Spread the Social Love:

Review & Photos: Motionless in White @ Manchester Roadhouse [Live]

Taken on the 16th of September 2012 in Manchester // "Noise though, is exactly what it was."

by keti, September 18th, 2012 and has been Read 1600 times.
Last Edited by: Jack Stovin September 18th, 2012.

As I left the Roadhouse at 8:45 on a drizzly Sunday evening filing out behind children with army paint adorning their bodies and children with parents, I realised I had learnt two things from attending a Motionless In White show, one more than expected. The first being that Motionless In White are in fact a terrible live band for anyone with a remote interest in music, and the second being that more gigs should come with warnings and stern words.



Yes, the first thing that greeted me as I rolled into the venue and enquired about press business, was a woman promptly informing me not to barge my way to the front, like I would, because there’s lots of little girl. Now, that doesn’t instil much confidence in a person. As far as I was aware I hadn’t accidentally turned up at a secret One Direction gig in one of the city’s most famous rock venues, so why would little girls be there? The familiar crunch of thrashy guitars on the other side of the doors quickly put those worries to rest, all the young girls brandishing white makeup and a tangle of as much fishnet as you can legitimately get on a person didn’t really do much for me.



These youngsters packed the tiny cavern like venue out solid though and other than me being grumpy at the back everyone seemed to be soaking up the noise Motionless In White were making. Noise though, is exactly what it was. No matter how much you love them, tonight they just weren’t on form with frontman Chris Cerulli admitting to having lost his voice it was down to the crowd to sing for him. Of course they relished this opportunity with feet rising into the air and surfing their way onto the stage to share the mic before leaping back, arms wide open, into a sea of undoubtedly terrified little girls.

The set itself was good, with all the hits from their EP’s and debut album getting coverage, from new single ‘Abigail’ to fan favourite ‘Cobwebs’ to their actually rather brilliant incorporation of The Smiths classic ‘How Soon Is Now?’ into ‘Puppets’ terrifyingly catchy chorus. If I was 14, I’d be screaming my lungs out to a line like: “I’ve never had the words to say, but I can quote them all / I am human and I need to be loved just like everybody else does / So Morrissey please send me to sleep / As I live and breathe, you have killed me, you have killed me,” hell, I’m older and screaming to that with every other kid in the room tonight.



There is one thing to be said for Motionless In White is that they put on a show that’s got atmosphere and plenty of fan spirit. The room is alive with the stench of sweat and the constant onslaught of frenzied moshing. Lead guitarist Ryan Sitkowski was on the speakers riffing into the crowd with Chris “Motionless” Cerulli fending fans off from all angles. The Roadhouse is a venue perfect for not just a band of their size, but of their theme, it was dark, dank, and desperately angsty; thanks in no large part to the inhabitants. The only not good enough was the sound production.



Instrumentally their keyboard breakdowns and kick drum thumping came across loud and clear, so clear that it was impossible to hear the vocals. As Cerulli gave up singing himself towards the end and just let the audience give it a shot things went from bad to DEAFcon 1. If I pay to see a band I want to hear them, but tonight the audience didn’t seem to mind and left happy after a muffled encore including album opener ‘Immaculate Misconception’.



So come 9 o’clock and before I’d finished my pint of lemonade the little girls and bemused parents were off to finish their homework and get an early night. Me, well I didn’t crush anyone, so I suppose it wasn’t all bad.

Review - Lauren Mullineaux
Photos - Katja Ogrin