The Devil Wears Prada - O2 Institute, Birmingham 25.10.2026
The Devil Wears Prada
Novelists
Sunday is the day of rest, and yet I find myself once again traipsing across Digbeth, this time to catch The Devil Wears Prada on their Flowers tour. It's been highly anticipated within my friend group, and I've never had the privilege of seeing them live, so I'm quite excited as I dip into the box office to diligently collect my pass.
Arriving into the main room of the O2 Institute, I'm greeted by the band Oversize – hailing from sunny Sailsbury, they're described as a grungegaze sound, and I'm here for it. Vocalist Nick Nowak delivers a gritty vocal tone which the crowd lap up across the room. My friend isn't a fan – he speaks of tonal shifts and other mutterings that I can't understand – but it's different strokes for different folks I guess. Their single 'Separate' is a standout for me, and has found a loving home on my driving playlist. Overall, a cracking start.
Next up is 156/Silence - and silent they are not. It's their first time gracing the UK with their presence, much to the crowd's joy as they start up and a steady stream of crowd surfers make their way into the photo pit. Fans of bands such as my favourites Thornhill will love these lot. 'Sleep Spikes' is a certified banger, as is 'Control Burns'. Hopefully it's not long until they return on another support slot – or headline some venues themselves.
Novelists are next to grace the stage, and all eyes are on vocalist Camille Contreras as she spins in a shocking pink tulle ensemble. I love the stage presence and the change of style (give the adidas a rest lads, it's all I see at metalcore shows), and there's something beautiful about the juxtaposition of the soft tulle and Camille's soaring vocals. Again, the crowd are seemingly obsessed, and for good reason. Their track 'Prisoner' is brilliant, and they also play 'Turn It Up much' to my absolute delight. Camille comes down into the main room after, diligently meeting fans and signing merch. I'll most definitely try and catch them again next time they swing through the city.
And finally, the lights dim and The Devil Wears Prada descend on the stage. My friend has seen them multiple times – he excitedly recounts their support slot for Bring Me The Horizon in 2010 – however this is my first time. With a near 20 song set, it spanned most of their discography, focusing mainly on material from 'Flowers' but also including some career defining bangers such as 'Kansas'.
It's a faultless set. It's helped of course, by such a gorgeous listed venue, and being surrounded by a couple of hundred brummies screaming always gets me going – but their performance is fantastic. As one of the last shows on this leg of the tour, you expect some fatigue, maybe some vocal issues or problems with performance – but there's none to be seen. I cannot wait to catch them again, hopefully not 10 years down the line, and hopefully without my friend exclaiming 'this is the best show EVER' every five minutes in my ear.
Photos & Review - Eleanor Sutcliffe
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