It feels like the golden age of Bring Me The Horizon is only just beginning at Mad Cool 2024

The whole thing is melodramatic, over the top, steeped in pain but defiantly glorious. Words: Ali Shutler. Photos: Frances Beach.

“Have you guys never heard of a mosh pit,” asks Oli Sykes before breaking into a smirking grin. “I thought you were Mad Cool.” Yup, if there’s any band that can cause giddy pandemonium at a festival, it’s Bring Me The Horizon.

Today though, due to technical issues, the band are forced to abandon the evolving conceptual narrative about artificial intelligence, self-expression, belief and play an abridged set. You can tell they’re gutted, with Oli apologising for “letting you down”.

As brilliant and ambitious as that production can be, it’s not the reason Bring Me have earned their place at the top of the bill though. Even without that celebrated dystopian throughline, the band remains simply unstoppable.

The opening one-two of ‘DArkSide’ and ‘MANTRA’ is a ferocious introduction to their pop-infused metal, while the glitching electronics of ‘Teardrops’ adds a playful wink to their hulking rage. Despite being the heaviest band on the bill by some way (today they share the stage with The Kooks and Arlo Parks) there’s no fear in diving between the joyous, euphoric rave of ‘Kingslayer’ and the snarling aggression of ‘AmEN!’ while the likes of ‘Shadow Moses’, ‘Can You Feel My Heart’ and ‘Kool-Aid’ are unconventional festival bangers that pack an almighty punch.

Bring Me The Horizon’s power comes from their trust in extremes. Whether it’s vengeful breakdowns, communal singalongs or ecstatic party-starting, the band refuses to shy away from taking those bold swings.

Oli isn’t afraid of saying exactly how he feels either. His heart on the sleeve lyrics inspire an intimate sense of catharsis and understanding amidst the theatrics of streamers, confetti and fireworks, with fans sobbing to the fragile hope of ‘Drown’ and finding strength in the raw confession of ‘LosT’.

Likewise, his onstage banter is designed to get the absolute most out of the crowd. “Mosh pit? That’s more like a puddle,” he teases at one point, with the crowd eager to prove him wrong.

The whole thing is melodramatic, over the top, steeped in pain but defiantly glorious. After triumphs at Download, Reading & Leeds, countless arenas and now this, it feels like the golden age of Bring Me The Horizon is only just beginning.