Oliver Sykes, an author from Manchester, has revealed how for a period of time, in 2008, he received upwards of 1000 emails from Bring Me The Horizon fans thinking that he was their lead singer Oli Sykes.
In a piece written for Metro, Oliver has spoken about how back when he was 16, he created his first email address as Oli_sykes@msn.com. Then in 2008, whilst at university, and around the time that BMTH released their second album, Suicide Season, he started receiving emails from fans saying how much they loved the band.
And though some were just general well-wishes, others were a bit more personal and vulnerable. "A case of mistaken identity isn’t exactly a walk in the park, but what was harder was reading the content of some of these emails," he explains. "By nature of the record’s name, these vulnerable young people who had connected with Oli started telling me about their mental health and really intimate parts of their lives. I was a student and completely unequipped to help or do anything about it, but I couldn’t just leave them unread – not when they were baring so much of themselves."
This resulted in Oliver replying as best he could to everybody, stating that he wasn't the Oli Sykes that they thought he was but wishing them the best. But the messages increased to a point where 40-50 were arriving every week, and he was spending more time on replying than on the degree that he was studying for.
"There were the people who would respond to my messages from the early days with, ‘This must be the real Oli Sykes because otherwise, why would you answer?’ or, ‘I can’t believe that you’ve answered me, and I know you’re saying you’re not Oli Sykes, but you are. I know you are, in my heart of hearts. And I just want to say thank you so much’," he continues. "I tried not to get into back and forths with people, but it did happen, and it did eat away at my time. All in all, it gave me a flavour of what it’s like to be truly famous, and I realised I didn’t want it.
Though by the time 2010 rolled around and the band's third album, There Is A Hell, Believe I've Seen It. There Is A Heaven, Let's Keep It A Secret was released, Oliver's inbox was a lot quieter. But now, with his first children's book Alfie's First Fight, coming out, he is asking if Oli might be able to return the favour 15 years later.
"What would be great, is if Oli Sykes could get on board and help promote it as payback for all the admin I did for him 15 years ago," he finishes. "It would definitely help me out, considering that when anyone Googles my name, all they find is search results about him!"
Bring Me The Horizon are set to tour the US later this year as support for Fall Out Boy. Here they are.
Bring Me The Horizon Tour Dates Supporting Fall Out Boy 2023
Jun 21: Chicago Wrigley Field, IL
Jun 23: Maryland Heights Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre, MO
Jun 24: Bonner Springs Azura Amphitheater, KS
Jun 27: The Woodlands The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion, TX
Jun 28: Dallas Dos Equis Pavilion, TX
Jun 30: Phoenix Talking Stick Resort Amphitheatre, AZ
Jul 01: Chula Vista North Island Credit Union Amphitheatre, CA
Jul 02: Los Angeles BMO Stadium, CA
Jul 05: Mountain View Shoreline Amphitheatre, CA
Jul 07: Salt Lake City USANA Amphitheatre, UT
Jul 09: Englewood Fiddler’s Green Amphitheatre, CO
Jul 11: Rogers Walmart AMP, AR
Jul 13: Somerset Somerset Amphitheater, WI
Jul 15: Cincinnati Riverbend Music Center, OH
Jul 16: Noblesville Ruoff Music Center, IN
Jul 18: Cuyahoga Falls Blossom Music Center, OH
Jul 19: Bristow Jiffy Lube Live, VA
Jul 21: Charlotte PNC Music Pavilion, NC
Jul 22: Virginia Beach Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater, VA
Jul 24: West Palm Beach iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre, FL
Jul 25: Tampa MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre, FL
Jul 26: Atlanta Lakewood Amphitheater, GA
Jul 29: Clarkston Pine Knob Music Theatre, MI
Jul 30: Toronto Budweiser Stage, ON
Aug 01: Forest Hills Forest Hills Stadium, NY
Aug 02: Boston Fenway Park, MA
Aug 04: Darien Center Darien Lake Amphitheater, NY
Aug 05: Holmdel PNC Bank Arts Center, NJ
Aug 06: Camden Freedom Mortgage Pavilion, NJ
