The anticipation is building for one of the UK’s premier rock acts in the very sweaty and intimate Bridgend venue. With the tour already being delayed, everybody has been waiting for a long time to catch Sheffield based “While She Sleeps” touring for their new album “Sleeps Society”. Opening with the title track, the wave of noise that engulfs the room almost knocks you for six. On record the sound hits you like a freight train but live is something else.
From the off and throughout the entirety of the gig, the couple of hundred people that are here are singing or shouting along to every word. This is followed shortly by “Anti-Social”, arms raised in the air and jumping in the pit. Everything is kept extremely tight and not a note is out of place. This is the most intimate setting they’ve played in for over 5 years and the gig is almost better for it. They feed off the energy off of the animated crowd despite it being the equivalent of sitting in a sauna in a winter coat. It’s surprising that everyone has the stamina and the ability to keep going throughout.
“Brainwashed” sees things notched up yet another gear and amongst the flailing body in the pit, you can make out a set of crutches right in the mix; such is the commitment of the “Sleeps Society”. With their new way of releasing and distributing their music it brings that connection between the band and audience that much closer and they really do feel like they are doing this for the fans. The hard hits keep on coming with “You Are All You Need” and Sean Long’s soaring riffs that ring out followed by “The Guilty Party” which sees the first “wall of death” opened up.
Set highlight comes in the form of the sublime “Four Walls” where the crowd get on each other’s shoulders and proceed to the front of the venue. There are enough epic breakdowns in five minutes to fill an entire band’s back catalogue. There’s something about While She Sleeps that hits different to other metal bands. There isn’t a single song they play that doesn’t leave you in some form of awe, such is the power of their music.
The biggest reaction comes in the form of “Silence Speaks”; usually guest starring BMTH’s Oli Sykes but in his absence, the noise of everybody else more than makes up for it. The limbs are flailing in the sweat pit as bodies crowd surf from the stage. “Nervous” begins with a heartfelt message telling everybody to look out for one another and is another particular highlight of the night.
Frontman Loz Taylor states that “This stage is your stage” and proceeds to invite the crowd to share it with them during the chaotic set closer “Systematic”. With “Prodigy-esq” vibes incorporated into the song, their sound has evolved but none of that heaviness or the energy has been lost. As everyone crouches down before the final climactic drop, the tension is palpable. And then the noise kicks in and it’s a wonderful feeling. Like a wave that goes through every ounce of your body.
Tonight feels like the culmination of over 18 months’ worth of frustration being released. But at the same time it’s a welcoming place where everybody is living their best lives at that moment. That’s something a band such as WSS can do; they bring a community together through their music and we can only be thankful for that.