LIVE FROM THE PIT- Mothica, Starbenders and Artio

In the small Manchester venue of Gorilla on a wet and rainy night, fans were lining up right down the road ever so patiently to make their way in. Not wanting to miss a single minute of the triad of punk awaiting them. This was the night that American alt artist Mothica was making her headline debut in the northwest city. Accompanied by her friends in glam band Starbenders, Leeds-based rising stars Artio, and hundreds of dedicated fans, this was going to be a show to remember on a night no one will forget.

Opening the show was Artio; one of the most exciting acts coming out of the north right now. Still riding the high of releasing their most recent EP 'Babyface', they took the stage to give the crowd a great range of hits both old and new. Playing a style dubbed as "pronouncore", the audience were positively receptive to what the four-piece were putting out. With a fun and playful back-and-forth from frontperson Rae Brazill, joking with the crowd and egging on their dancing and jumping by comparing them to their previous London attendees. The rib-poking and leg-pulling worked a charm in the venue and Artio made their waves throughout the set successfully, and there's no doubt their listening numbers boosted from that night onwards.

Following their warm-up was the second support of the night. A group who have been together for just over a decade, and are finally breaking through the UK scene across the pond from their native land. This very day just so happened to be the day Starbenders released their newest material since 2023: the brand new single 'Tokyo'. They were putting on a 40-minute party for the fans and non-fans alike in the venue room and everyone was moving, grooving, jumping and jamming. Bringing back the flashy fashion of 80s glam rock with the attitude to match, frontwoman Kimi Shelter was ruling the stage; with a tambourine in grasp instead of an iron fist, and powerful vocals in place of a holler. Once the set came to its end, the room erupted in an applause that's usually saved for the grandest of main acts. A telling foreshadow of what this small band's big future is certain to look like.

Mothica took the stage in a flurry of red lights and emo vibes, opening with 'The Void' and 'Mirage'. For her first headline appearance in Manchester, one would've believed she was a seasoned performer of the city: every word was being sung back to her, and everyone was dancing and swaying along so comfortably and familiarly. Obviously as someone who has been making music since 2013, and has found herself international recognition from social media success, it seemed almost expected that Mothica would have such a dedicated following outside her United States home. This was solidified when some of her better known hits such as 'buzzkill' and 'VICES' caused an uproar in the most heartwarming way. Being a sensation on and off the stage has never been so evident.

Mothica is someone who plants her tongue firmly in her cheek while telling stories of her lowest moments during her teenage life. Discussing drinking alcohol, taking drugs, and hanging out with grown men as an adolescent while trying to solve her depressive bouts, she does this while slipping in some comedic timings about what she had learnt throughout this time. She leads into the artistically emotional 'forever fifteen'; a song she wrote about her suicide attempt and surviving through it. From seeing friends holding hands with tearful friends, to partners comforting their lovers with warm wrapped arms, it was a song that resonated with everyone in the room in one way or another. It takes thoughtful genius and emotional maturity to convey such a strong evocation on a scale to this size, and the magic being worked is awe-inspiring. Not a dry eye in the house, as they say.

As the show winds down to a close, the moth-inspired musician pulled a move that can only be described as unexpected. After a range of promoting her original discography, she closed the night with a heavy rock rendition of Smash Mouth's 'All Star', bathed in bright green lighting in homage to its Shrek-based origins.

Being her first UK headline tour, let this be the first of many and the first Manchester show of many more.

Words: Jo Cosgrove

Photos: Ciara Wilkinson