“Would you invite me in again? Let me pay for my arrogance.“
Sleep Token, with their aching emotion and almost cult-like following, are the perfect band for the sort of one-off, intimate show they put on this past Friday at London’s Lafayette venue. This particular night at Lafayette sold out in an evening, indicative of both its recognised significance and the dedication of Sleep Token fans. A single date, dubbed ‘from the room below’ after their deluxe acoustic recordings, with the poster showing only the lead singer, Vessel, sat at a piano. No support, no pre-show theatrics, no barrier — this was about Vessel and the fans alone.
Having been postponed not once but twice, there was some apprehension ahead of the show, a spreading anxiety which only increased as the ‘band’ overshot their appearance time by thirty minutes. A crammed Lafayette was bouncing with nervous energy. Six hundred Sleep Token fans itching to belt out the lyrics to hits like “Fall For Me” and “Levitate”, yet also hold back tears during “Missing Limbs”, a typical setlist closer bumped to the forefront due to the show’s unique arrangement. All was forgiven in an instant at Vessel’s appearance, accompanied by three masked backing singers and a vocoded message thanking the fans for their patience. His arrival on stage was marked with a Stratocaster, soon be smeared with the vocalist’s trademark black body paint.
A heartfelt rendition of OutKast’s “Hey Ya!” opened the night, an instant gut punch that signalled the sonic direction of the concert for any expecting the relative whimsy of Sleep Token’s heavier, djenty side. The emotive assault continued with “Missing Limbs”, and “Hallelujah”, originally by Leonard Cohen (though much more inspired by Jeff Buckley’s performance), rounding out the tracks played on guitar. This was the surprise of the night, and leads me to believe that we might see a studio version of it included on a deluxe edition of This Place Will Become Your Tomb. The backing vocalists absolutely shone here, and justified their place on stage by itself, hitting some incredible high notes as Vessel’s voice cracked with emotion towards the end. It’s safe to say that a fair number of the crowd joined in with that.
Vessel then set the guitar aside and moved to the piano, which faced away from the crowd, allowing him to, for the first time (to my knowledge), remove his mask during a live performance. The middle of the show saw some more typical mainstays of a Sleep Token setlist in “The Night Does Not Belong to God”, “Alkaline”, “Sugar”, “Atlantic”, and “Fall For Me”, picking up the pace, though the atmosphere was noticeably more respectful and reserved than usual. Pensive and personal, with Vessel’s soothing vocals a soundtrack to a night of moving introspection. As ever, the crowd found their voice during “Fall For Me”, screaming ‘Oh God, I wish you were here!’ in unison, one of the hallmarks of every Sleep Token show. “Levitate” made an appearance for the first time since January of 2020, and the ‘band’ performed “Shelter” live for the first time, somehow better than its studio counterpart and a real treat for fans, which will presumably not make a reappearance unless a similar show follows someday.
The last third of the setlist slipped into more melancholic cuts, winding down the show. Similar to “Levitate”, penultimate song “Drag Me Under” made its first appearance since before the pandemic, and leaves one wondering how it doesn’t feature more when Vessel delivers it in such a phenomenal and ethereal way. The endless falsettos and hypnotising piano melodies illuminated Vessel’s ridiculous range. His sniffling as the last notes faded away show how much passion goes into the band’s music and why so many fans connect with their music and come out in droves to nights like this. In a rare instance of direct interaction, a vocoded message addressed the crowd, concluding, “The truth is I did not save anybody. You saved me.” The one song guaranteed to make an appearance left it late to do so but capped off the show perfectly. That is “Blood Sport”, or rather “Blood Sport – from the room below”. The way that the song built with the gradual increase of Vessel’s verve on the piano was magical, and the crowd echoed Vessel throughout. It’s hard to capture in words how it feels to be enveloped by such an atmosphere. Vessel, the fans, his backing choir—everyone gave it their all, which is all you can ever ask from live music.
And that was Sleep Token at Lafayette. The show itself was a little on the short side, clocking it at just shy of an hour, and ending well before the advertised curfew, but it was without a doubt one of the best hours of live music I have had the privilege of witnessing. At first, disappointment that there was no encore, then gradual appreciation for the set nonetheless. The absence of talking between songs due to Sleep Token’s particular aesthetic left it packed with music despite its runtime—thirteen songs and an hour of continuous catharsis.
Some surprise omissions were Sleep Token’s raw piano interpretation of Loathe’s “Is It Really You?”, as well as a couple of other covers dubbed ‘from the room below’, but such is a testament to the band’s already-deep catalogue, and I would be shocked if many in the audience had complaints. Guitar-driven songs like “Alkaline” were translated to keys magically, and the debuting of “Hallelujah” and “Shelter” will be extremely memorable moments. It was a night for firsts in various regards, and one that Sleep Token fans will be sure to brag out for years to come, particularly those lucky enough (like me) to get a Parabellum x Sleep Token signet ring. Tonight (May 2nd) marks the first date of Sleep Token supporting Architects on tour, which is sure to be a very different experience, but one equally worthy of worship.
Check out our review of Sleep Token‘s most recent release, This Place Will Become Your Tomb, here.
SETLIST:
Hey Ya! (Outkast Cover)
Missing Limbs
Hallelujah (Leonard Cohen Cover)
The Night Does Not Belong To God
Alkaline
Levitate
Sugar
Atlantic
Fall For Me
Give
Shelter (from the room below)
Drag Me Under
Blood Sport (from the room below)