2014/01/09 Brisbane, AU (REPORT)

After years of waiting to see Paramore live, the day finally arrived, and before I knew it I was lining up outside the venue at 11am, preparing for the 8 hour wait ahead. It was during that wait that I realised just how much one band can bring so many people together. Everyone I met was so lovely, and it really made the day go by faster. The first big excitement of the day was hearing the faint sound of music coming from inside. Everyone went quiet as we listened. Paramore’s soundcheck!!!! A group of us ran to the side of the arena, and we were in awe as we heard them play, even though we were listening through doors and brick walls, they sounded incredible and it got us really excited for the show.

We counted down the hours, watched the line grow bigger and the moment finally arrived. 6pm and the gates finally opened. The mad rush to get inside the arena was hectic. The doors down to the stage didn’t open until 7, so everyone was trying to get to the doors first, to get that special place on the barrier. As we waited, everyone was getting more and more excited as 7pm got closer. Then, it was time. Doors opened and everyone rushed to get as close as they could.

When I got down to the floor, it finally hit me that I was actually about to see my favourite band live. Twenty One Pilots were the first opening act, and it was their first ever time in Australia, so it was amazing to know that we were at their very first show, setting expectations for what us Australian concert goers are like. For not really knowing who they were before the show, I quickly formed an opinion when they came on stage. And that was that they are incredible artists!!!! Not only was there music great, they put on a great live show. Full body skeleton suits, masks, jumping off pianos, standing on top of the crowd, they had everything. And it was an amazing way to kick off the first Paramore show of 2014. Tyler Joseph, the lead singer, made a comment half way through their set, and it could not have been more true. “There are two types of people. Those who come to sit and watch and enjoy the show, and those who come to be a part of the show.” And he sure did mean it. Twenty One Pilots not only put on a great show to watch but really made us who were in the pit feel a part of it.

Next came long time friends of Paramore’s, british rockers You Me At Six. I have been a fan of them for a long time so getting to see them live the same night as Paramore was awesome. Like I had expected, they also are an amazing live band. You Me At Six had to cut their set short, but that didn’t stop them from warming us up and getting us pumped for Paramore. It was great to hear them play my two favourite songs, Liquid Confidence and Bite My Tongue. It really felt like You Me At Six were a perfect fit for the Self Titled Tour.

It was time. We all wait in anticipation as we watch the stage crew remove gear and set everything up for Paramore’s set. Paramore! Paramore! Paramore! We begin chanting. After years of waiting to get this opportunity, months of counting down, and 8 hours in line, the moment was here. And I was about to have the best night of my life.

The lights dimmed and the intro to Grow Up rings through the arena. The crowd is going crazy. Then, it happens. The drum beat starts and the curtain drops. Here we go. This is it. Seeing them standing there in front of me for the first time was such a surreal experience. They are not just in photos or videos anymore, or just music from your phone, they are here, in front of your eyes, playing to you, as you sing back. A few songs go by and then Hayley takes a moment to talk to us, and thank us for being there. Also to introduce themselves the only way they know how. “Incase you don’t know, my friends in Brisbane, we are PARAMORE” she shouts as we join her. After they played Ignorance, they sung I’m Not Angry Anymore. This was probably one of the standout moments for me in the show, for the reason that Taylor and Hayley were directly in front of me, and at this stage I was one or two people back from the barrier. It was incredible having them right there. And the show just kept getting better. Last Hope has always been a favourite off of the album for me, and hearing it live just made me love it even more. After a heart-felt talk about the struggles of recording, and what they went through, Hayley started the song, and then stopped and let us keep singing, “God bless you Brisbane!” She said as she looked so happy in that moment. That moment when I could see that together as a band, this is when they were truly happy. After everything they had been through, to hear an arena full of people sing back to them a song that means a lot, its then in that moment that defines what music is all about.

The Ain’t It Fun sing along was a fun experience. And Paramore were joined on stage by a local choir. Followed by The Only Exception, a very heart warming speech from Hayley that had me in tears, and In The Mourning, next came Pressure. A moment I had been waiting for to witness the spectacular Pressure Flip. Jeremy and Taylor are quite talented. And the crowd loves it. Misery Business was next, and as Hayley said, we should all know by now that the last chorus can’t be sung until one lucky fan sings the bridge on stage. And lucky they are. What an incredible experience that would be. The girl Hayley picked was nervous, but the crowd started chanting her name and really made her feel like it was her time. After the song, Hayley, Taylor and Jeremy waved good bye and left the stage. But we weren’t ready to leave. “One more song! One more song” and “Encore! Encore” echoed throughout the arena, until we saw dark figures walk back on stage.
The show was nearly at an end, but Part II and Moving On were a great way to come back for an encore. One more song left, and Still Into You live is a show in itself. From balloons dropping from the roof to big confetti canons going off, it was a perfect way to end an incredible night. They all stood center stage and bowed, they looked genuinely happy and I believe that for the first show of 2014, Brisbane really did do a great job in welcoming them back to Australia. So that was it. The Self Titled Tour was brought to Australia, and kicked off in Brisbane. My first Paramore show is definitely not my last. Bring on the next tour.

– Hannah