twenty one pilots - Alexandra Palace, 13/11/16

I used to watch Bry's videos on Youtube, many moons ago, when he still used to go by the name BriBry. I wasn't sure how I felt about him being announced as twenty one pilots support - I'd been expecting a more established artist, not a Youtuber who has only just released their debut album - but when Bry announced that he wasn't on the tour because of labels or PR people, just because Tyler and Josh were "nice enough people to give the little guy a chance", I was glad they'd handpicked someone who performed the job of support act so brilliantly.
At the start of his set, he announced "my job in the next thirty minutes is to convince you to love me," following it up by saying "I have a few reasons! Number one: I'm Irish. ...And that's about it, really," and I think he managed to make everyone love him just with that statement. I haven't laughed so hard during a support slot, and a big part of Bry's appeal is his personality: he's very self-deprecating, and it's his seeming lack of confidence that makes it impossible to take your eyes off of him. Sharing a story from his last tour before 'You're Alright', he admitted "I'm not the most masculine person" and told a story about the man at his last show in Hull who screamed "Is that a man or a woman?" as soon as he took to the stage, quipping "I'm really looking forward to going back to Hull...". It was also brilliant when he introduced 'Adventure Time' by admitting it had been used on a washing machine advertisement in Sweden. "If you find yourself in Sweden and need a ten percent discount on a washing machine, call me!" he shouted. "I'm a connected man!"
Each of his songs was catchier than the one before, and I can't choose a favourite because I enjoyed all of them so much. It was a set that improved as it went on, and even though I was beyond excited to see twenty one pilots again I actually wish Bry could have been on stage longer. I'm going to have to get hold of his debut album, because I want to hear more of his delightful, guitar-driven songs.
I felt very sorry for him when his guitar string snapped before penultimate song 'Care', but he didn't let him stop him and finished the rest of the set in style. Not many artists get to play Alexandra Palace twice before their debut album has been out for a week, and I hope everyone who attended the shows supports him by getting a copy.

Setlist:

Don't Go Alone

Everything

Your Life Over Mine

You're Alright

Adventure Time

Care

Disarm

Having seen twenty one pilots a couple of times this year already, I knew to expect an amazing live show filled with energetic performances of all of their biggest songs: the inimitable 'Heathens', the chart-topping 'Stressed Out', the fan favourite 'Car Radio'.
What I hadn't expected was to fall back in love with a band that I've been feeling more and more alienated by over the last year and a half.
The last couple of shows I've attended have had dreadful audiences (constant screams throughout every song rather than singing along, members of the 'clique' being extremely rude to each other and to the band, by talking through all of their older music and only paying attention during songs from most popular album 'Blurryface') but that wasn't a problem at Alexandra Palace. It's probably because both shows sold out so quickly: their date on Friday 11th sold out within five minutes, and this second date was sold out within the hour, so there wasn't a chance for people who don't care about the band to buy tickets. I didn't see a single person in the room who wasn't singing and dancing along through every song, and it was refreshing. It was obvious from the opening two songs of their set: you could hear people attempting to rap to the extremely speedy 'heavydirtysoul', and then during 'Migraine' Tyler let the crowd sing the first couple of verses completely unaccompanied, and you could understand every lyric word for word.
This is what a concert is supposed to feel like: a room full of people who are all excited and happy to be there.
I was surprised by the fact that twenty one pilots have become such a family friendly band. The amount of people in the room under ten was surprising, my favourite 'spot' of the evening being a child up on their parent's back, wearing a kimono and a balaclava and rapping along to every word. I knew they had widespread appeal, but I hadn't known that it was quite that far-reaching. It's heart-warming, to say the least.
The best part of the set was when they moved on to the secondary stage towards the back of the venue. Kitted out in the skeleton hoodies that they wore for the back cover of 'Vessel', they performed 'Ode To Sleep' and then Tyler shared that they wanted to play a few of their older songs for the crowd, and they launched into a medley stuffed with songs they don't normally play in their sets.
Having seen them in February when they also performed a medley, I'd expecting it to be the same one, so imagine my shocked surprise when they added in 'Johnny Boy' and 'March To The Sea' from their self-titled debut album, and 'Kitchen Sink', one of the bonus tracks from 'Vessel'. If they continue to play a variety of older music in this way in the future, I'm going to continue being very happy. These two refuse to forget their roots, and it's surreal to hear such strange and quirky songs being played in such a huge venue, particularly with the beautiful transitions that make the medley seem like a complete song in itself.
Back to the main stage for 'Holding On To You', which features Josh doing that backflip (which I finally caught on video!), and then the crowd were treated to their second cover of the evening, House of Pain's 'Jump Around'. Compared to their cover of Elvis Presley's 'Can't Help Falling In Love', which was tender and heartfelt, their take on 'Jump Around' felt more frenetic than the original, a brief breakdown in the middle of the song giving everyone a chance to get their groove on.
I don't normally like 'Stressed Out' - it's very lazy and extremely over-hyped - but something about this performance of it had me feeling very proud of these boys, particularly when seeing Tyler jumping off of his piano and then throwing himself across the stage and leaping back ontop of it. I've been going to their shows for a few years now and the contrast between seeing 'Guns For Hands' from barrier to seeing it on a huge stage like this, Tyler taking a brief break in the middle of the song to zorb across the crowd in a ginormous red ball, is something I don't think I'm ever going to come to terms with. Their growth is unprecendented - I dare you to try to think of a band who have gained popularity as quickly as they have in recent years - and I'm profoundly thankful that I've been able to witness their explosion first hand (even if I am little apprehensive that the entire world knows who they are now).
I had to leave before the end of the show, but I managed to see the spine-tingling 'Tear In My Heart' - which now has a creepy extended remixed outro that features Josh drumming alongside the men in hazmat suits from 'Lane Boy' - and the song that will always be in my list of top TOP songs, 'Car Radio'. Tyler's platform at the back of the room was easily visible as soon as I walked in, so I made sure to work my way back so I could see him pop up and own the end of the song as he always does.
This was twenty one pilots biggest UK show to date. I thought they'd be headlining Wembley Arena by the end of the year - a venue that has a capacity of 12,000 compared to Alexandra Palace's 10,000 - but by selling out this historical, legendary venue twice is far more impressive. I'm looking forward to seeing where they go next, particularly because they're busy working on their fifth album at the moment: if they can re-create the success that they've gotten with 'Blurryface', they're going to be the biggest band in the world this time next year.

