It’s been almost 13 years since UK band Bury Tomorrow has toured the states in any capacity. According to singer Daniel Winter-Bates, the US fans were vocal on the band’s social media pages asking them to please come back. Embarking this Spring on The Seventh Sun tour, the band did exactly that.
I caught up with the tour on May 11, 2023, at the famed venue The Basement East situated in Nashville, TN. Prior to the beginning of the night’s music, I took some time to mill around the crowd and talk with some of the fans who were eagerly awaiting the show to start. Speaking with several of them, I came to find out that these fans traveled from all over the country just to be here for this night. I spoke with people from Kentucky, Ohio, and even some from as far away as Kansas who were here to support the headliners on their very first headlining tour of the states. As I joined them, they were already talking about what songs they hoped the band would play. The excitement was real.
The night began with Danish band Siamese taking the stage a little after 7:00 pm. I knew from the moment the band made their way to the stage we were in for a treat. They were energetic and the crowd was loving it. Taking the crowd through a short set of a variety of songs from their albums, you could tell new fans were made. Toward the end of their set, they talked about the importance of taking care of your mental health which led to a song highlighting this issue.
Next up was Florida-based rockers Afterlife. From the moment they took the stage, lead singer Tyler Levenson had to crowd in the palm of his hand. From the crowd singing along to the circle pits in the back, the audience fed off of the electric energy coming from the stage. After running through a set that included favorites such as Part of Me and Throat, they closed out the set with Giving Back The Pain in which the stage was only lit with the lights coming from the audience’s cellphones. It was a truly memorable moment.
Hollow Front from Grand Rapids, MI took the stage next. Having played Nashville about two years earlier, they were happy to be back. Boasting a slightly heavier sound than the prior acts, they began their set with Afflicted. Lead singer Tyler Tate wasn’t feeling well, however, you would have never known it by his performance. Coupled with growling vocals and a heavy bass sound, the band powered through their 8 song set with plenty of fist-pumping and moshing from the crowd. They closed out their night with Heritage and Still Life, two songs that deal with the heavy issues of racism in today’s world and depression.
Taking the stage at 9:30 pm Bury Tomorrow burst onto the stage with a high-octane energy that I have only rarely seen. The crowd was ready to go from the second the first note dropped for the first song of the night Boltcutter off of their new album. They were jumping and singing along to every word and Daniel and the rest of the band were feeding off of it. Supporting their new album The Seventh Sun, which was released on March 31, 2023, the band played a selection of songs both old and new to the crowd’s delight. Multiple circle pits formed in the back of the room while people closer to the stage jumped and moshed there. There wasn’t a stationary seat in the house for the duration of their set. About midway through the night, they played Lionheart which was a crowd favorite. As I watched the crowd around me, I saw those same individuals I had spoken with earlier having the time of their lives. They were indeed singing along with every word as they had promised they would. Towards the end of the set as they launched into Heretic (which was one of the songs that was mentioned early in the night as a hope) Tyler from Afterlife joined Daniel on stage to sing to the delight of everyone in attendance. They continued with Cannibal (another crowd favorite) and closed out the night with Choke and Death.
The Seventh Sun tour will continue in the US and Canada through May 20, 2023, before Bury Tomorrow heads back overseas to tour for the rest of the summer and into the fall. Their new album is available anywhere you can buy and stream music.
