Photo by Kaitlin White
The arena erupted into chants of “OIIA OIIA” as a spinning cat filled the screens, the absurdity only heightening the anticipation. As the visuals cut out, the five members of Motionless in White emerged on stage to a deafening roar - kicking off with ‘Meltdown’. From the get-go, the bar was set high, and the band showed no intention of lowering it as they continued with ‘Sign of Life’.
Frontman Chris ‘Motionless’ Curelli possessed the stage, pacing its lengths as his vocals shifted seamlessly from melodic notes to strong growls. Taking a brief pause between songs, he thanked the sold-out crowd before proudly noting that this marked the band’s largest European headline show to date.
Photo by Kaitlin White
The pace stayed consistent as the set pushed forward with ‘A-M-E-R-I-C-A’, ‘Thoughts and Prayers’, and ‘Voices’ – each track fuelling the intensity within the room. It then came time for the band’s newest single, ‘Afraid of the Dark’. Any concern of its recent release, just a week prior, was quickly dissolved as the crowd screamed every word back with the same energy reserved for any long-standing favourite.
Visually, the show was just as relentless. Flames burst from the stage as graphics lit up the three screens behind the band – creating a sensory overload that matched the music’s aggression. The Cherry Bombs lined the stage, their choreography tightly woven into the performance, most memorably during ‘Werewolf’, where howling stances accompanies wolf masks.
The remainder of the set maintained its momentum, including favourites such as ‘Slaughterhouse’ and ‘Disguise’. The tone briefly shifted as The Cherry Bombs returned to the stage dressed as zombie cheerleaders for the rather playful ‘Not My Type’.
Photo by Kaitlin White
Midway through the final quarter of the show, Curelli surprised fans with ‘Soft’, performing it for the first time on this tour. The band showcased their versatility with ‘Another Life’, prompting a sea of phone lights to sway across the arena. Pausing to take it in, Curelli amazed, “Wow… it goes all the way back there,” as the scale of the crowd revealed itself.
The night drew to a close with ‘Eternally Yours’, its final notes hanging in the air as the band exited the stage. As the stage lights dimmed and the house lights came on, ‘Everyone Wants to Rule the World’ by Tears for Fears played over the speakers, offering a fitting comedown to a set defined by intensity and spectacle.
Motionless in White will continue their European ‘Afraid of the Dark Tour’ in Frankfurt on February 27th, with remaining dates until March 7th.
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