Around this time last year, metalcore band Motionless in White performed live at Manchester’s The Ritz to hundreds of screaming and dancing fans, myself included. Almost a year later the band are now celebrating the 10th anniversary of their ‘Creatures’ album in a room, alone, performing to cameras instead of their fans excited faces.
As someone who has been a big time supporter of Motionless In White for the past 8 years, I was beyond excited when the band announced the “deadstream” in which they would perform the album in its entirety for the first time ever. As the day went on and the night began to sink in, the pre-gig anticipation began expect this time around I didn’t even need to get dressed up. I threw on one of my many MIW band tees, clambered down stairs in my fuzzy jammies, grabbed a cup of coffee and snuggled down under the blankets waiting for the gig to start. I know, how very metal of me.
The deadstream really started as a spooktacular display perfect for the Halloween season as cameras panned around the dark stage as a couple dozen jack o’lanterns smiling both creepily and cutely at the audience whilst a bedsheet ghost loomed over near the drum kit. Title track Creatures ripped through the darkness illuminating the band in all their glory, before diving headfirst into We Only Come Out at Night. In a haze of purple, red, blue and green, the band dusted off some of the tracks which had been sitting on their discography shelves for many years including Count Choculitis and the never before performed live .Com Pt.2. The stream felt like a strange and rather indescribable combination of a pre-recorded music video and a live performance. I knew it was being performed live on stage in front of my eyes but with the multiple camera angles and high video quality, it somehow felt too unreal to be live.
Between each song the band was met with eerie silence which really highlighted the empty space around them. Chris would often hand the microphone out towards the camera for the audience to sing iconic lines such as “so come and fucking get us” on Immaculate Misconception and I could just picture hundreds of fans screaming passionately at their computer screens. Chris also get the digital crowd going asking fans to “stand up and shake your fucking houses” which was a fun and comical twist on egging on the mosh pit. There were moments between some of the songs in which Chris took a minute to talk with the fans and reflect on their history as a band as well as the ‘Creatures’ album. One of these moments in particular was just before performing City Lights as Chris describes how he has always detested the song but the fans love for the track had turned his opinion and he had grown to really love and appreciate it. These moments within the set made the experience feel even more special as fans gained a bit of history of the band whilst also experiencing a historical moment for the band. Alongside playing the full ‘Creatures’ discography, the band decided to throw in two bonus tracks for us including Undead Ahead 2 which followed its predecessor Undead Ahead before finishing the gig with their latest single To The Grave. This felt like the perfect black bow on the spooky Halloween cake that is Motionless In White as Chris screamed “10 years, 10 more” making everything feel as if it had come full circle.
Whilst a livestream concert will never truly match up to the real atmosphere of a concert, Motionless In White did a spectacular job with what they had to work with. Not only did the stage setting feel like a true tour production but the band had just as much energy and excitement as they do at an in person show. The empty room and cameramen zooming around the stage clearly did not phase them, which displays a true form of showmanship no matter what the circumstance may be. Here is to many more years of Motionless In White and hopefully they next time I see them, it’ll be in person once again!
Overall rating: 9/10
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A Nerdy Perspective 