LIVE FROM THE PIT: Bad Omens, Bilmuri and The Ghost Inside

This November was a perfect time to frequent London’s Alexandra Palace: Turnstile and Electric Callboy, having both crushed it earlier this month, now finally pass the microphone to the legendary BAD OMENS. With ten thousand pairs of eyes up upon him, NOAH SEBASTIAN is reminiscing about their last time taking over the city — almost three years ago at the 500-cap Dome — the two tours feel like polar opposites, each with their own charm. After their rapid ascension in the charts and people’s hearts, the Virginian four-piece had no choice but to upscale their production accordingly, making every penny truly worth it and putting on a stunning show of a lifetime.

Opening up for the night are what could be classified as veterans of metalcore in comparison, THE GHOST INSIDE. Although only the first on the bill, the band play a whopping 10-song setlist; it is quite refreshing to see both supports being honoured equally with a proper chance to shine. 

The crowd seems to be in approval, as many here are already long-time fans of the band. Starting off the set strong with Avalanche, they move onto more recent material such as Washing It Away and Aftermath. In between breakdowns, JONATHAN VIGIL takes time to express gratitude to everyone throughout their journey — having played half of London’s iconic rooms and theatres by now, conquering Ally Pally at last feels extra special. Overall, TGI’s set couldn’t run more smoothly — even the unfamiliar folk are swinging their heads in rhythm and silently appreciating the beautiful lighting. After a must-have Engine 45 “for the old-school fans”, the band begin to wrap it up, ending on a high with the captivating Death Grip.

BILMURI is always an interesting choice for a heavy metal lineup, but it keeps proving itself to be the right one. Although technically a one-man project of JOHNNY FRANCK, it has evolved into an inseparable orchestra with its own agenda that involves somehow being both obscene and wholesome at the same time. After recently opening for SLEEP TOKEN and their own solo run, the band have also gathered a large loyal fan-base who do not hesitate to bring it all to the dancefloor. 

Although their music falls more into the alt-rock and indie genre, songs like EMPTY HANDED still let us get the heat out with the occasional heavy riff or metal screams. GABI ROSE is quite a star in her own right, with a sax solo in BLINDSIDED, and even a whole singing verse in ABSOLUTELYCRANKINMYMF’INHOG. The whole set is filled with a lot of clapping, hands swaying, people standing up on their friends’ shoulders, and of course some moshing and crowdsurfing. The tough energy that BILMURI presents online fades away instantly in the strobe lighting and gets drowned in the smoke — it is simply a fun, happy time and an exciting place to be.

After another short intermission, it is finally time for BAD OMENS to make an absolutely gorgeous, cinematic first appearance. Specter marks the beginning of an era, starting off slow and quiet to allow space for NOAH to fill the room with his raw, piercing screams, clinging onto the floor as if he cannot bear the weight of it himself. The minute the show begins, the crowd is holding their breath simply in shock of how beautifully it is all orchestrated. The massive screens surrounding the stage, multiple cubic structures hanging over their heads, pyro and smoke machines for every main chorus — the scale of it is clearly stadium-fit, and it is a rare but needed blessing for Alexandra Palace.

Thousands of voices unite in singalong to Glass Houses and THE DEATH OF PEACE OF MIND, after which arrives a short break. Our eyesight is redirected onto the screens side-stage to let us watch short film clips with little to no explanation. The aesthetic resembles the music videos from recent releases, and it elevates the suspense even further. BAD OMENS have previously stated that an album is coming, with possibly quite extensive runtime — and as we can assume, more of the storyline unveiling. Building their own world and lore and lacing it with tension and vagueness is starting to be a popular trick amongst the scene; nonetheless, it is clear from the live reaction that the fans love it, as long as the original ideas keep flowing. Furthermore, it adds another element to the show: the lucky feeling of watching history unfold before your very eyes while the band is still in a limbo state. 

Not to forget, BAD OMENS are here first and foremost to crush the night with their performance, continuing the set with the fresh out of the oven Dying To Love and Left For Good. The songs off their past album The Death… are not left behind either, receiving some of the biggest feedback from the crowd. A sea of phones rises up during CONCRETE JUNGLE and Nowhere To Go, which at this rate might present as quite a problem of the TikTok music generation. While other attendees express resentment over the constant filming blocking their view and not letting them enjoy the moment — without choosing sides, at the end of the day, this phenomenon is another clear sign of how much love the fans pour into the band, doing anything to capture the feeling and let the music stay with them for longer.

What It Cost / Like A Villain mark the beginning of the end, and everyone mentally prepares to soak in the last few songs. The vocalist runs a quick survey, looking how many people have seen BAD OMENS before, and for whom it is only the first time. The split is pretty even, but leaning towards the latter, highlighting the importance of this tour once again. Even though the album is not finished, the band could not hold it off any longer, and any fans who joined more recently deserved a chance to ingest the last breaths of the past eras too. After Impose comes a long and silent encore, following the band coming out to close off with the loud, eardrum-shattering Dethrone. And just like that, the lights are back on, and we hear Everybody Wants to Rule the World by TEARS FOR FEARS on our way out — everybody surely does, but only few can make it happen. BAD OMENS will continue to evolve and surprise us all, but just tonight, they undoubtedly already ruled the world of those 10,000 Londoners with no exception.

Words: Mariia Bulkina

Photos: Bryan Kirks