Live Review : Sleep Token + Bilmuri @ Co-op Live Arena, Manchester -on November 26th 2024

Sleep Token have continued to rocket higher and higher since that very first time I saw them as a secret act at Tech Fest 2018. Back then it was only their eighth live performance and I still didn't quite know what to make of them. Fast forward past plenty of support slots, headlines and festival appearances and we have them headlining an arena and poised to headline Download Festival in 2025. They have also now become one of my favorite bands, with a stunning live act and a collection of three albums that fully showcase their diversity.

First up tonight though we have support act Bilmuri. Every time I see the name I can't help but think of Ghostbusters and Scrooged, but it's actually pronounced…well, in fact…Bill Murray. This music project is from Johnny Franck, which many of you will know as the clean vocalist of Attack! Attack! With Bilmuri he's delivering a very modern poppy and  joyously bouncy product. Franck has taken a similar approach with Bilmuri, in a way, as Sleep Token have with their sound - namely genre-splicing. He can be found mixing everything including pop, chill-beats, metalcore and notably country.

He's also been prolific releasing fourteen (possibly more if you count different versions) albums in about eight years. The songs are catchy and his vocals are charismatic and the sort you'd be happy to take home to meet your mother. There's a saxophonist singer as well, who's vocals harmonise well and they both engage in plenty of comedy chat with the crowd - good for a warm up act. The guitar is nicely chunky and djenty and the saxophone a clever changeup.

At it's best Bilmuri reminds me of our favorites Siamese and Normandie, but it's possibly a little too saccharin at times even for my tastes, and the country elements aren't my sort of thing. It does remain engaging throughout though and very easy listening, almost strangely comforting in it's own way, maybe because the songs are all a bit like catchy Disney tracks. In any case, I'm sure these support slots with Sleep Token will only serve to help Bilmuri flourish across their next array of records.

On a side note, this is the first time in the Co-op Live for me, and it's very impressive. From the food and drink, to the friendly security, great facilities, right through to the spot-on sound. Far from being a vanity piece, or style over substance, I can confirm it honestly is the real deal for Manchester…although the stewards need to turn their walker talkies down during the sets - very off-putting.

So as the lights drop, and the crowd sense the imminent arrival of Sleep Token, all eyes turn to the stage. There are no unnecessary gimmicks, just a fantastically well coordinated lighting display, a very diverse and dynamic array of lighting to be fair. Immediately they hit their stride and it’s the most animated I've seen Vessel, as he dances about the stage onto each little riser like a demented fantastical puppet from your dreams. He makes full use of the catwalk into the pit, reaching out in anguish and feeling every lyric. The heavy parts are thunderous, the poppy bits are catchy, it's unlike anything else out there.

This is the first time I've seen them since they switched to their individual masks and outfits rather than the very standardised black hooded cloaks and sock-masks. They now have their own bespoke version of frontman Vessel’s more personalised, detailed and intricate mask and costume and it probably allows them to be even more of a band than mistakenly Vessel's solo project.

Of course anyone who's seen the band live will know that it's always been about the whole band. A superb collection of musicians at the top of their game in their given specialism. For many the signature sound of Sleep Token is Vessel's voice, but for me it's the drumming - I'm astounded every time. My seat is up close on the drum riser side and it's a treat from start to finish, especially on the fantastic ‘Higher’. Intricate, syncopated, fluid and powerful - the words don't get anywhere near to doing the spectacle justice. He's afforded a drum solo halfway through ‘The Summoning’ which is not only breathtaking but also sees his riser go even higher into the air than expected and into nosebleed territory.

Meanwhile, Vessel's rich vocals peak and dip, soar and strain. They might be a key part of the divisiveness of Sleep Token, but for fans it's another key element that defines this sumptuous avant garde modern metal act. And no one can deny his showmanship when he comes up from a trapdoor riser at the end of the catwalk for ‘Chokehold’ (and actually back down into it at the end of ‘Ascensionism’). Across the far side the three person choir add that additional vocal layer, as guitarist and bassist sway and strut around the stage. Each of those two make use of the catwalk later on to take in the crowd adulation.

They separate the set cleanly into three, one segment for each album chronologically, and it showcases them perfectly like a greatest hits. It also really brings into focus how they've evolved in their songwriting, especially from a layering of sounds perspective. Sleep Token have consistently raised the bar every time I've seen them - and this has done it yet again. I always wondered if they could be as impactful on a massive arena stage as a tiny venue…and the answer is yes. Undoubtedly yes. They're fast becoming the biggest band there is to see. Worship.

Check the “In The Flesh” page for more photos!
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