Bring Me The Horizon feel like they’ve “made it” after landing a headline slot and Reading and Leeds.
Frontman Oli Sykes has admitted the ‘DiE4u’ rockers have had to fight their way to the top and prove themselves after being “hated” in the early days, but being headliners at the legendary music festivals – which return this August Bank Holiday weekend (August 26 to August 28) – has provided them with “security” and they feel like “we are a big band” now.
Speaking to Rolling Stone UK – of which he is the cover star – the 35-year-old star said: “I know we’re gonna crush it. We’ll put on a sick, sick show because that’s what we do. It is good to finally be accepted as [a headliner]. It gives you that security of being able to sit back and say: we made it. I could never see that before. I always felt like we were hustling and conning and fighting to stay relevant. It always feels like we’re fighting. I think that’s from us being a hated and controversial band when we first started. It’s always felt like one slip-up and we’re out. Now we’re safe. We are a big band.”
The ‘Mantra’ hitmaker also opened up about his own personal insecurities, which were heightened amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
He said: “I would never really look at myself. I was very down on myself about everything. So much of my self-worth came from playing gigs and songs going well and when all that went, I questioned my self-worth completely.”
The ‘Shadow Moses’ screamer used to hide all of his awards away because of his low self-worth, but he has since learned to “love” himself and is proud of his rock star status.
Oli added: “It used to make me sick to hear ‘you’ve got to love yourself’ – never. I used to put all my awards in a cupboard, I wouldn’t look at them. If someone asked me what I did, I would never say I was in a band, I’d say I own a clothing company or a restaurant. I just didn’t wanna talk about it. Now I love myself. I can look in the mirror and go ‘You’re doing good’. I can say ‘I’m a rock star, my band’s doing well.’”
Read the full feature at www.rollingstone.co.uk.