O2 Shepherds Bush Empire (London, England)
03/15/23
Sleeping With Sirens is the epitome of an emo-rock band. Being a staple in the genre, Sleeping With Sirens was formed in Orlando, Florida over 10 years ago, and they’ve been rapidly growing year after year. Consisting of lead vocalist Kellin Quinn, guitarists Justin Hills and Nick Martin, and drummer Matty Best, Sleeping With Sirens kicked off their overseas tour in Bristol, then headed to London for a packed show at the O2 Shepherds Bush Empire.
The band was clearly ready to rock, starting out with “Break Me Down” from their 2019 album, How It Feels to Be Lost, followed by a handful of other tracks from the same album. The crowd, however, was deprived of hearing most of their most recent full-length, Complete Collapse, live, the band only hitting singles “Bloody Knuckles” and “Crosses.” Here’s to hoping the band returns soon to perform more from their 7th album, but for now, we’ll take what we can get.
The middle of the set slowed down with “Scene Five – With Ears To See and Eyes To Talk” from the bands iconic 2012 E.P., If you were a movie, this would be your soundtrack. If you haven’t heard this beautiful story being told over acoustic guitar, consider this your sign to listen. Featured on SWS’ 2016 Live and Unplugged album, the band performed a cover of “Iris” by Goo Goo Dolls before picking the energy back up.
The band came out on stage for one final song, and I’ve never seen a crowd move so much. Performing their hit “If You Can’t Hang” from their 2011 album, Let’s Cheers To This, was the perfect close to the night. The crowd couldn’t get enough of Sleeping With Sirens, and we hope to see them back in the U.K. soon!
