LIVE REVIEW: The Plot In You: Birmingham O2 Academy (w/ Currents, Saosin, Cane Hill)

Photo: @jawmidnight

The Plot In You arrived in Birmingham on their headline tour with one of the coolest tour packages of the year. Four bands, four distinct flavours and each masters of their craft; Cane Hill, Saosin, Currents, and The Plot In You. It’s rare to see a bill this stacked, and from the second doors opened, it was clear the O2 Academy was about to be turned into a full-blown emotional warzone.

Kicking things off at a criminally early 6:30pm, Cane Hill made damn sure nobody treated them like openers. The New Orleans four-piece can be filed under the ‘criminally underrated’ category with a back catalogue full of heavy bangers. Their set however largely leaned into their newer material, which luckily all slap and all hit incredibly hard live as they blend filthy nu-metal laced grooves with a dark, emotional undercurrent and enough energy to wake up the still-arriving crowd. Frontman Elijah Witt worked the room like a pro, his playful self-deprecation and unfiltered charm cutting through the aggression.

Despite the early slot, the crowd was in it, bodies moving and heads banging from the jump. By the time their final breakdown hit, Cane Hill had fully earned the “main support in disguise” badge.

Next up: Saosin. For the 00s emo and post-hardcore faithful in the crowd, this set definitely unlocked some memories as the room transformed into a nostalgic singalong. Cove Reber sounded phenomenal, hitting those highs on “Voices” and “You’re Not Alone” like no time had passed at all. Even tackling “Seven Years,” the Anthony Green-era anthem, he delivered it with total control.

Saosin’s set was pure catharsis, shimmering guitars, tight musicianship, and an emotional weight that reminded everyone why their self-titled 2006 record still matters.

Then the night took a much heavier turn. Currents stepped up and detonated any lingering calm. The Connecticut crew unleashed a torrent of precise brutality, thunderous riffs, laser-sharp drumming, and vocals that swung between guttural ferocity and soaring melody.

Tracks like “Living in Tragedy” and “Making Circles” hit like a sledgehammer, and the floor responded accordingly: pits, circle pits, crowd surfers and total mayhem. The lighting turned manic, strobing in sync with every double kick, while frontman Brian Wille commanded the chaos with effortless control.

Currents delivered one of the night’s standout sets and it’s hard not to imagine they will be back headlining venues of a similar size in the very near future.

By the time The Plot In You emerged, the stage was transformed. The lights dimmed to deep reds and cold purples, fog drifted across the floor, and an atmospheric intro set the tone. When Landon Tewers stepped into the spotlight for “Don’t Look Away,” the place erupted.

Their set was cinematic, the lighting pulsed in sync with every beat, LED pillars shifting through muted hues while the band’s sound filled every inch of the room. Landon’s vocals were a masterclass in control and emotion, his ability to switch between beauty and aggression is up there with the best. The 15 song set spanned their career with a lot of newer cuts like “Silence” & “Pretend” going down just as well as the old faithfuls. “The One You Loved” and “Not Just Breathing” hit especially hard, both live staples from their Dispose era as well as the powerful and emotional ending of “Feel Nothing”.

One of the night’s most powerful moments came on “Forgotten” which has one of the best mosh call out of all time, the lyrics “I have spent my life, chasing things that have only brought me pain…”  were screamed so loud it was hard to make out Landon over the crowd.

The energy never dipped. Between the crushing breakdowns and quiet, intimate passages, The Plot In You proved exactly why they’ve become one of modern metalcore’s most compelling acts.

I’ve often looked at The Plot In You as an unsung hero of modern metal over the past decade, constantly evolving their sound and delivering album after album of innovative and emotional heavy music. Now it seems like all that hard graft and determination has finally payed off and they are receiving the flowers they fully deserve, and if this show if anything to go by, this is only just the start.