I Prevail - O2 Academy, Birmingham 26.09.2026
I Prevail
Polaris
Gore
In Birmingham, I don’t measure the quality of a show by the queues snaking outside arenas, or the social media frenzy in the run up to a performance. I don’t tend to look at the quality of the venue, or even the lineup to an extent.
I look for the presence of the Moshpit Mime.
I first saw him several years ago, from high up in the stands at a rock show. A gentleman in the crowd, instantly identifiable by his face paint, stripey top and beret. I watched intrigued as he ricocheted around the circle pit, and threw himself across the crowd, surfing to the barrier. He inadvertently became synonymous with my experience of a good show. By now, I’ve seen him more times than I can count, and I always scan a crowd to see if he is present – despite the fact I have no idea who he is and have never spoken to him in my life.
So you can imagine my joy as I traipse my way to O2 Academy Birmingham, and I see him in the queue outside. Score – it's a good one.
The lineup tonight is, as the youth would say, ‘stacked’ – Gore to start, followed by the highly anticipated Polaris, and of course headlined by I Prevail. I collect my obligatory drink from the bar (water, as I am now at the age where even one proper drink has me reaching for paracetamol) and settle down to watch.
I would be lying if I said I’d listened to Gore previously. I usually like to do some preshow revision, but the week had run away from me. Clearly, I was the odd one out here, as they crossed the stage to rapturous applause from the crowd. If time had permitted, I’d have loved a longer set – in all honesty, had they been the only band to perform on this evening, I would have returned home satisfied. Personal favourites included 'Sepsis' and 'Doomsday', which has now made a permanent home on my work playlist. They’re a relatively young band, having only formed in 2023, and yet they already are managing to command a rather large, unruly crowd. Unfortunately, they hail from Texas, meaning we aren’t exactly just down the road for them – but I’m hopeful they cross the pond again soon and treat us to a headline show.
Next up was Polaris, who drummed up that much enthusiasm from the crowd that I was dodging bodies coming over the barrier in between photos. You’d be forgiven for thinking they were headlining tonight’s event – the crowd surge against the metal railings for each song. They open with 'Dissipate' and follow through with a good mix of songs from 'The Death Of Me' and 'Fatalism'. 'Hypermania' and 'Nightmare' are my personal favourites, and the band bound across the stage with relish. They close with 'Nightmare', much to the crowd’s delight.
And finally, I Prevail arrive. The stage is a metalhead’s aesthetic dream – microphone stands are adorned with chains and barbed wire snakes across monitors. The show focuses on their newer material, opening with 'Bow Down'. Circle pits form and an orderly queue of crowd surfers wait patiently to be rescued by security. The crowd certainly don’t seem to mind that it's new material only – they scream along in delight, especially to the band’s now iconic cover of 'Blank Space'. I see the Moshpit Mime skipping across a circle bit in delight, trailed by a man dressed as a banana. It’s good to see that crowds still have a sense of humour.
I can remember I Prevail being a steadfast cornerstone of the rock scene when I arrived in Birmingham 10 years ago, and it brings me a great amount of joy to see that hasn’t changed. Songs like 'Violent Nature', 'Body Bag' and 'Rain' hold dear memories for me, and knowing that the band’s performance has only grown stronger over time makes me jump for joy. Everything runs smoothly – from the sound to the lighting and set design. Eric exclaims that we’re one of the best crowd’s they’ve had so far, which of course, is said in every city, but it still causes some chests around me to swell with pride. We are brummies after all.
Finishing up with 'Gasoline', it’s clear that I Prevail are still delivering shows like it’s 2016 – much to my utter delight.
Photos & Review - Eleanor Sutcliffe
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