Progressive rock band Empress were the first band to grace
the stage in Portsmouth, and despite being relatively unheard of, they
performed a strong set which left the crowd wanting more. The progressive rock
vibe presented in their music differed greatly from Bring Me The Horizon’s
iconic sound, but Ollie Loring’s screaming and singing vocals sounded
impressive and filled the venue well. The guitar riffs were especially
impressive, making it no wonder that they’re going from strength to strength
supporting many rock and metal bands this year.
Crossfaith are renowned for being an eccentric electronica
band from Japan, and their live show definitely further enhances this image. The
energy emerging from Crossfaith is almost contagious, and whether you’re a fan
or not, there’s no denying that they put on a great live show. Their latest party
hit ‘Jagerbomb’ sounded great live, and their cover of ‘Omen’ by The Prodigy
got the crowd moving well. If you want to see a band with the crazy attitude of
Dir En Grey, but with more technical music, then Crossfaith are the band for
you.
Love them or hate them, Bring Me The Horizon are one of the
biggest rock/metal bands around at the moment. Their album ‘Sempiternal’ showed
their progression in both lyric-wise and in a musical direction, so there’s no
surprise that there were huge expectations for their live show. Bring Me The
Horizon further proved their progression in their live show, with Oli Sykes’
vocals sounding even better than on recording. Playing both old and new songs,
Bring Me The Horizon proved the doubters wrong and played one of the best shows
of the year. Highlights of their set included ‘Chelsea Smile’, ‘And The Snakes
Start To Sing’ and ‘Blessed With A Curse’. Ending their incredible performance
with ‘Sleepwalking’, Oli and co. proved that Bring Me The Horizon are a band
who will continue to get better and better as their career continues.
