That’s The Spirit Tour Review + Photos
One of the few joys of living smack-dab in the middle of the United States is that the lines for shows on school night don’t typically start to get intimidatingly long until around 4 o’clock, but on October 19th at the Cotillion Ballroom in Wichita, KS that theory did not apply. Eager fans had been lined up outside at six am to catch Bring Me The Horizon, Issues, and PVRIS. By the time doors opened the line of fans stretched around the building and had started to overflow into the parking lot.
PVRIS manages to only get better with every performance, and this was no exception. They kicked the night off with “White Noise”, the namesake of the band’s 2014 album, proving they really know how to open a show. Not a body in the pit stood still as they roared on with “Fire” and “Holy”. This was a set that definitely left concertgoers begging for more.
Between sets, sweaty fans shifted eagerly, trying hard to catch a bit of the breeze from the arsenal of floor fans that were spaced in front of the barricade while security passed around water. Just an hour into the show, it was almost impossible to tell that cooler October temperatures waited outside.
Issues took to the stage next in a flurry of excitement. The dynamic duo of Tyler Carter and Michael Bohn greeted the crowd wielding wide smiles and a rush of energy that seemed to infect everyone present. They opened with “Stingray Affliction”, the second single from the band’s self-titled album, and a song that is sure to keep the movement flowing. With wild lighting to direct attention and smoke to keep up with the effects, Issues had their performance down, but what good is a show without an equally as good technical hiccup?
A broken smoke machine left drummer Josh Manuel swamped, but he didn’t let that stop him as Issues continued to power through their set. Issues included a new song titled “The Realist” from their upcoming album. It was mentioned that the new album may be released at the first of the year, “if we’re lucky”. Following the new song was a heartfelt dedication of “Disappear” to Tyler’s late high
school drama teacher. The band closed out their set with “Hooligans”, ending on a high note and leaving the air buzzing with excitement.
The second the lights came back on after Issues cleared the stage, fans began to grow impatient in the wait for Bring Me The Horizon. It felt like forever, but it was proven that the wait was worth it the
moment that the intro to “Doomed” began. The rumors about the production on the That’s The Spirit Tour were nothing but praise, and this show deserved nothing less. Within moments, fans came back to life with new energy, keeping security on their toes while Bring Me The Horizon reveled in the excitement. With projections and amazing graphics to accompany their performance during “Happy Song”, it was definitely proven that this show was one for the books.
With a set that incorporated both new and older songs, there was never a chance for downtime. When it seemed that the energy was dying down towards the end of “House of Wolves” frontman Oliver Sykes called for a circle pit, and the show was immediately revitalized at the beginning of “Chelsea Smile.” The force of everyone left the barricades dangerously close to toppling forward. Songs from Bring Me The Horizon’s latest release That’s The Spirit are even better in person, and this tour was definitely a way to give the new tracks life. It seemed impossible to leave the venue without being a Bring Me fan. This writer may have questioned it before but there is now no confusion as to why Bring Me The Horizon never seems to have trouble selling out a show.
Check out the full gallery from That’s The Spirit Tour Here!
Keep it on Bythebarricade.com for tons of punk rock interviews, reviews, articles, and photos! Also, “Like” By the Barricade on Facebook to never miss a post.
