Sleep Token: Live at Eventim Apollo

One of the most talked about bands of 2023 played a London show which will undoubtedly go down in history as a classic.

If you haven't heard of Sleep Token by now, you must have lived under a rock since the turn of the new year. The band has had an extraordinary start to this year releasing tracks such as 'Granite', 'Aqua Regia' and of course 'The Summoning' which has seen the band gain millions of monthly listeners on streaming services such as Spotify and their new music trending on TikTok. I have been singing this band's praises since I started my blog after one of my friends took me to see them back in 2021 and seeing this band blow up in this way is amazing. It seems to be the perfect time for the band to go out on tour and play this new material and wow the crowd with their incredible "Rituals".

Before the Marked band took to the stage, we were treated to a support set from Northlane who are a band from Australia that mixes electronic sounds with heavy rifts, screams and melodic vocals to create an experimental sound which made them an excellent support band for Sleep Token. The crowd where also enjoying themselves with the moshpit opening and most of the people jumping up and down at the front. their set was definitely entertaining, and I would definitely go and see them again.

We would make our way to the front for Sleep Token, and it's safe to say they did not disappoint. The band opened with 'Chokehold' which acted as the perfect opener for the show which its slow build-up and soring rifts. Then the band gave the fans what they wanted. 'The Summoning' brought the show to life with the versatility of the song as well as uniting the crowd as they sang along to the very popular funk ending to the song.

The band would then go back through their back catalogue demonstrating to fans that if you've only listened to their recent singles then you're only scratching the surface of their brilliance. Songs such as 'Hypnosis' and 'Dark Signs' are perfect examples of their previous work. The band even went as far back as 2017 and play 'Nazareth' which was a surprising but welcome addition to the setlist. If you were either a new fan loving their new music, an old school fan who has been there since day one or like me, a fan of both the old and new tracks, you would have left London very happy with the songs the band played.

Another thing which the band demonstrated that night was their ability to mix genres together while keeping their music consistent. Songs such as 'Granite' is a perfect example of how you can hip-hop with a pop chorus and heavy guitar. It is an incredible mix to hear in concert and demonstrates that the band are not a one-trick pony and can pull off these different styles of music without it sounding forced or messy. All of it sounded astonishing and was true to the band's live reputation that they have built over the years.

A standout throughout the show was Vessel themselves. The lead singer has an incredible vocal range which was on full display throughout the show while Vessel creepily moves and dances across the stage. Their outfit for the show was a slight chance, with a fur coat on the back of their classic black hood to help keep their identity a secret with things growing from their shoulders. Is this some sort of evolution for Vessel? Who knows but they looked incredible and added more mystery to the group. It seemed that Vessel got emotional near the end of the show while 'The Love You Want' and 'The Night Does Not Belong to God' as they could be heard sobbing through the song. You could say it was a metaphorical slip of the mask but who could really blame them? Playing one of their biggest live show to that date after the band's breakthrough at the start of the year. It's easy to see why a flood of emotion would hit you at this point of the show but the singer still put on an outstanding performance whilst hoisting up a staff up into the air. simply epic!

It came to the end of the show when the band played 'The Offering' which the crowd lost their minds. The mosh pit opened once more and everyone when clambering into each other in the pit while Vessel screams "TAKE A BITE!". The gig ended in spectacular style making love heart gesture to the crowd as a sign of appreciation for their support. I know we are still at the start of 2023 but there is no doubt in my mind that this gig will be up there as my favourite of the year. An incredible performance from the band who had just proved why there is so much hype around this band right now. With a new album on the way and some big shows all around the world including a set and Reading and Leeds, This show is just the start of some quite special.