Paramore made their return to Birmingham, UK after five long years, continuing their European Tour.
London singer Rozi Plain and her band were the first support act of the night, a very peaceful way to start the show at Utilita Arena Birmingham.
Followed by Bloc Party, a band Hayley Williams expresses her admiration for and admits has been a huge influence on Paramore's new album "This Is Why" that went No 1 in the UK in February.
When Paramore hit the stage, the energy in the arena skyrocketed. Hayley skipped onto the stage in a tiny white dress and white knee high boots, setting the stadium on fire with "You First" and "The News" from their new album.
Photo by @elearor.
The Utilita Arena crowd was made up by undeniably fans of the band singing along to almost every word of both old and new songs, and there even was a surprise engagement in the crowd.
Giving everyone time to catch their breath mid-set, Williams took centre stage and talked a bit about the importance of mental health and played a solo acoustic version of the song "26" off their previous album, "After Laughter." It was the first time that song was played this tour, and as a Paramore fan, I have to admit I was left in a puddle of tears.
Throughout the night, the star of the show was Hayley's voice. She always demonstrates her astounding vocal ability, chemistry with the band, and the very special connection they have with their fans, which she described as family.
Photo by Zachary Gray.
To cement that connection with the fans, Paramore has this tradition of selecting a fan to join them on stage for their most popular song, "Misery Business." The selected fan, "Amber," had a sign saying she missed their last show five years ago because she was sick, so she was lifted from behind the barricade and got to sing and headbang with Hayley Williams on stage.
After confirming that they're already making plans for their UK return, they played their signature love ballad "The Only Exception," and the crowd screams with her the words of "This is Why" that closed the night in euphoric style, confetti raining out before the final chorus.
A truly incredible experience I was lucky enough to witness, and if you're from Europe, you won't have to wait another five years to see them live because they just announced that they will be opening all European shows for Taylor Swift.
Words cannot describe the energy, the atmosphere and the shared feelings among everyone in that room. Every face was smiling, and everybody was dancing, and I think everyone should experience that at least once in their lifetime.
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