Oli Sykes Reveals the Reason Behind Bring Me The Horizon's Tradition of Frequently Inviting Fans to the Stage

JAKARTA - Bring Me The Horizon (BMTH) frontman Oli Sykes has spoken out about the sentimental reasons behind his band's tradition of inviting fans to the stage.

The moment that is often seen when BMTH performs "Antivist" is not just a normal stage gimmick, but a form of gratitude for the events that Sykes experienced when he was a teenager.

When he was 15 years old, Sykes once attended a concert by the Welsh post-hardcore band, Funeral For A Friend. In the middle of the show, the band's vocalist fell ill and was unable to continue the concert. Sykes, who was then known as a shy teenager, actually took a daring action that changed the course of his life forever.

"The singer was very sick and fainted in the middle of the show. They all left the stage and came back saying, 'We can't play'. I don't know what I was thinking because I'm the most shy kid, but I shouted, 'I'll sing'," recalled Sykes, performing on SiriusXM recently.

Unexpectedly, the spontaneous offer was accepted by Funeral For A Friend personnel. Sykes then went on stage and performed "The Art Of American Football".

The experience left a deep mark, so it's no surprise that Sykes is giving fans a similar experience.

"They were like, 'What? Okay...' and they let me get on stage! I sang one song, and it was the greatest moment of my life," Sykes said.

"I think I cried afterwards. My mom was waiting in the car, and I was screaming, 'Mom, I just sang with Funeral For A Friend!' It was so cool. So if we can do the same thing for other kids, that's really great," he added.

Interestingly, the Funeral For A Friend also responded to the story through the comments section of the SiriusXM social media by confirming the incident and praising the performance of the young Sykes who was considered to have perfectly executed their song.

In addition to the emotional reason for creating an unforgettable memory for fans, Sykes jokingly added that inviting fans to sing gives him a moment to rest in the midst of the intensity of the busy tour schedule.

Currently, BMTH itself is busy with a tour in North America and is preparing to re-release their debut album, "Count Your Blessings", which has been re-recorded with sharper and heavier audio quality to celebrate its 20th anniversary.