Music > Live Reviews

Sleeping With Sirens

20/03/23

Sleeping With Sirens arrive into our fine city riding a crest of a wave. Their live shows are receiving rave reviews and their latest album (2022′s Complete Collapse) has been heralded as their most complete work today. With this being said I was highly looking forward to what was in store and it has to be said so were the 699 others that packed out the room, especially when we have ABBA Gold playing before the band take the stage. 

Not a single person could have left the room disappointed (aside from the fella that lost a near on full pint as the band took the stage) as the Sirens put on an incredible 80 minute show. Opening with ‘Break Me Down’ drummer Matty Best lead the charge with a dramatic intro, filling the room with almighty thuds. The rest of the band then piled onto the stage to a cacophony of feedback and audience appreciation, it was truly game on. 

There was no time to catch our breath, the band ripped into ‘Kick Me’ the younger members of the audience clearly enjoying their moment to scream obscenities without the gaze of their parents shone upon them. We were then treated to a hat-trick of tracks from the ‘How To Be Lost’ album, the highlight for me being ‘Leave It All Behind’ the chorus absolutely took off, I’m convinced every single person was singing along, even those stood on the merch stand were joining in. The song is a statement of intent, it is driven, passionate and yet still incredibly melodical, a true highlight. ‘Never Enough’ and ‘Talking To Myself’ completed the trio. I think it is fair to say that ...Lost is the band’s most popular record and these songs were greeted like a hero returning from the destruction of a Death Star. 

We powered on with a range of songs taken from various albums (the band have seven studio albums in their locker) we then had for me the standout moment, before playing ‘Better Off Dead’ lead singer Kellin Quinn gave an impassioned plea to remind us all that we, as people, really do matter and to make sure we stick around. I have to say I found Quinn a truly wonderful lead singer. There’s zero arrogance about him, he comes across as someone who truly cares, his stage presence is one that is earnt by his sincerity. 

Slowing things down we have a couple of acoustic moments, a cover of the Goo Goo Dolls classic ‘Iris’ goes down a storm, the joy of singing along with Kellin and everyone I’m surrounded by isn’t broken by the moment I think that quite a few members of this audience might not have been born when the original was released! Still, this is beautiful. Hopefully they will return to Norwich and I’m pretty certain they could easily fill the UEA, they have the talent and support to be playing bigger venues, that said though the intensity of playing a smaller room always wins for me. 

Dancing through their career for a couple of songs, back to 2010 for ‘If I’m James Sean, you’re Audrey Hepburn’ and then to the present with ‘Bloody Knuckles’ the musicianship remains tight and yet free flowing, you can see the band have honed their craft, they know how to work a crowd and are having an immense amount of fun with it. 

The set closes with arguably the most popular song in the bands arsenal, a rip-roaring version of ‘If You Can’t Hang’ it is a head banging, hands in the air crushing force of nature, the energy remains as high as it did over an hour ago, the pace certainly hasn’t let go. Drowning the cheers with feedback, Sleeping With Sirens owned our senses tonight and for that we should truly be thankful. If you get the chance to see them live do take it, you’ll be transported away into something bigger than yourself and you’ll leave exhilarated. The force is strong with this one.