There is a certain amount of ‘aww’ factor in following a band for years. You get to watch them grow and change and mature over time and have the distinct pleasure to use ‘I remember when’ as an opening line. I remember when I first saw Oli Sykes. A gangly Brit kid walking down a corridor back stage at a venue in Massachusetts. We were there to interview the headliner and in that weed filled hallway the figure of an off balance young man caught my eye. Very attractive and deep in thought (so I thought).
That night as the show went on and Bring Me The Horizon’s banner raised out he came. A silly fool climbing the very shaky stacks of amplifiers and singing with the angst of a done wrong teen. I didn’t know then about the addictions or the drama, just that this boy had talent and looks and was fearless and the crowd adored him. Hell I recall the security guard at he foot of the stage giving me (and the other press assembled side stage) the eye to come help support that speaker so the idiot kid wouldn’t fall off. I felt like a fireman with the catch net- I thought for sure he would crash. But even when he dove, the crowd caught him like a feather- he was protected and loved and waved to the stage- not missing a note. A lovely site of hardcore fandom. Though the mother in me had a heart attack- I understood that Sykes was going to be huge and what I was witnesssing was just smidge of what was to come.
The problem is the addiction. He lost it- lost momentum, lost some looks. He started a clothing line, made friends and tons of enemies and even disappeared- yet now is back. This years Warped Tour had the same fans forgiving and devout standing ready to catch the cleaned up kid just like those years ago. You cannot help but adore Oli Sykes.
This being said their new video is silly. I understand the dark sheeted hooligans (see the cover of their previous album “There is a Hell, Believe Me I’ve Seen It. There is a Heaven, Let’s Keep It A Secret’- they got a thing for those things. It’s the nearly ‘interpretive dance’ that they do that takes this fantastic tune and cracks me up. Really guys, its a comedy when it’s supposed to be dark. Well the filming is dark but the ghosty dance is a hoot.
So I give this song an A but the video a C, for see how damn funny it looks. C’mon kids I promise to catch you when you fall- just dont leave me laughing.