LIVE REVIEW: MOTIONLESS IN WHITE + MAKE THEM SUFFER + CURRENTS @ RIVERSTAGE 28/06/26
Words, Photos Charlyn Cameron
Riverstage played host to Motionless In White, Make Them Suffer and Currents on Sunday night, bringing one of the year's biggest metalcore tours to Brisbane.
Connecticut outfit Currents opened the evening with a high-energy set that quickly won over the early crowd. Blending melody with punishing breakdowns, the five-piece wasted no time making an impact, delivering a tight and confident performance that set the tone for the rest of the night. Tracks including 'Living In Tragedy', 'Remember Me' and 'Better Days' drew strong reactions. Before launching into 'Better Days', the band gave a shout-out to Make Them Suffer, drawing cheers from the Riverstage crowd.
Australia's own Make Them Suffer were up next. Sean Harmanis and Alex Reade traded blistering screams and soaring cleans with effortless chemistry, while the band's mix of crushing riffs and soaring melodies kept the energy building throughout their set. Before launching into their final song, Harmanis challenged the crowd to send 300 crowd surfers over the barrier. They may not have reached that target, but according to venue security, an astonishing 104 crowd surfers made their way over the barrier before the song was over.
Nine years after their last Australian headline tour, Motionless In White returned to Brisbane with a production to match the occasion. As the lights dimmed and 'Meltdown' opened the set, towering LED screens lit up behind the band while pyro featured during the opening song. Performers wielding angle grinders appeared during 'Sign Of Life', before streamers filled the air during 'America'. Pyro continued to feature throughout the remainder of the set.
Leading the charge was Chris Motionless, effortlessly moving between ferocious screams and soaring melodies as he guided the band through a set that balanced newer material with crowd favourites. Ryan Sitkowski, Ricky Olson, Justin Morrow and Vinny Mauro each had their moments throughout the set, with Sitkowski stopping for a shoey before getting straight back into the show.
Sean Harmanis later returned to the stage for 'Slaughterhouse', joining Motionless In White on one of the heaviest songs of the night.
As the final notes of 'Eternally Yours' echoed across Riverstage and roses drifted over the crowd, Motionless In White brought the evening to a memorable close. Backed by strong performances from Currents and Make Them Suffer, it was a fitting return to Australian stages for one of modern metal's biggest live acts.
Setlist: 'Meltdown', 'Sign Of Life', 'America', 'Thoughts & Prayers', 'Voices', 'Afraid Of The Dark', 'Werewolf', 'Hollow Points', 'Necessary Evil', 'Slaughterhouse' (with Sean Harmanis), 'Rats', 'Disguise', 'Nothing Ever After', 'Scoring The End Of The World', 'Playing God', 'City Lights', 'Not My Type', 'Soft', 'Another Life', 'Eternally Yours'
Check out the gallery from the night here.
