LIVE FROM THE PIT: While She Sleeps, Currents, Thrown and Resolve

When five guys from Sheffield made it big, (and no this is not about Bring Me The Horizon) they played Victoria Warehouse. As a cultural home for all heavy things innovative and disruptive -as the almighty RADAR Festival descends upon the venue every July- While She Sleeps bring with them their latest headline tour and a show with massive compassion for the fans that made them better than ever before. As the first winners of the HMA Award for their innovative Sleeps Society membership, a sustainable and proactive platform bringing the fans into the bands creative and cultural sphere, we catch them at the height of their ‘SELF HELL’ album run. A tour officially on the precipice of a wild and exciting future in arenas and moving towards headlining major festivals, where does this put the band that can sell out one of the largest venues in Manchester? 

But first a warm metalcore welcome from the supports Thrown and Currents with French metalcore quartet Resolve opening the show. Their 2023 album ‘Human’ is a tidal wave of cascading choruses and dramatic breakdowns, which was surprisingly a joy to watch on the big stage. Full of dips between the quiet and chaotic, lingering moments of suspense and loud abrasive guitars, was sonically very exciting to experience. Perhaps a little later in the evening would have done the band better, but still they gave it everything they could and it will be thrilling to watch how the band progresses here in the UK.  

Thrown, our reigning HMA ‘Best Breakthrough Artist’ was next to grace the stage. A band more centered on the music than their image, they churned their pit up and spit it back out. This was certainly the most rowdy crowd of the night- and rightly so. When Thrown performs a set, it is anything short of sweaty and chaotic. However it certainly was more tame than when they played in the room next door a few months back. Their progression as a band in the last year has been impressive and certainly one to follow in the future. 

Currents- our American homeboys hailing from Connecticut- provided the grand welcome for While She Sleeps. From the back of the stage, the sound was impressive and the band made every opportunity to put their entire energy into their songs. Whilst at points their sound may have appeared repetitive through their set, it was clean-cut and tight in its performance. We may have needed a bit more for it to have made an impact. 

Our headliners made themselves known, exploding onto the stage with their impressive light show and their opening track from their new album ‘PEACE OF MIND’. Employing - what we like to call- a ‘Sleep Token strobe’, they’ve certainly put a lot into this production. Perhaps in an attempt to prove that they can sell arenas in the future. It was truly a captivating entrance, with risers giving much-needed height to the stage. Whilst vocals seemed a little low in the mix (and this resolved itself as the set progressed) it was a show you could feel from your chest, especially as it leads into ‘LEAVE ME ALONE’,

We push into a medley of classics, ‘ANTI-SOCIAL’, ‘YOU ARE ALL YOU NEED’ and ‘THE GUILTY PARTY’ and we fully feel in the swing of the show.  As always the swept guitar is a cathartically transcendental experience against the low thrums of the choruses. This is the While She Sleeps we know and love: nostalgic, hard hitting and powerfully raw. 

A chasm of beautiful lights made the performance of ‘RAINBOWS’ an absolute spectacle. Whilst this show was definitely one to watch rather than participate in the pit, we definitely saw tears stream from grown men's faces as they mouthed along to ‘You Are We’. As a band the vast majority of the crowd have grown up together and experienced the changing  scene through their music, it was a powerful display of how much While She Sleeps meant to a room full of compassionate people. 

‘SELF HELL’ and ‘SYSTEMATIC’ gave back the energy the room desperately needed after that sentimental display. We had expected more energy from the crowd as a whole at this point, but this didn’t mean that people weren’t enjoying themselves. A whole room of arm swaying, devil horns and headbanging was a given even at the back of the crowd. With ‘Four Walls’ being the necessary throwback the set needed to appease the older fans. 

‘Down’ featured Currents vocalist Brian Wille taking on Malevolence’s-own Alex Taylor’s heavy vocals. It was definitely refreshing to hear the deep growls against the harmonised choruses typical of a While She Sleeps song. We then push ‘Silence Speaks’ an obvious crowd favourite and a reminder that While She Sleeps have absolutely made monumental songs that shape the alternative music landscape. 

Finishing on ‘TO THE FLOWERS’, the band throws a plastic bouquet into the crowd. It truly is an emotional moment for everyone involved. One of the most grateful bands in modern music, While She Sleeps have an undeniably unique and strong bond with their audience. Whilst this wasn’t the most fast-paced brutal crushing energetic atmosphere, it was one of the most spectacular ones. We’re on the fringes of something big here and whatever the next step, we will follow the five lads from Sheffield on their next venture. 

Words: Amber Brooks

Photos: Nic Howells