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Review from 5D Music writer, Ross Munro
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There is a reason that Paramore have outlasted many other bands that sprung up during the early 2000s Pop-Punk scene. Consistently remaining at the height of their abilities through various line-up changes, as well as a decline in the popularity of Pop-Punk bands, Paramore have proven that for bands as good as they are, the scene is here to stay. That’s not to say that they have remained in the same mould from where they started. The band’s stellar 6 album run has taken them through various musical styles in genres, always keeping their music fresh. After a run of festival dates and their own headline tour, along with a support slot on the unbelievably massive Taylor Swift “Era’s” Tour, Paramore made a triumphant return to the UK to support their latest album “This Is Why”
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The Ovo Hydro is the biggest indoor arena in Scotland and one of the biggest in the UK, however all 14,000 plus tickets were sold out almost instantly. In the days leading up to the event, people were still clamouring on social media, frantically trying to get their hands on tickets. Those lucky enough to make it into the venue were treated to nearly 2 hours of a band at the absolute peak of their craft. Paramore has a reputation for outstanding live performances, and this was no different. Led by Hayley Williams, one of the best lead singers in the business, Paramore delivered a set full of classic pop punk anthems and newer songs from “This Is Why”.
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After a fantastic support set from British Indie legends Bloc Party, a set that included the classic hits “Banquet” and “Helicopter”, Paramore finally took to the stage. Opening with the aptly named “You First” which included a spectacular burst of confetti, followed by “The News”, two songs taken from their new album but greeted by the crowd like old favourites, set the tone for a night that started in first gear and never dropped below that for its entirety. Hayley Williams, as always, was captivating with her hypnotic like stage presence throughout the whole performance, bouncing from one side of the stage to the other without ever breaking a sweat.
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Paramore classics “Playing God” and “That’s What You Get” delighted the crowd, who sang back every word in unison as loud as they could. “The News” delivered hard hitting lyrics of being unable to escape the horrors of the current world around us. The mood was soon lifted for 2018s “Hard Times” during which Williams instructed the crowd to “bust out some moves”. They obliged, and the Hydro was converted into one massive dance party. Another track from “After Laughter” followed with “Caught in the Middle” another track that exudes pure joy with its poppier sound.
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“Ain’t it Fun” was unfortunately prematurely stopped because of a medical emergency in the crowd, however the band deserve praise for how quickly they noticed something was wrong and ensured the people involved got the help they needed. Instead of replaying the whole song from the begging, the Hydro were treated to an a cappella version of the songs outro, “Don’t go crying, to your momma” sounded best sang by the 14000 strong crowd. Another new song “Liar” was showcased before a rendition of “Crystal Clear” from Hayley Williams’ debut solo album “Petals For Armor”. It was here that one thing became clear: Hayley Williams is a powerhouse of a vocal performer. The range that she was able to display through the evening was truly a delight to have experienced.
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Another few classics were up next on the set list. “Decode” with its powerful guitars was followed by “Still Into You”. It’s a song that seems to have a special spiritual connection with Scotland because of its many bootleg remixes being played in nightclubs up and down the country. One this is for sure though, and that is that the original is best and warranted the monster sing-along that it got. “Rose Coloured Boy” had to be restarted after Zac Farro broke his snare drum going into the first chorus. There were no complaints from the crowd, however, as it proved to be one of the most popular tracks of the night, snippets of “I wanna Dance with Somebody” and “Genius of Love” included.
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As Hayley Williams had done earlier, Zac Farro took the opportunity to play front man for a song as the crowd was treated to a song from his solo project, HalfNoise. “Baby” was the name of the song and both the song and the performance from Farro instantly seemed like they belonged on a stage as large as the Hydro’s. Hayley Williams spent this song on backing vocals and playing acoustic guitar, and she would keep this guitar in hand for the next song. The rest of the band had departed the stage, leaving just Williams in the middle, illuminated by a spotlight. She explained she wanted to do some more things that took her out of her comfort zone, and that standing on the stage alone was “F*cking Terrifying”. You would have been none the wiser to her anxiety over this, however, as she launched into an excellent acoustic cover of “Rip it Up” by Orange Juice, a song that she said was quickly becoming one of her favourites.
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After a just a moment of calm, what better way to hit top speed again that with perhaps the band’s biggest hit “Misery Business”. The crowd can only be described as a frenzy throughout the entire song. As always, a fan from the crowd was invited onstage to finish the song. Dev, a fan who had been to 22 shows, was the chosen one for that night. They looked completely in their element in their short-lived career as Paramore’s newest leader. Hitting every lyric and leg kick just as Williams would. It was clear to see that they had waited their whole life for that moment.
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” Last Hope” was played before the best vocal performance of the night came with “All I Wanted”. The crowd in attendance would have been eager to hear this, as it had sadly been cut due to time constraints caused by technical issues on a previous night on the tour. The crowd’s biggest fear was almost realised when the song was stopped almost as soon as it began because of another incident in the crowd. “Don’t worry, we’ll still play it” exclaimed Williams to what was maybe the biggest cheer of the night. Some fans on social media have claimed this was Williams’ best performance of this song and it would be hard to argue otherwise. Every note was hit to perfection.
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“Crave” served as the final song before the encore. During the time the band were offstage, a video montage of some behind-the-scenes clips of the band making “This is Why” were shown. It was clear to see how close these band mates are to each other. It lead perfectly into the first song of the encore “The Only Exception”. A beautiful performance of one of the most underrated love songs this millennium was the perfect way to set the crowd up for the final song. Closing the night was the title track from their newest album “This is Why”. It’s more post punk than pop punk but still authentically Paramore. It’s a rare example of a band finishing on a newer track, but no one in the crowd feeling disappointed with how the show ended.
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This was a show that was full of energy from start to finish from the crowd, as well as the band onstage. Zac Farro, Tyler York and the rest of the instrumentalists on stage all did their jobs about as perfectly as they could have, but there was no overshadowing Hayley Williams. She has proven once again that she has a knack for entertaining and controlling a crowd like no one else. A gargantuan vocal performance, as well as a top to bottom no skips worthy setlist, meant that this was perhaps the best Paramore have ever been.
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Ross Munro is a writer covering live music in Glasgow, Edinburgh and the surrounding areas. He has not long started his journey in this field, but it has always been a lifelong ambition to write about the things he loves, and live music ticks that box.
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