MOTHICA - live in cologne [review] - discomfortwingss Webseite!

MOTHICA -

KISSING DEATH

[EUROPE TOUR]

Just some weeks ago, solo Alternative Rock/ Pop artist MOTHICA released her third album KISSING DEATH via her own imprint Heavy Heart Records, in partnership with Rise Records/ BMG.

Related to her newest record and Europe Tour, she came across cologne (Germany) last Saturday. Thankfully, I could join the concert for this blog post. Let's take a throw back to this memorable evening!

Back story

Born in Oklahoma, she moved to Brooklyn, New York for art school, and is now based in Los Angeles. In 2015, she started independently releasing music, taking a full-on DIY approach utilizing her background as an illustrator and graphic designer to design her own merch and creative direct her music videos. Her story has unfolded across her first two albums,Blue Hour (2020), and NOCTURNAL (2022).

She emerges as the rare creative chameleon, who jumps genres from electronic music, left-of-center pop, and recently exploring rock/ metal influences, collaborating with Polyphia, Scene Queen and Papa Roach.

Some career highlights include: her independently released “VICES” which skyrocketed to no. 2 on the Pop iTunes chart in 2020, her song “Buzzkill” about sexual assault with over 51 million Spotify streams and her rendition of Bring Me The Horizon’s “Can You Feel My Heart” is a crowd favorite with 25 million Spotify streams. In the last year, she toured North America and Europe with Coheed & Cambria and Halestorm, in addition to various festivals.

MOTHICA is known for her confessional songwriting and genre-defying releases. She built a fervent fanbase and has archived hundreds of millions of streams, while being featured on Billboard, MTV, Teen Vogue, Buzzfeed, Alt Press, and more.

Live in cologne

A mass of black-clothed "MOTHs" stand in the queue, when the VIP ticket users entered at first the halls of the event location, LUXOR. MOTHICA took her time for each of the ticket holders and got fan gifts. Then the doors opened for all. Around 7 p.m., the opening act Starbenders entered the stage. Starbenders are an American female-fronted Glam/Rock band from the suburbs of Atlanta, Georgia. What a phenomenal band! The members around Kimi Shelter (Vocals) Aaron Lecesne Kriss Tokaji (guitar) and drummer Qi Wei heated the crowd in the 30 minutes stage performance. After a break and stage change of instruments, more people came into the sold out venue.

8p.m. the stage was colored in right light, when MOTHICA entered the stage by screaming and cheerful fans and begin this magical evening with her first song of the latest album KISSING DEATH. You directly felt the connection, that elegized the air between MOTHICAs music and her fans.

Accompanied by Alex Russo on guitar and Carter Vaughan on drums, the set list continued with "Toxins", "Mirage" and "buzzkill". With a small talk to the audience, she surprised the crowd with the German word of "Moth" and even counted 1-10 in our language. It was the 4th show in a row, which continues with a cover version of Bring me the Horizons's "Can you feel my heart." My highlight was "Afterlife"! It felt so unreal to hear it live and the drum/ guitar elements made it awesome in that rock version. The audience were totally into it. VICES take all a bit back into calmer tunes for the following speech of personal words.

"Forever fifteen" was the most emotional song of this evening that brought all listeners shivers in the room. Throw back, when Ellis McKenzie (MOTHICA) were only 15 by trying to take her life..."And now I stand here, in a sold out concert hall!

Live photos: © Discomfort Wings

Don't give up, keep on! By throwing daisy flowers from the stage to the audience, she gave a sign to everyone overcome all the dark in life and to keep on. The song were accompanied by a fan project, where people in the first rows holding written words like "We love you", "We are so proud of you".

Filled with her words, we all took our phones out with the light modes that covered the room in light and took all the dark. Through her songs, she processed different aspects of life, such as dark thoughts and addictions that gave her listeners the strength to also overcome these topics.

"Exit Plan", "The Reaper", and "Another High" continued the concert.

Live photos: © Discomfort Wings

"Oblivion for Two" were the last of the regular set list. After an outfit change, MOTHICA entered again the stage with "CASUALTY" and "SENSITIVE". The really last song of the evening was All Star (Smash Mouth cover) from the classic Shrek movie, where the crowd totally let all the energy out. After around 50 minutes, that memorable day come to an end.

Started by the hilarious opening act, it was my first time to see a concert of MOTHICA live on stage. Through the songs, the listeners and I were part of different parts and topics on her life, that she expressed though her honest lyrics and kind personal words to the audience. I'm glad to have the opportunity to be part of it. Please take a listen to her!

"We are all moths,

who are attracted

by the light.

Just keep on."