It’s an almost arctic day in Southampton on what is day one of the UK leg of Motionless In White’s Graveyard Shift tour, in support of their recent album of the same name. The last time we saw Motionless In White was back at Download Festival last year, so for many tonight is the first chance they will get to hear some new songs live and as such anticipation is palpable.
Tonight’s venue is rammed to capacity, and there is a buzz in the air, which is apt because the minute the lights drop the place comes alive. As the band slinks their way onto the stage and their silhouettes become living breathing creatures of the night. Kicking off with a playful rendition of Rats! they are clearly all business and ready to go, Chris Motionless is grinning like an absolute madmen as he is flanked by two ladies in fetish wear dancing alongside him.
Without missing a beat the band dives straight into a thunderous Reincarnate which sounds a lot heavier than I remember it being, which gets the audience into things early as they sing along to the catchy as fuck chorus, this is not the first time this will happen tonight. Believe me this is just a taste of things to come.
The material from Graveyard Shift really comes out swinging in the live setting and shows the progression the band has taken over the years. They have become a band that has more hits to their name than an entire scene of their peers and they are only getting better. Hearing the likes of Loud (Fuck It), 570, and the Neccesary Evil sung by an entire room full of people is a wonderful sight and shows the connection that the band and fans have together.
There’s a moment in the middle of the set where they play Dead as Fuck and Not my Type: Dead as Fuck 2 back to back and is one of the most joyous, ridiculously campy brilliant things I’ve seen at at show in a long time, which is something I never thought I’d say about songs to do with necrophilia, but they are just so much fun its hard not to get caught up in it.
As huge sounding as the new material it is, its good to hear some of the older stuff and we ger plenty of that to, including Abigail and Immaculate Misconception from Creatures as well as A-M-E-R-I-C-A and Devils Night from Infamous get a huge rise from the crowd. There is even a surprise cover of Chop Suey! by System of a Down which causes the entire place to erupt into a frenzied pit of 00’s club night nostalgia.
Motionless In White are a band that is constantly evolving and becoming so much better with every album and tour that comes along. They have become a complete tour de force live,tighter than the bolts on Frankensteins next and twice as electrifying. Tonight is a timely reminder of how fun live shows can be and is a testament to not only the charisma and vision of Motionless In White as band but also their fans willingness to embrace them and all of their quirks.
10/10
