On Sunday night, Motionless In White brought The Afraid of the Dark Tour to Prague’s Forum Karlin, selling out the show and packing the venue from top to bottom. American post-hardcore band Dayseeker and Australian metalcore band Make Them Suffer opened the night, getting fans warmed up for what was to come.
The anticipation in the room was palpable as fans with their faces painted in various renditions of the Motionless In White band members filed into the room. The floor sections were filled to the brim and the two balconies were stacked.
Make Them Suffer burst onto the stage first, opening with “Ghost Of Me” from their 2024 self-titled album. Lead vocalist Sean Harmanis’ energy was through the roof from the start, light on his toes and cutting across the stage as he delivered his signature intense vocals.
Once the crowd was warmed up, they threw it back to 2020 with “Bones” before launching into their beloved banger “Epitaph,” the energy picking up even more as guitarist Nick McLernon and bassist Jaya Jeffery occasionally joined Harmanis in jumping around the stage and wielding their instruments with power and passion. Drummer Jordan Mather held down each song perfectly, subtly pushing the music forward and maintaining a heavy-hitting beat throughout.
The real magic happened when keyboardist and vocalist Alex Reade got involved. Reade is known for her dynamic moves and for switching between haunting clean vocals and intense harsh vocals. Her versatility adds another dimension to the band’s work, making them stand out from other metalcore acts.
Make Them Suffer never slowed down, with Harmanis encouraging the crowd to open up the pit. And honestly, the one that started near the front of the stage during “Oscillator” was one of the most active circle pits we would see all night. Harmanis remarked he hadn’t seen a single crowdsurfer yet either, and as soon as he suggested it, fans were climbing on top of each other and making their way towards the stage.
Reade stepped away from her stationary keyboard toward the end of their set in favor of a keytar, giving her more freedom of movement to dance with the crowd for the last couple songs. Closing with “Doomswitch”, the crowd went absolutely insane as Make Them Suffer left their all on stage.
Dayseeker was up next, bringing their unique blend of synthwave ambience, harsh and clean vocals, and heavy instrumentals to the stage. Lead vocalist Rory Rodriguez immediately commanded the room with a calm but intense energy as he began to sing “Pale Moonlight.”
The first half of their set consisted mostly of songs from their newest album, Creature In The Black Night, with a few key outliers. “Burial Plot” from Sleeptalk (2019) got a huge response from the crowd. Rodriguez requested a circle pit for “Bloodlust,” one of the heaviest songs of their set so far, and the crowd happily obliged.
The second half was heavy on hits from their 2022 self-titled album, with “Without Me” having the entire crowd swaying from side to side. Rodriguez took a moment to dedicate “Neon Grave” to his father, stating that without him, he would have nothing. Before closing with “Creature In The Black Night,” he emphasized how grateful they are to the fans for showing up and supporting them.
Finally, it was time for Motionless In White’s set. Videos of their introduction sequence have gone viral online, with many fans anticipating this moment just as much as the actual show. After a graphic sequence featuring neon colors and photos of a cat synced to electronic beats, Motionless In White opened with “Meltdown,” getting the crowd on their feet right away.
The grand production value was established during the first few songs, with synced pyrotechnics emphasizing the beat and dancers known as The Cherry Bombs holding fire guns. The Cherry Bombs would appear in different costumes with various props throughout the show, adding a theatrical element to the performance and riling the crowd up even more. They even cooled the crowd down, at one point switching from fire guns to water guns, shooting fans with water in between blasts of pyrotechnics.
Soon into the set, lead singer Chris “Motionless” Cerulli encouraged the audience to sing along with “A-M-E-R-I-C-A”, and fans’ voices rang out louder than ever before. The band mixed it up with songs from across several albums and even several decades before playing their newest single “Afraid Of The Dark,” released just last month. “Werewolf” had the crowd going insane as The Cherry Bombs returned in werewolf costumes.
The middle of their set was dominated by songs from their Scoring The End Of The World, with a few throwbacks from 2017’s Graveyard Shift mixed in. The Cherry Bombs swapped out their water guns for sparkler guns, literally shooting fireworks across the stage. The band members’ face paint, horror-esque aesthetics, and dynamic energy elevated the experience even more.
Chris Motionless’ vocals, whether he was singing or screaming, were on point, and he made sure to show some love to each section of the crowd and thanked fans for selling out the show.
“Nothing Ever After,” a collab with ILLENIUM, was a highlight of the set, and the band also threw it back to 2010 with “City Lights” — a treat for hardcore Motionless fans. The Cherry Bombs returned once again for “Not My Type: Dead As Fuck 2”, this time throwing beach balls out into the crowd.
“Cyberhex” featured fake snow falling onto the stage as they performed, while “Another Life” was an emotional moment shared between the band and the crowd. After playing for 1.5 hours, Chris Motionless announced that it was time for their last song, imploring the crowd to remember that they’re “Eternally Yours.” This last song hit harder than anything that led us here, with both the band members and The Cherry Bombs tossing roses out into the crowd.
It was a night filled with high energy, heavy music, and plenty of emotion. Motionless In White played an incredible set with theatrics, effects, and camera work that were all top-notch. Dayseeker commanded the stage and took fans on an emotional journey.
Make Them Suffer, though, earns the award for hyping the crowd up the most. They took fans who showed up early on a Sunday evening, probably tired from their Saturday night antics, and injected them with energy and enthusiasm for the night to come.
If you haven’t caught this lineup live yet, you still have a chance. The Afraid Of The Dark Tour will continue throughout the EU through March 7, with remaining tickets at select locations. Grab your tickets here.
Remaining tour dates:
Feb. 24 – Munich, DE – SOLD OUT
Feb. 25 – Vienna, AT – LOW TICKETS
Feb. 27 – Frankfurt, DE – SOLD OUT
Feb. 28 – Brussels, BE – LOW TICKETS
Mar. 2 – Lyon, FR – SOLD OUT
Mar. 3 – Toulouse, FR
Mar. 5 – Barcelona, ES
Mar. 6 – Madrid, ES
Mar. 7 – Lisbon, PT – SOLD OUT
Follow Make Them Suffer: Instagram // Facebook // YouTube // Spotify // Website
Follow Dayseeker: Instagram // Facebook // Youtube // TikTok // Spotify // Website
Follow Motionless In White: Instagram // Spotify // Website // YouTube
