They're still young but Bring Me The Horizon have already achieved much more than a lot of bands ever do. We caught up with Matt and Lee after their second Download appearance in as many years.
R13:You played the second stage today, which is a step up from last year so how was that?
M: It was good, you could see all the way to the back that were people inside but when you're playing it's difficult to gauge how many people are there.
R13:Is Download a big thing for you guys?
M:Yeah, I think you get more nervous than you do when it's a solo show because you have to impress people, it's a bit like when you support another band, you have to show them what you're all about.
R13: You got a lot of press last year & your debut album came out last October, were you pleased with the reaction it got?
M: Yeah, it was strange for us because we'd played one set of dates and then when the album came out we got a whole new fanbase. When we first started our fanbase was just kids that went to hardcore shows then it progressed and now the kids are getting younger!
R13: You won best British newcomer last year at the Kerrang awards when you'd only had one EP released, that must have been pretty amazing for you?
M: Yeah we only had our EP out and we were on TV & I had my family shouting at me for being drunk on TV!
R13:Haha wasn't it you (Matt) that got carted off in an ambulance?
M: No they blew that up, there were already paramedics there and I just got put in a taxi to my girlfriends house and I stayed there for the night.
R13:Well at least everyone's going to remember who you are!
L: Yeah we're the band that got pissed before the night had even started!
M: We were already drunk when we got there so it was all downhill, free drinks you see.
L: When you're from Yorkshire you have to take all the free stuff you can get!
R13: Your stage shows are pretty explosive and on record you're quite technical so do you find it hard to combine the two, nailing the intricate parts whilst keeping the stage show interesting?
M: I do have to get a balance between live and CD but when you play places like this you have to try to get people involved
L: Yeah we try to put on a big show whilst concentrating on what we're doing, especially at Download, I got a bit nervous so in the fast bits I'm just trying not to fuck up!
M: Plus a lot of the people you're playing to here probably haven't heard the CD so it's more important to give a good show.
R13:You've just done your first proper video for 'Pray for Plagues', how was that experience?
M: It was good, we just spent a day in the studio in London. A lot of the work was done afterwards, a lot of the effects on it. I think it took about six weeks to put those on, about 20,000 frames.
L: The bit with the girl in was done in Sweden, they only filmed us twice so it wasn't hard for us.
R13:Are you pleased with how it turned out?
M: Yeah, everything that comes out, CD or video you tend to be a bit critical about but at the end of the day we're dead proud of it.
R13: Later this year you're off to Europe for the second time...
M: Next week actually
R13:So you went for the first time earlier this year, how did you find that?
M: It was good, we were with Killswitch so it was pretty big venues for our first time there. In some towns you go down better than others like in Germany we had some crazy circle pits going on!
R13:That must be quite hard not knowing if anyone's going to have heard of you or not?
L: It was cool that there were fans singing along, we really didn't expect to see our fans at a Killswitch show but they were jumping up and singing.
M: In Sweden we ended up signing stuff for an hour, which is great for the first time you've been to a country, we enjoyed it, it was really good.
R13:When you go back are you doing a headline tour?
M: No we're doing the festivals and we're playing with Job for a Cowboy.
L: It should be a different crowd to last time we went as it's more of a hardcore show.
R13:Are you still based in Sheffield or have you had any pressure to move down to London?
M: No, we all still live with our parents as when you're away for a long time it's just easier although I'm moving to Manchester in September with my girlfriend.
R13: Checking any other bands out today?
L: Architects, I was a Cub Scout
M: I really wanted to see Gallows but we were doing press
L: I heard they were good
M: We've played with those guys a lot when we started out at places like the Barfly. I watched Megadeth yesterday and As I Lay Dying, who were on after us and were probably the best I've ever seen them.
R13:Not tempted by Motley Crue then?
M: I'd be more interested to meet them than watch them!
L: I'd like to see Linkin Park just because of their classics.
R13:Are you allowed to talk about the Nottingham incident?
M: We know Oli has to go back to court in September, we're hoping it will all get dropped because there's no evidence and it wasn't true anyway.
L: Yeah people just presumed and we can't really say anything because it's still going on.