LIVE REVIEW: Motionless In White @ Motorpoint Arena, Nottingham
The Motorpoint Arena in Nottingham is a sea of black clothing and goth makeup, save for four guys in banana costumes, two dressed as babies and one bloke in a wraparound Cheetos shirt. It’s not a sold out affair, but for a band with the ambitions of MOTIONLESS IN WHITE, to shift enough tickets to sell out the city’s second largest venue – the 2,000 capacity Rock City – nearly three times over is testament to their recent graft on the continent. But more on that later…
Australia’s MAKE THEM SUFFER fall foul of some tardy work by the venue’s front of house staff and begin their set with the house lights still up, but they’re still able to generate the first pits of the evening during opening track Ghost Of Me. Bones is delivered with a hefty amount of groove and by the time they play a sparkling Mana God, they’re into their stride, sans house lights and executing an extremely fun half hour of nu-metalcore with bite and bounce. Sean Harmanis and Alex Reade are a seriously potent vocal combination, and the band are further aided by a crisp sound and plenty of response from an ever growing audience. By the time Doomswitch comes to a close, you almost wish they could have a couple of extra songs left to play.
Rating: 7/10
“Nottingham, Cardiff showed UP last night, we need you to beat their energy!” Shouts DAYSEEKER frontman Rory Rodriguez in an attempt to get a static crowd going again. Unfortunately for the vocalist, he’d been in Glasgow the previous evening instead of the Welsh capital, and while it’s the sort of gaffe that can often be laughed off, here it sums up what a misfire of a performance this is from the Californian post-hardcore quintet. They make a pleasant enough sound, but look to be going through the motions onstage and tracks like Crawl Back to My Coffin and Bloodlust fail to make any sort of lasting impact. On paper, the band’s blend of the melodic end of BRING ME THE HORIZON and SLEEP TOKEN‘s riffs should be a home run given the success of both those acts, but when it’s delivered in such a pedestrian manner, it’s never getting off the ground.
Rating: 5/10
As alluded earlier, MOTIONLESS IN WHITE have prioritised shows in the UK and Europe over their American fans for the last few years, attempting to bring their international stature up to the level of their home country. “We reckon we’re about equal, now!” Vocalist Chris Motionless proclaims, referencing the over 5,000 strong audience as proof of that. In all honesty though, it was never a case of IF they would reach arena headliner status, but WHEN, and on tonight’s basis, they’re never going back to smaller rooms. Backed by a huge production of screens, confetti cannons and pyro, MOTIONESS IN WHITE look right at home, delivering over ninety minutes of stomping, gothic metalcore bangers that peaks with a ferocious Slaughterhouse; other highlights include a storming rendition of brand new single Afraid of the Dark and an airing of deep cut City Lights from 2010’s record Creatures that Chris describes as ‘historic’, as those on the arena floor become the first to mosh to a track that’s not a stereotypical pit starter.
They’re ably supported by dance troupe THE CHERRY BOMBS, who provide entertainment with fire, poi and angle grinders as and when required onstage, often in themed outfits; Werewolf, for example, sees them don full head masks of the mythical beasts for a demented, Thriller-esque routine and Not My Type: Dead as Fuck 2 is complete with Trick-or-Treat candy being launched into the audience by zombie cheerleaders. The set isn’t perfect – neither that song or Another Life reach the heights musically the band would have hoped, and a couple of unforeseen crowd emergencies stifle their momentum briefly – but despite these minor setbacks, MOTIONLESS IN WHITE are on excellent form, producing a confident and assured performance that means their first run of shows in the UK’s largest venues won’t be their last. 2027 headliners at Bloodstock Open Air, you heard it here first .
Rating: 8/10
Like MOTIONLESS IN WHITE on Facebook.