LIVE REVIEW: Motionless In White @ O2 Academy, Birmingham
The last few years have been huge for MOTIONLESS IN WHITE. The release of Scoring The End of the World has catapulted them to new heights, not to mention their feature at last year’s WrestleMania for Rhea Ripley’s entrance song. Many bands tease “big things coming” but for MOTIONLESS IN WHITE, big things have definitely happened.
Tonight, they take the stage at O2 Academy in Birmingham for one of their biggest UK headline shows yet. Fans have been queuing for hours in the chilly weather, but let’s head inside and see what all the excitement is about.
First up on the three-band bill is BRAND OF SACRIFICE. They open their set with The Pokémon Theme—a fun sing-along to kick things off. But the moment is short-lived, as they quickly dive into crushing riffs, calling for a pit right from the start. “Don’t disappoint me,” Kyle Anderson demands.
The request comes a little too soon, though – the crowd is still shaking off the cold. But after just one song, the energy shifts. The pit opens up, and things go hard. By the second song, Demon King, crowd surfers emerge, and Kyle commands, “Make sure to surf this venue from left to right.” By the third, the stakes are raised: “Split this room in half.”
In a short space of time, the crowd obeys, and suddenly, circle pits, crowd surfers, and a wall of death are all happening simultaneously. The deathcore quintet delivers a tight half-hour set, packed with chunky riffs and pig squeals. BRAND OF SACRIFICE came to wake us up and they did their job with a 200% success rate.
Rating: 9/10
FIT FOR A KING arrive on stage with crushing riffs and deep growls, following in the heavy footsteps of BRAND OF SACRIFICE. But they know they need to take things up a notch and they do. Opening with heavier tracks keeps the energy high before transitioning into their more melodic material later in the set. This balance offers a great mix of their back catalogue, catering to both new and long-time fans. It also provides a perfect bridge between deathcore and metalcore – easing us from relentless pig squeals to soaring choruses that everyone can sing along to.
Halfway through, Backbreaker grabs the audience’s attention, delivering an easy-to-scream-along moment. Later, When Everything Means Nothing brings a beautifully melodic chorus, showing the band’s ability to shift between brutality and emotional depth.
FIT FOR A KING makes the most of their forty five minute slot, moving seamlessly between sounds and leaving with more fans than they started with. Ryan Kirby acknowledges the crowd’s enthusiasm: “This is the first date of the UK tour—it’s the first time we get to see a UK audience compared to the EU.” If tonight is anything to go by, Birmingham has definitely made an impression, giving them every reason to come back.
Rating: 9/10
The moment Chris Motionless steps on stage, he screams, “Birmingham, are you fucking ready?!” The crowd erupts.
Even though this tour supports Scoring The End Of The World, the setlist spans their entire career. Kicking off with Meltdown and Sign Of Life from the latest album, they quickly throw it back to Abigail from their debut – 2010’s Creatures – showcasing just how much their sound has evolved over the past fifteen years.
A few songs in, Chris pauses to soak in the audience’s energy. “We don’t even have to play, we could just listen to you guys all night.” The deafening cheers make it clear: MOTIONLESS IN WHITE are loved here.
Compared to previous tours, Chris is dressed surprisingly casual – looking as if he just walked in from his 9-to-5 to casually play a metal show. This contrasts sharply with the rest of the band, who are decked out in full stage gear, makeup, and masks.
With bigger venues come bigger productions, and MOTIONLESS IN WHITE stepped up their game. More lights, screens displaying visuals and lyrics for crowd sing-along, and best of all, dancers. Throughout the set, performers appear in various costumes, adding extra storytelling elements. Whether they’re dressed as werewolves, spraying the crowd with water guns, or using angle grinders for sparks, these moments elevate the show to the next level.
As if that wasn’t enough, we’re treated to not one, but two special guest appearances. Both Ryan Kirby [FIT FOR A KING] and Kyle Anderson [BRAND OF SACRIFICE] join the stage for individual features. The excitement is palpable, and it’s clear both vocalists are thrilled to perform alongside MOTIONLESS IN WHITE.
A standout moment comes when Ryan takes the spotlight for Slaughterhouse, delivering a perfect “BLEGH” that reminds us exactly why we’re at a metalcore show.
This set has something for everyone, from older fans craving their heavier material to newer listeners drawn in by tracks like Masterpiece and Another Life. The show hits all the right notes. With this album cycle coming to an end, we can’t wait to see what MOTIONLESS IN WHITE brings next, because if history tells us anything, it’ll be bigger and better than ever.
Rating: 10/10
Check out our photo gallery of the night’s action in Birmingham from Claire Hodgkins Photography here:
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