On Sunday, March 1st, 2020, While She Sleeps ripped through The Shelter at Saint Andrews Hall in Detroit on their first-ever US headline tour, with support from As We Divide, Savage Hands, and He Is Legend.
Before I get into the review of the show, I want to give a big thankful shout out to everyone who attended. This was my first time photographing a show from the crowd since there wasn’t a photo pit/barricade. I was a bit nervous about this going into it, but literally everyone that saw me with my camera offered me their spot in the front row to shoot for a second or stepped aside to let me through before I could even say “excuse me please.” I see this as a testament to how great the music community can be, and I can’t express enough how grateful I am to be a part of it with people like you!
Now it’s time to move on to the music! First up was As We Divide, a local Detroit metal band. They reminded me musically of A Day to Remember, but with an emo flair. It took this younger band absolutely no time at all to get the crowd pumped up and they kept their energy going throughout their whole set. Keep your eyes peeled for this band; big things are in their future.
The second band of the night was Savage Hands, a young metal band from Maryland. This band was a great follow up to the first band, with them jumping all around the stage and two of the members doing some killer hair whips. The music was loud, catchy, and energetic, but the lyrics tended to be a bit on the emotional side. Another band to keep a close watch on for big things.
Next up was He is Legend, a fantastic metal band from North Carolina. The energy in the room was already high, but at this point, it was also anxious for these guys to get started. Quite a few people asked me if I had ever seen/photographed this band live and when I said “no,” I was given a response each time along the lines of “you will love them, they’re so much fun on stage!” Well, they were right, these guys were nothing short of amazing! With their room-shaking music, a drummer whose arms were basically a constant blur, and a singer who could dance as well he sang, I couldn’t keep a smile off of my face or stop dancing along with them. If this band isn’t on your radar, slap yourself on the wrist since I can’t do it through this article and check them out!
Finally, the main event, While She Sleeps. This tour is their first US headline tour and this date, in particular, happened to fall on the one-year anniversary of their hit album ‘So What.’ How I still have a voice after their set is a miracle. Right out of the gate they gave 100% pure raw metal energy and it never stopped. The whole time they performed it felt like everyone in the venue was best friends by singing together, asking each other if they were ok after a crowd surfer came through, and just smiling from ear to ear. It was apparent the band felt that way too by the way they were interacting with the crowd, and there were a couple of times their singer Lawrence just stopped for a second to stare at the crowd and grin. You could tell by the look in his eyes that he was so appreciative of everyone being there, and you could feel that he felt at home on stage. It was honestly heartwarming. I can’t wait to see these guys live again and that day can’t come soon enough!
Review and photos by Tiffany Detzel
