Photo + Words: Aylise Delano-Brown
Tennessee guys, Sleep Theory are touring the UK for their first time as headliners after supporting bands in the past few years. As mentioned on Monday, the band’s trajectory changed massively, when a 17-second clip online went viral very quickly. A short clip of their song became so popular, and it helped the band to gain momentum, and get where they are today. They are signed with Epitaph Records, and we believe it won’t be long until they’re capping out even bigger venues here in the UK.
Manchester has come alive on a drizzly Monday evening, in anticipation of the show at the O2 Ritz. Queues are going around 3 corners, even after doors opened, due to the show selling out in record time.
We were lucky enough to have The Pretty Wild as our only support act for the evening, meaning we got to enjoy a longer set with the band that are sure to be headlining sometime very soon! The vocalists are two sisters, who gave us a great example of why they’re ones to watch in the industry.
Both Jyl and Jules have a great range with vocals, from clean, softer notes, up to heavy, bassier screams. Despite the rapid change from clean and screamo, both of the sisters proved they had raw talent as the transitions were always seamless. The whole band were clearly overjoyed to be on stage performing, especially for their debut tour in the UK. Each member was beaming from start to finish, and the energy between the members was so natural and joyous. We love to see a group of friends living their dreams!
They gave us a mix of older and newer singles, including their renowned song that became viral in a Tik Tok trend (Sleepwalker), and it’s clear that this – along with many others – was well received by fans. The floor was bouncing, and the crowd were riotous with joy! What a perfect opener for the night, and a successful way to get the venue appropriately hyped.
For anyone who is unfamiliar with The Pretty Wild, we would highly recommend you give them a listen! They’re a good shout for anyone who enjoys music that could fall under “Female Rage” or in a playlist for the gym to get you pumped!
After a quick stage changeover, they turned out the lights, and Sleep Theory entered the stage with flourish – especially from frontman Cullen Moore, who appeared in a cloud of smoke, right before our eyes (Seriously Cullen, how did you appear out of thin air like that – we won’t tell).
The whole place shook with the roars of the crowd, and everyone was smiling from ear to ear. The band had an unrivaled energy about them, as they all seemed to be in their element performing for everyone, and their friendship and banter shone through, which we love to see. Cullen is not only a magician, but also a dancer too, as his moves throughout the night were infectious and dopamine-inducing. Some people in the crowd started to join in with him and it was great to see – live music is all about the fun and the community!
It’s rare to say a live performance is as impressive as the recorded stuff, but Sleep Theory is even BETTER live (we know that seems impossible, have you heard Stuck In My Head?). It’s clear each member has such a genuine cultivated skill for their music and it shows in how they play and sing!
We have no notes on the setlist – we were given some softer tunes, which enraptured the audience, hugely popular tracks like Static and Paralyzed, and even some covers! We got a great rendition of Taylor Swift’s Cruel Summer, and bassist Paolo Vergara stunned us all with the first verse solo of Paramore’s My Heart – and who could forget *NYSYNC’s Bye Bye Bye. Sleep Theory really knows how to immerse their fans in the performance, and make every second worthwhile.
The introduction for III was spine-tingling, and gave us goosebumps with the video on the screens, the ominous speech, and the air-raid siren going off before the music kicked in. It’s a perfect start for that song though, and the crowd ate it up.
It was nice to see the crowd interactions throughout, including 2 strangers becoming friends as they sat on the shoulders of their company, and sang along together. Cullen “borrowed” a pick from guitarist Daniel Pruitt’s mic stand, and handed it to a fan near the barrier. He also threw a few setlists out throughout the set, including launching one up for the balcony (the band photographers helped that setlist reach its intended audience), and he just seemed so thrilled to have that relationship with people in the audience.
We experienced a literal mic-drop, but with spider-man reflexes, it was caught before it hit the ground. The whole band seemed so grateful to be there, and everyone joined in on the immersive moment when the lights went down and all phone lights went on so everyone could sing at the top of their lungs for a softer track.
Safe to say this was a night to remember, and we can’t wait to see what’s in store for both acts. Thank you for letting us document this wonderful show.
Taped Magazine 