As I park the car at Trenchard Street car park, I can already hear the crowd for the sold-out Trivium show outside the O2 Academy Bristol. Doors are open in approx three minutes, and I don’t think I’ve ever heard a queue so loud.
Trivium – Bleed From Within – Orbit Culture
O2 Academy, Bristol – 4 September 2023
Words and Photography: Georgia Brittain
A quick peek out of the window, and I’ve never seen a queue quite as big there before. I use my photographer’s privilege to skip it all, but not without some banter from a few punters, and walk into Bristol’s new and unannounced sauna, which is the O2 Academy. I’m going in blind tonight, having not really listened to any of the bands playing before, and I’m excited to see what the night brings.
Orbit Culture
First on are Orbit Culture, and there’s already a half-full venue for the openers. They come on stage drowned with moody reds and blues and plenty of strobe. For a photographer, it’s your worst nightmare, and my lens wasn’t playing ball in the atmosphere either. From the crowd, it’s exactly what you’d expect from a Melodic Death Metal opener.
They have smoke pyro going off throughout their set, which isn’t something you usually see from an opener. By the time I’ve shot my first three songs, I’m impressed by the energy they’ve brought to the show.
It’s like watching a headline show in a smaller venue, and the band have brought their absolute all to the stage. There’s one song in particular that ends up getting me to do the ‘that’s a stinking riff’ face, Strangler. If I wasn’t hungover and lugging all my camera gear around, I would have been bouncing around with the crowd. Everyone who came in early are impressed, including me.
By the time Orbit Culture are finished, it’s hot. Really hot. I feel a sweat dripper run down my back, look around at the crowd and see everyone is in the same boat. And all anyone can think is, damn, it’s about to get even hotter in here.
Bleed From Within
Bleed From Within are on next, and there’s a steady mix of their shirts with the Trivium shirts in the crowd. The venue is now completely packed out, and the front row is going absolutely insane for these guys. Just like Orbit Culture, the band have brought their all to their support slot, and it’s such a good response from the crowd that you could easily mistake Bleed From Within being the headliners.
They’re also in moody hue lighting but saved their pure reds for the fourth song, which makes all the ‘togs nod in approval. The band being Scots, there’s plenty of England vs. Scotland banter from lead singer Scott Kennedy, which keeps the patriotic crowd engaged and determined to beat Scotland in being “the best show of the tour”.
Of course, being a gig in Bristol, which is an easy journey for the fellow Welsh in the crowd, it doesn’t go without multiple “Waaaallees” chants. Despite the constant rising heat in the venue, the crowd is absolutely eating everything up, and by the time the last song, The End Of All We Know, is played, I can feel the floor of the venue shaking with how much the crowd is bouncing along.
There’s a steady stream of crowdsurfers throughout their set, and often, I have to remind myself these guys are the main support and not the headliners. It’s a solid show from the band, and everyone is nicely warmed up for the actual headliners, Trivium.
Trivium
As I’m in the photo pit and the band are hitting the chorus of their first song, the first thing I notice is the crowd is singing back so loud that you can’t actually hear vocalist Matt Heafy. Despite the heat now reaching the “hottest gig I have ever attended” point, it isn’t ruining the crowd’s spirit.
The crowdsurfers are already coming, and the front row is smashed right up against the barrier. After the first song, Matt Heady acknowledges the heat in the venue and reminds everyone to look out for each other and let security know if they feel unwell. The little bit of acknowledgement reminds the crowd that the band cares for the fans, and in return, they sing back the clean vocals even louder.
As my first three songs in the pit finish and I head to the upstairs bar to clear my camera gear, there are a few punters sitting in there to get away from the heat of the crowd. They’re all still smiling and singing along to the band, and I’m impressed at the high spirits of everyone despite the heat.
Back out to watch Trivium, and I’m curious how on earth the crowd are coping, still moshing and jumping along. There’s no fancy stage show from Trivium, just a band that are clearly enjoying the music they’ve written and a crowd giving the same energy back to them.
There’s something sweet about seeing the absolute passion from both band and fans, and I can’t help but have a smile on my face. We’re coming to the end of the set, and there are more reminders from Matt Heafy to stay safe and look out for each other, with him passing water back to the fans himself.
Once again, it’s amazing to see a band care so much for the safety of the fans, and in return, the crowd are still jumping on command and pouring their hearts into singing the lyrics back to the band.
Ultimately, it’s a great night of great music. After festival season, it was nice to be back in the smaller venues, watching the interaction of intimate gigs. The Metal community will always be my favourite music community, and to see everyone stick together to get through the heat and make it through this long-awaited sold-out show, it’s easy to see why.
It makes me look forward to the winter gigs the UK has to offer this year, but for now, I need some hangover food at the service station on the way home. It’s a shame the McDonald’s staff there will have to deal with the smell of sweat from me and, no doubt, plenty of other Welsh Trivium fans on their adventure home.