Live Review: I Prevail, Motionless in White, Windwaker

Before anyone was even in the venue, the hype for this show was at fever pitch - the line to get into the Fortitude Music Hall snaked allll the way down the Valley Mall to Wickham St, around the corner past the Taxi Ranks, and almost to The Brightside. A completely Sold Out Fortitude Valley Music Hall aka 3000 people, as it turns out, is a hectic logistical nightmare to get into a venue! But once we are all in the venue, the atmosphere is electric, the dancefloor and mezzanine level was completely full WELL before openers Windwaker took the stage, and people are HYPED and waiting. Merch is flying off the shelves, drinks are in hand. Tonight has been lying in wait since it was meant to happen back in 2020 - a miracle, frankly, that all three bands managed to keep the line-up intact that whole time. But here we are.

Windwaker take the stage and they launch into a new album-heavy set, only bringing out Empire from their previous EP. 

The lads have really taken a spit shine to their live set, adding live samples/triggers/backing vocals and adding a wholly new experience to seeing them live. Definitely want to see a longer, fuller set from the guys as a headliner or not an opening slot, where potentially they can be louder - translating to more energy transfer from stage to crowd - but the crowd were onboard no matter what for the guys, so it didn't seem to matter a jot - circle pits, walls of death and more ensued and we were off to a flying start. The cover of Britney Spears' Toxic was an obvious crowd favourite, as that's when ALL the phones came out to film.

Windwaker had taken the stage 15 minutes early, and the extra time in between them and Motionless in White was used for a proper soundcheck for them - and it showed. The set's sound went up considerably and when MIW hit the stage - they certainly made their presence known.  They ripped through their set with constant chants of MO-TION-LESS, MO-TION-LESS etc 

The set walking the crowd through Disguise, Necessary Evil, Thoughts & Prayers (with requisite crowd interaction), Voices, Reincarnate, Cyberhex, Scoring The End Of The World, Another Life, Somebody Told Me (The Killers cover) and finishing on Eternally Yours.

The undoubted highlights of the show were Cyberhex and their cover of The Killers' Somebody Told ME - the crowd genuinely still wanted more by the end and they EASILY could have headlined tonight, the army of their merch in the crowd evident that they probably going to be back sooner rather than later on a tour of their own.

I Prevail have had a fair old time of their dates in Australia so far, the entire tour has been COMPLETELY sold out and bursting at the seams - and it's so incredible to see that the dedicated fans stuck with their tickets and held on for this show/tour.

Band Member Eric had some health issues in Perth, but has soldiered on, and Brian was struggling a little with his voice tonight (though you wouldn't be able to tell in his singing) in between songs, slurping on his water bottle in between songs frequently, and he asked the crowd to help him out - which everyone was absolutely ready and willing to do.

They kicked off the set with Bow Down, which, of course they did, because that is the ONLY way they should ever start a set forever and a day, you don't write a song like that, that hits you in the face with a sledgehammer that hard, and relegate it to mid-set. That is now and forever their opener.

They then proceeded to rip out Gasoline, which is BREAK-NECK pace and not giving any quarter here for people to rest. Scars, the only Lifelines track to make the set proper came next and that then whipped them into a three-banger of singles from Trauma: DOA, Hurricane and Rise Above It. Brand new banger Body Bag came out to play, with my mate Doug saying it had a System of A Down feel to it, which, fair! Low, Paranoid, Goodbye, Breaking Down and Deadweight saw the set through to the end, only to have them take the stage once again to Encore with Lifelines' Come and Get It.

While watching the set, I got to thinking about a conversation I had had a few years ago about that there are Lanes that artists occupy, the largest artists in certain lanes - and there generally isn't room in the public consciousness for another artist in that lane until that major artist has left it, through retirement, passing away or general relinquishment of the title. And in this case, I 100% believe that in the unfortunate absence of Linkin Park/Chester Bennington, I think that what we have here is I Prevail taking control of their vehicle and taking up that lane, and I genuinely think that they are going to one day be held in the same regard by the same number of people as Linkin Park, if not more. There is a MASSIVE future for the band - and they are all the nicest, kindest and funniest dudes out there. More power to I Prevail, and see ya back here soon, please lads.