Here’s what Sleep Token played as they kicked off 2024 European tour, with III and IV missing out due to illness

6 November, 2024

Sleep Token

Sleep Token kicked off their European headline tour in Zurich last night (November 5) – check out details below.

Before their opening show at Halle 622, they took to Instagram to announce that both III and IV wouldn’t be performing. As they detailed there, the show went ahead using pre-recorded tracks captured while they previously prepared for the massive tour.

“We always endeavour to avoid cancelling a Ritual unless completely unavoidable,” they wrote. “And we hope this outcome is more acceptable to you than a last-minute cancellation. Thank you for your understanding and support through these unforeseen changes. Tonight, we perform for them, and for you.”

In a later update, the band thanked the crowd for their “unwavering support and for raising your voices with us last night”, and went on to say: In the absence of our brothers III and IV, your energy filled the room and carried us through.

“We are grateful beyond words for this collective, and for each of you who shared in the Ritual with us. Your presence means everything.” Check out fan-shot footage of the show below:

Sleep Token played:

‘The Night Does Not Belong To God’
‘The Offering’
‘Dark Signs’
‘Higher’
‘ Atlantic’
‘Hypnosis’
‘Like That’
‘Alkaline’
‘Missing Limbs’
‘Chokehold’
‘The Summoning’
‘Granite’
‘Rain’
‘Ascensionism’
‘Take Me Back To Eden’
‘Euclid’

Fans on Reddit were quick to praise their honesty in the face of illness in the band. “I like the underlying implications of this, that they’re not just replacing touring musicians under the mask with anybody,” wrote one. “They could easily just put someone else behind the mask and pretend it’s IV, but instead they acknowledge that IV won’t be present,” wrote another. “Really shows how much they care.”

Others noted at their previous Paris gig opening for Linkin Park on November 3, Vessel’s voice sounded “pretty strained and tired” although another chimed in to say those in attendance thought the shows have been “absolutely magical in their own right” despite various illnesses.

Last year, their landmark London gig was plagued by similar issues after it was announced that Vessel had lost his voice, which NME nodded to in four-star review: “It’s a devastating moment considering the significance of tonight’s show, but it continues regardless with the crowd requested to sing along.

“‘The Summoning’, ‘Granite’ and ‘The Love You Want’ are sung like an endearing round of karaoke, with drummer II sweetly conducting the crowd in the moments he’s not required to be at his kit.”

The masked quartet will be playing five arena shows in UK later this month to a total of around 75,000 fans as part of their ‘Teeth Of God’ world tour. You can find any remaining tickets here.

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