselves looked incredibly natural playing a show of this size.
If you take one glance at any of Sleep Token's socials you see their shows referred to as rituals, so it feels quite fitting that vocalist ‘Vessel’ starts the set standing behind his mic stand, which resembles something a priest would stand behind in a church. ‘The Night Does Not Belong To God’ is a slow atmospheric track to start the set, which really showcases Vessel’s vocals and the sound filling up the arena. While some bands use an arena tour to have big stage sets and production, tonight felt more minimalistic. With just some lights and smoke, it compliments the music well without being too distracting. The set is broken into sections, each highlighting songs from specific albums, each section broken up by spoken interludes through the speakers. Each interlude tells the audience about life, death and your own soul for a band with a specifically crafted lore and story every moment of the set felt intentional and important to the band's story. It feels like you are fully immersed in the world created by their music.
For some bands skyrocketing in popularity can be daunting with not knowing what steps to take next, however tonight's show proves that for Sleep Token this isn't the case. With them just being announced to headline Download Festival next year it’s clear that from here things will continue to get bigger and better for the band.
Catch Sleep Token Live with Bilmuri:
https://worship.sleep-token.com/
