• Privacy policy
  • T&C’s
  • About Us
    • FAQ
    • Meet the Team
  • Contact us
  • Guest Content
TLE ONLINE SHOP!
  • TLE
  • News
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Sport
  • Opinion
  • Elevenses
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • Film
    • Lifestyle
      • Horoscopes
    • Lottery Results
      • Lotto
      • Thunderball
      • Set For Life
      • EuroMillions
  • Food
    • All Food
    • Recipes
  • Property
  • Travel
  • Tech/Auto
  • JOBS
No Result
View All Result
The London Economic
SUPPORT THE LONDON ECONOMIC
NEWSLETTER
  • TLE
  • News
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Sport
  • Opinion
  • Elevenses
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • Film
    • Lifestyle
      • Horoscopes
    • Lottery Results
      • Lotto
      • Thunderball
      • Set For Life
      • EuroMillions
  • Food
    • All Food
    • Recipes
  • Property
  • Travel
  • Tech/Auto
  • JOBS
No Result
View All Result
The London Economic
No Result
View All Result
Home Entertainment Music

LIVE REVIEW: Sleep cast their weedwizard spell in Shepherds Bush

Venue: O2 Shepherds Bush Empire Date: 28.5.18 Few bands this side of the 1980’s are spoken about with near universal reverence, in hushed tones and with numberless superlatives. One such band are San Jose-an stoner doom progenitors Sleep. Two decades on from their initial hiatus, and nine years since their first reunion, the older and […]

Guest Contributor by Guest Contributor
2018-06-05 15:22
in Music
Sleep - Graham Berry
FacebookTwitterLinkedinEmailWhatsapp

Venue: O2 Shepherds Bush Empire
Date: 28.5.18

Few bands this side of the 1980’s are spoken about with near universal reverence, in hushed tones and with numberless superlatives. One such band are San Jose-an stoner doom progenitors Sleep. Two decades on from their initial hiatus, and nine years since their first reunion, the older and wiser psychonauts continue to grow their legend with rapturous live performances – and their turn at London’s Shepherd’s Bush Empire is no exception.

It’s a daunting task opening for living legends, but Leeds’ Black Moth give it their all, with a slick and groovy set of trad-worshipping doom. Soaring squalls of duelling guitar solos and a constantly rolling rhythm section power along well enough, surprising with unexpected turns of driving speed. Burly kick drums sit at the heart of their good and loud mix, but as their set goes on the headbanging and applause slips from ‘engaged’ to the dreaded ‘polite’. Despite their pluck, they were doomed from the start, the Sleep support slot metal’s equivalent of a screensaver. It’s unfair, but when the between-band mix tape gets a bigger crowd reaction, that’s a troubling sign.

Sleep - Graham Berry

The familiar beeps of the Apollo mission herald the arrival of the Californian trio, heightening an already simmering level of anticipation. They come out to uproar, and set to work with a towering ‘Marijuanauts Theme’. The ever-shirtless Matt Pike’s shrieking solos take flight like a psychic bird of prey unleashed, soaring aloft before diving into the crowd to melt some faces. The leather gloved hand of the rhythm section beckons back, and the trio lock in as one constantly shifting entity. Jason Roeder mauls his kit like a majestic animal, pummelling snare and toms before switching to effortlessly subtle touches of cymbal, a constantly evolving and organic groove like a beating heart.

Sleep - Graham Berry

If Roeder is the heart, Al Cisneros is the backbone – his throbbing bass swings providing constant forward momentum, his smoky vocals a druidic cant acting as punctuation. It’s truly astounding to see the three of them spiral off into independent instrumental vortices while still maintaining the same bearing. A gloss of phasing bass brings the mood down low, a moment of respite in the hinterlands of riff, the trio’s riffs throbbing with energy even when distilled alchemically into their most base forms. Their set is an experience for all the senses – the literal smell of pot smoke rising from the crowd, the heat from the amps like a crucible, lights shimmering like kindling stars, and the wall of sound like a physical presence.

Sleep - Graham Berry

Classic cuts like the majestic ‘Holy Mountain’ and the vibrant ‘Dragonaut’ are given new power when set next to material from their recent surprise release, ‘The Sciences’. Arguably, this is Sleep at the height of their weedwizarding powers, bending elemental riffs to their will with the ease born of a life of musicianship. It’s not many bands whose career maintains such an upward trajectory. It’s not many bands who are Sleep.

RelatedPosts

Katie Hopkins labels Sam Smith a ‘dirty, disgusting, chronically ill guy’ in brutal rant

Sam Smith called ‘demonic’ and ‘evil’ by woman in street attack

Watch: Wet Leg say ‘f*ck the Tories’ as they win two Brit awards

First gender-neutral Brit Awards category sees only men nominated

Words: Jay Hampshire (@instahamps)

Photos: Graham Berry (@BlkTPhotography)

Content Protection by DMCA.com

Subscribe to our Newsletter

View our  Privacy Policy and Terms & Conditions

Trending on TLE

  • All
  • trending

Elevenses: Exposing the Tories’ Deepfake Illegal Immigration Bill

Elevenses: Rishi’s Finest Hour

Elevenses: Fear and Loathing in the New Conservatives

More from TLE

Van artist pays tribute to Stoke City, Leicester City & England legend

Donald Trump may be “sneaked in” to UK to avoid protesters

Johnson and Lee Anderson touted as early candidates to replace Zahawi

Watch: Celtic fans NSFW chant about Tories and show support for RMT

First mayoral election poll gives Khan a commanding lead

Pensioner who has lived 9 decades in one of Britain’s first council homes calls on government to make more

Hotel Review: St. James Hotel and Club, London

Manchester City boss will let players choose new captain

Charities say Rwanda plan not deterring ‘desperate’ migrants crossing Channel

A comparison between the British and American real estate markets

JOBS

FIND MORE JOBS

About Us

TheLondonEconomic.com – Open, accessible and accountable news, sport, culture and lifestyle.

Read more

Contact

Editorial enquiries, please contact: [email protected]

Commercial enquiries, please contact: [email protected]

Address

The London Economic Newspaper Limited t/a TLE
Company number 09221879
International House,
24 Holborn Viaduct,
London EC1A 2BN,
United Kingdom

SUPPORT

We do not charge or put articles behind a paywall. If you can, please show your appreciation for our free content by donating whatever you think is fair to help keep TLE growing and support real, independent, investigative journalism.

DONATE & SUPPORT

© 2019 thelondoneconomic.com - TLE, International House, 24 Holborn Viaduct, London EC1A 2BN. All Rights Reserved.




No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
  • Politics
  • Business
  • Sport
  • Entertainment
  • Lifestyle
  • Food
  • Travel
  • JOBS
  • More…
    • Elevenses
    • Opinion
    • Property
    • Tech & Auto
  • About Us
    • Meet the Team
    • Privacy policy
  • Contact us

© 2019 thelondoneconomic.com - TLE, International House, 24 Holborn Viaduct, London EC1A 2BN. All Rights Reserved.