We brave the wintry elements and head along to Bring Me The Horizon’s sold-out Manchester AO Arena show to find out who their fans are and why they love the Steel City heavyweights so much.
For the past week, Bring Me The Horizon have been tearing across the UK with their phenomenal NX_GN tour, playing sold-out venues to thousands each night, as they gradually move forward into their next Post Human era. But who actually are BMTH's fans? Who are those people queueing for hours in bitter British winter to bellow along to Teardrops? To find out, we headed down to the AO Arena in Manchester to chat some of Horizon's most devoted supporters.
How long have you been listening to BMTH?
"About four years or so – it's not been a hugely long time."
What got you into them?
"It was an ex-boyfriend, but then I met Jodie [below] and we became best friends! Bring Me The Horizon are one of the bands that brought us together."
What else do you listen to?
"Bad Omens. I'm a big Halsey fan. The Hunna. Stuff like that. Bring Me are a little different to my normal music taste, but I really love them."
Will you be moshing?
"Maybe! If I'm drunk enough then I am prone to it."
And what's your outfit tonight?
"Some very baggy leather trousers that I keep falling over and some merch from their pop-up shop!"
How long have you been a fan?
"Probably since I was about 16 – so nine-ish years. I'm bad at maths – a long time!"
What got you into them?
"My friend from high school got me into them; I went around to his house and he played them for me. I'd only just started getting into more alternative music. I was immediately obsessed."
What else do you listen to?
"Bad Omens, obviously! My friend's band Idle Mind – just saying! Just gonna put that out there. Sleep Token, Fall Out Boy, a bit of anything alternative basically."
Will you be moshing tonight?
"Err, we'll see. It might take a couple of drinks!"
What's your outfit?
"I'm wearing a fake leather jacket that's oversized. A scarf to keep me warm while we're out here. The Shining carpet dungarees and my favourite chunky boots."
How long have you been a Horizon fan?
"I first saw them in 2006, before they released Count Your Blessings, in Wigan – there was about 30 people!"
What draws you to their music?
"I don't know! I guess it always changes and stays relevant. Some of it – DiE4u and sTraNgeRs – I don't really love. I think they're a bit too poppy and slow for me, but stuff like DArkSide and LosT just changes the game. I still like the death metal."
What other music are you into?
"Mainly into punk and rock’n’roll. It all sounds exactly the same, my mates say. It sounds like the kind of music that someone who orders whiskey at a bar and asks for the bottle to be left would be listening to."
Will you be moshing tonight?
"I'm too old to mosh; my legs will hurt too much tomorrow. By an hour into the support I'll be moaning about my back."
Can you walk us through your outfit?
"I'm wearing Criminal Damage shoes, which is a good company – they used to make skinny jeans back in the day, they've now switched into a kind of streetwear brand. Cargo pants because skinny jeans are out according to Tinder. A plain black T-shirt and a Descendents jacket because I've lost all my denim jackets on nights out."
How long have you been a fan?
"Probably since 2015, so a good seven or eight years."
What drew you to their music?
"I think it was right at the start of me getting into heavier music. I listened to [2013 album] Sempiternal for the first time and it was one of the best albums I'd ever heard at the time. I loved everything about it."
What keeps you listening to them?
"Just the diversity, really – I love the way that they're going. I've liked and disliked certain parts, but ultimately they've stayed at the top of my list of favourite bands."
What other music are you into?
"I like a lot of pop-punk and metalcore – anything with a breakdown!"
Will you be moshing tonight?
"Sadly not! I'm in the seats, so I'll try and mosh from up at the top."
What are you wearing tonight?
"I'm wearing a BMTH metal style T-shirt. Some nice Converse with checkered socks – platform Converse!"
How long have you been a Horizon fan?
"About 10 years."
What got you into them?
"I saw Shadow Moses on, I think, MTV Rocks – maybe Kerrang!, actually – and I just instantly fell in love with them. My sister said, 'That's the only one you can listen to because it doesn't have swear words in it.' My mum was like, 'What?!'"
What other music are you into?
"Bad Omens, Holding Absence, all of that sort of stuff."
Will you be moshing tonight?
"I'm seated – I'll be headbanging, though!"
Walk us through what you're wearing.
"I'm wearing a dress from Disturbia and a jacket/jumper from Disturbia. Calum's [above] jacket and then also some platform Converse! We're matching."
How long have you been a BMTH fan?
"For about four or five years, I think. I went to see them in 2021 in Sheffield and it blew me away. Absolutely amazing!"
What's kept you listening to them?
"When I went to see them the first time it was their Post Human tour and this is NX_GN. It's always fresh, every song is different and has a new aspect to it. Now there is a new era of Bring Me The Horizon with Jordan Fish gone I think they'll just blow it out of the water. I think they'll go back to the heavy version of themselves."
What other music are you into?
"I'm into everything, really – rock, metal, indie. I play guitar as well, so I'm into music myself. A lot of metal definitely."
Are you going to be moshing tonight?
"Hopefully!"
What are you wearing tonight?
"I've got a faded Lost Boys T-shirt – a cult ’80s classic. Got an ace jacket, my Spongebob shoes are my pride, and then some joggers for comfort!"
Well you've got to be comfy if you're going to be moshing.
"Exactly!"
How long have you been a fan?
"About four years. My ex was the original person who got me into them. I really resonated with their music and I thought it spoke to me about who I am as a person. I've been in love with them ever since."
What other genres of music do you like?
"All of them, really! You'll see me at raves – drum’n’bass and all that. All my expression is music, which is why I really like it."
What are you wearing tonight?
"Jeans from Amazon! The shirt, I don't know where it's from, but my mum got it me for Christmas. Some official Drop Dead merch and some official Bring Me merch, too!"
How long have you been a fan?
"Over a year, I think. I properly got into them when I went to Download this year and saw them there."
How was that?
"It was incredible! It was the best gig experience ever."
Such a wonderful way to get into a band! What other stuff are you into?
"I'm into Static Dress! Bad Omens, obviously. Sleeping With Sirens, Slipknot, Pierce The Veil. Counterparts. Movements."
Will you be moshing tonight?
"Oh, I wish, but I'm sitting. Moshing on the spot!"
And what are you wearing tonight?
"I'm wearing a little suit thing underneath my jacket, which is quite cool – it's pinstripe! A bit of lace. Got some thick chunky shoes on, as we all do."
How long have you been a fan of BMTH?
"I first listened to the Sempiternal album when I was 14, so for quite a while."
What's kept you listening?
"I guess the amount they've changed. They started off like metalcore and now they're bringing hyperpop in. I like it."
Has their progression through different genres influenced your taste over the years?
"Yeah, for sure – I never listened to EDM before I listened to their new stuff, but I really got into it after."
What are you wearing tonight?
"I've got this vintage leather jacket. It's a bit of a crime to be wearing it, but I've got a My Chem T-shirt on. Got these skater corduroys – they cost too much for what they are. Some old-ass boots too!"
How long have you been a fan for?
"I think maybe two or three years now. Since secondary school, I think."
What got you into them?
"I don't know, actually! I think maybe social media. Just coming across them on Spotify or Instagram."
What is it about their music you like so much?
"How much Oli has changed; everything he experiments with. You just don't know what you're going to get when he releases new music. It's incredible."
Are you excited for the show tonight?
"So excited! I saw them before at Download and it was amazing."
What are you wearing tonight?
"This jacket is from a vintage store in London. I've got old Bring Me merch on with a mesh top underneath. These jeans I also thrifted. And of course I have New Rocks on!"
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