After a rocky past with fallouts and disagreements, Paramore are back and better than ever, embarking on a tour in support of their sixth album This Is Why. For the first time in five years, they returned to Glasgow playing in the OVO Hydro on April 17.
Warming up the crowd was Bloc Party. This band falls nothing short of a mixing bowl of genres, giving them a post–punk revival feel; from vibes of indie brit-rock to alternative dance.
Bloc Party brought a sense of excitement to the crowd. With their hard-driving base notes and experimental vocals, there couldn’t have been a band better fitting to support one as iconic as Paramore.
In between the bands, there was a short film played on the stage’s side screens. In partnership with Support + Feed, the members of Paramore encouraged fans to donate to plant-based charities.
Their objective is to provide support in communities with plant-based food with an aim to create a more sustainable future in response to the climate crisis. This is a fitting charitable choice in relation to their recent, politically-themed album.
Starting their show with a spoken word intro reciting opposing feelings and conflicting thoughts, the moment we had all been waiting for was finally here. After all, no one could have been sure that we would have gotten the opportunity to see them play together ever again.
The show put on was lively, uplifting and contagiously exciting. From iconic guitar riffs, classic drum solos and Haley’s timeless vocals – which sound better in real life, by the way. It presented an atmosphere which could only compare to the feeling you get when you have a jam out with your friends. The feeling between the band and the crowd was tight-knit and intimate.
The set list was the most exciting part, covering tracks from every era. Proving something for everyone – from the elder emos to the baby e-kids. During the performance of Liar from their newest album, we heard some beautiful ad lib vocals from Williams, while their performance of an old-time classic, Misery Business drew a fan onto the stage.
During the concert, lead woman, Hayley Williams, took time to speak to the audience and thank them for being part of Paramore’s 19-year-long journey.
Expressing what it means to connect with those who listen to their music, she said: “Words will never be able to express how it feels to connect with people who grew up with music because of us.”
For a while, it looked like Paramore was no more. Another classic band a lot of people like me looked up to, was gone. Their new album and the corresponding tour were something to really get excited about and it gave a lot of room for disappointment.
However, words cannot describe the energy, the atmosphere, and the shared feelings among everyone in that room. Every face was smiling, everybody was dancing and no one – not one person – was thinking about anything else.
Paramore provided everything you could want from a live music event. An entertaining support act followed by a set with old-time classics and new tracks. The room was full of shared energy and interest. Most importantly – the feeling that a day hasn’t passed since I was 12 listening to them for the very first time.
Featured Image Credit: @Paramore / Instagram
English and Journalism Student. I like to write about funky music and the fact I have no hair.
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