Sleepbomb See the Sunn

Sleepbomb See the Sunn: Tim Gotch of Experimental rockers Sleepbomb told us about his Sunn o))) experience.

Tim Gotch: In regards to the Best Gig I Ever Saw, I had to think long and hard about this question. As a voracious consumer of live shows, there are so many available to pick from as a potential “Best Gig” so I decided to go with “Closest Gig to a Religious Experience” instead, which has a bonus of reflecting the experience of both myself and Sleepbomb’s guitarist, Charlie.

The two of us have spent many years going to shows together and have traveled to Europe and Scandinavia several times in pursuit of ultimate sonic bliss and we agree that this was right up there on the out of body transcendence scale.

The gig in question as Sunn 0))) at Psycho Las Vegas in 2018. It was a simple proposition, just Greg Anderson and Steven O’Malley as a duo on the main stage at the old Hard Rock Casino (RIP), with approximately two semi-trucks worth of amps and cabs (see attached stage plot.) We parked ourselves about 20 feet back from center stage, put in our earplugs and lost ourselves in the true Sunn 0))) adage of “Maximum Volume Yields Maximum Results” for over an hour. It was impossible to not be at one with the music and lose one’s self in their chords. Perfection in the form of aural assault.

It also was an excellent example of what can be done when a large venue allows an artist to do exactly what they intend to do no matter the effort or perceived return on investment. By no means did the crowd fill even the floor of the venue at the start of the gig and by the end, there were perhaps 200-300 left who had survived the experience in a space built for at least 3000. Sunn 0))) have since gone on to tour the duo format in the past year and while still amazing, the venue size difference really does make a difference. Props to Psycho for allowing it to happen back in 2018!

Sleepbomb See the Sunn: Sleepbomb’s The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari is out November 3.

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