Live REVIEW: Motionless In White Go On Massive Milestone Tour

It has been quite a journey for us. Looking back to the first time we saw Motionless In White opening for Lacuna Coil in the intimate Pandora room of TivoliVredenburg more than a decade ago, it feels surreal to see them now headlining the 6,000-capacity AFAS Live. While the venue wasn’t completely sold out, this tour marks an incredible milestone for the band, tackling massive stages like Amsterdam’s AFAS and several arenas in the UK where they are exceptionally popular!

For us, the evening kicked off with direct support from Dayseeker, a band we’ve been fans of for a while but have only caught a few times before. Armed with a fresh album, the band took to the stage for a solid 45-minute set. While their sound leans less toward the headliners’ heavy-hitting repertoire, Dayseeker undeniably struck a chord with the early arrivals. Their musicality is top-tier, and their sound translates beautifully to a room of this magnitude. Fan favourites like Sleeptalk and Bloodlust were met with roaring applause, and honestly? It’s only a matter of time before Dayseeker are selling out rooms of this size on their own.

Thirty minutes later, the house lights dimmed, and the crowd erupted for what they truly came for: Motionless In White’s biggest production to date. It’s been a minute since we last saw the Scranton quintet during their sold-out headline run at Poppodium 013. We were already impressed with the production they brought then, but we’re happy to report that this tour takes everything from that run and dials it up to eleven and even starts with the imagery of a meme-cat for the first minute when the lights go down. What else could you possibly want?

The setlist remained relatively similar to their last visit to The Netherlands, with a few strategic swaps and the welcome inclusion of their recent single, Afraid Of The Dark. With a more celebratory lyrical undertone than much of their discography, the track served as a perfect “thank you” to the fans for twenty years of MIW—a journey that started back in 2005 in Scranton, Pennsylvania.

Visually, the band pulled out all the stops. The pyrotechnics were out in full force, with many tracks empowered by flames and props wielded by the four female dancers joining the band on this run. The dancers made several appearances throughout the night, adding a theatrical flair to performances of Werewolf and the fan-favourite Dead As Fuck 2: Not My Type.

The show delivered everything you’d expect from a high-calibre metalcore production. Heavy breakdowns, like the one in Slaughterhouse, spawned massive walls of death (even without the live presence of Bryan Garris), while ballad-heavy moments like Eternally Yours sparked massive sing-alongs and a celebratory confetti shower.

Motionless In White have always been a powerhouse, but over the last few years, they’ve truly elevated their live show to the next level. The band’s chemistry is undeniable, and their aesthetic remains as unique as ever. The vocal synergy was particularly noteworthy, with Ricky “Horror” Olson and Justin Morrow seamlessly complementing frontman Chris Motionless.

The entire evening was a triumph of how far this band has come. You can see the energy for yourself in the gallery captured by Eva van den Bosch, right below!