Sleep Token – Co-op Live, Manchester – Tuesday 26th November 2024

The Co-op Live arena floor was filling quickly and mosh pit entrenched with expectant Sleep Token fans well before American support act Bilamuri began their exciting and lively support spot.

American trio Bilamuri began their support slot to an already packed Co-op Live arena floor, with a mosh pit forming in anticipation of Sleep Token.

The trio, fronted by Johnny Frank, certainly brought the energy with them. Frank announced each song using up as many English colloquialisms as possible, including a fairly liberal dose of expletives. His lead guitarist, Reese, only spoke one word he’d picked up… Fortnite. Perhaps if he’d been more familiar with which part of England he was in, he might have said ‘fortneet’.

However, there were enough arms swaying, plus much clapping and head nodding from the audience to show their appreciation. A highlight of their spot was Gabi, who used as much of the stage as possible to perform not only saxophone based musical acrobatics but literal ones too.

Frank was pleased to announce that they will return in March with their own headline tour of the UK, which also went down well.

In stark contrast, Sleep Token took the stage with Vessel letting the music do all the talking for them. What an outstanding show, showing the huge developments not only in their stage craft, confidence and presentation since we last saw them at the Radar Festival in 2023.

With the backdrop lit up by the huge Sleep Token logo, they began the evening in which the setlist was split into 3 sections, each one following chronologically tracks from the previous 3 albums. How clever not to jumble them all up thus showing their musical development over the years. The cascading light show, like multiple light sabres ascending and descending, was as though Vessel was encaged in the midst of it, sometimes spookily immobile or hopping and jumping around the stage in his own inimitable puppet-like style with his unique vocal delivery.

Four tracks from Sundowning began with The Night Does Not Belong To God, which seemed to flash by before a brief interlude when smoke streamed from the rear heralding Atlantic from This Place Will Become Your Tomb.

Standing motionless behind a throbbing barrier of lights, the moment was one amongst many amazing photo opportunitiess, when Luke, my concert neighbour and Exploring Birdsong photographer, must have had his camera button finger twitching like mad, eager to capture a magical moment of which were in abundance. Parts of the stage rose, lifting the drummer and the choral backing singers as Vessel donned a guitar shrouded in purple mist. This became the signal for a multitude of lights around the arena from audience mobiles.

A biblical prophetic voice introduced Chokehold, beginning the the third section of the set dominated by the Take Me Back To Eden album. Vessel appeared through the floor at the end of the stage walkway. The lights appeared, simple but so effective, like trickling like red rain . Although the other band members are given their brief solo moments with guitar and drum solos, the overall sound is a collaborative effort to create the magnificent, all round sound.

Throughout most of the TMBTE set, the audience sang joyously along, adding to the adoration clearly everyone in the room have for Sleep Token. A melodic piano added to the sometimes eerie quality of Sleep Token’s music as the drummer and backing singers were raised even higher as Vessel descended from whence he came…….paradoxically at the end of Ascensionism!

Amidst tumultuous roars, the band returned to stage to end the night with Take Me Back To Eden and Euclid. Before leaving, Vessel dropped to his knees paying homage to the fans who worshipped him back in equal measure. The delicacy of their melodies and the passionate cacophony can’t help but embroil you in the ritualistic and spiritual performance. How much you delve into the symbolism and mythology is up to you!

Sleep Token are now clearly major players not only within the sphere of prog metal but in all music. Their show is more a dramatic musical experience than just a concert, on a par with what Floyd or Genesis were reputable for back in the day. The way the show represents their music, combined with the exotic but not over elaborate ever changing light show, is a masterstroke. This was an all encompassing show with melodic delights, powerful thrashing chords, subtle, intricate percussion and exquisite sometimes choir- like backing singing. An experience that stays with you for days if not longer.

One is left wondering what is next for these wonderfully enigmatic performers. The forthcoming headlining at the Download Festival will further their cause.

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