Setlist:

Fairly Local snippet

Heavydirtysoul

Migraine

Polarize

Heathens

House of Gold intro
We Don't Believe What's On TV

Can't Help Falling In Love cover

The Judge

Lane Boy

-

Ode To Sleep

Medley (The Pantaloon/Fall Away/Johnny Boy/Forest/Addict With A Pen/March To The Sea/Kitchen Sink)

-

Holding On To You

Jump Around cover

Ride 

Stressed Out

Guns For Hands

Tear In My Heart

Car Radio

-

Goner
Trees

Reading Festival 2016

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twenty one pilots - Brixton O2 Academy, 25/02/16

After I saw twenty one pilots in Oxford back in November, I was very conflicted. The band still had their unflappable energy, but the atmosphere and the sound just weren't to the standard that I'd been expected, and I left the show feel a little deflated. I already had tickets to this show in Brixton - they announced it as a one-off headline show before expanded it into a larger tour - but I was more than a little worried.

Opener Transviolet did nothing to dissipate my nerves. I'd only heard one of their songs before, closer 'Girls Your Age', and I thought they sounded rather similar to Halsey - after missing her in this same venue two days ago, I'd been looking forward to seeing them perform. However, I ended up being quite underwhelmed.
Vocalist Sarah McTaggart has a... unique vocal tone. By this, I mean she kind of sounds like Ellie Goulding, if Ellie Goulding had inhaled a bunch of helium, or was perhaps suffering with the flu. At points her voice was so high that I literally could not understand a word that she was singing - it was a jarring. It might sound harsh, but it's the best comparison that I can find, and it didn't sell their set for me.
I'm sure there are people out there who will be absolutely in love with Transviolet, but they're not a band for me. I definitely wouldn't have seen them live if it wasn't for this support slot. There were some people who followed twenty one pilots around the country, going to every show that they performed, and Sarah shouted out to them saying "You've been here for five of the seven shows we've done, you guys are hardcore!" and, though they would have been attending for twenty one pilots rather than Transviolet, they certainly seemed to be enjoying the set.
Musically they performed well, but a lot of their songs did sound the same, with the exception of the first song, 'Bloodstream', which was the heaviest song that they played. The rest of their songs have an almost psychedelic sound, and it's definitely music you can chill out to - perfect for TV ad music - I just didn't really enjoy it in a live environment (well, apart from the third song they performed, which I actually really enjoyed - it's catchy and easy to dance to).
The majority of the songs that they played in their set were unreleased, so I've popped a couple of lyrics in the gaps so that I can piece it together as and when the songs get released.

Setlist:
Bloodstream
- ("Want you alone")
- ("Only love you when you're someone")
- ("I knew that I was playing for keeps")
Night Vision
- ("Staring out the window/Getaway car")
New Bohemian
Girls Your Age

The setlist was nearly the same as the one twenty one pilots performed when I saw them three months ago, but despite the similarity in the song choices this show was completely different. Going from a tiny venue holding 1,000 to a huge 5,000 capacity room complete with balcony and seating? That's a very, very impressive upgrade, but it's not surprising at all after the success of 'Blurryface'.
Starting off with two of their most recent songs, including runaway success 'Stressed Out', I wasn't surprised at all when the entire crowd burst into action. For the entirety of the "Death inspires me like a dog inspires a rabbit" chant back into the chorus of 'Heavydirtysoul', and the "Wake up you need to make money" scream in 'Stressed Out', the crowd were singing with no help from the band, and the fact that you could understand every single word was very impressive.
I'd been expecting the reaction to dampen a little when songs from 'Vessel' were performed, so I was over the moon when things got a little bit crazier when 'Guns For Hands' started. There were definitely people in the room who didn't know the earlier material, that's expected when a band catapults into the public awareness in such a rapid way, but I'd thought there would be a lot more people who were only there to hear the more recent songs. Instead it felt a bit like a congregation rather than a group of individuals attending a show, cemented even further when the crowd rapped the first verse of 'Migraine' solo - it's one of those songs that means so much to many people, and to hear them all screaming along to the words was a spine-tingling moment.
I'd assumed that twenty one pilots wouldn't suit large venues, but I was completely wrong. With the large screen at the back of the stage showing video footage relating to each of the songs (such as the hazmat suited men from 'Lane Boy' and the flying birds during 'Goner') it actually made their set feel more intimate rather than larger - in a weird twist of events, I felt much closer to the band and the other fans at this show than I did last time. The most effective use of the screen was definitely the video clip played before 'Ride', which showed flashing clips of running through the wood with some frantic breathing played over the top - it raised the adrenaline in the room and made it that much more effective when the song kicked in.
It's still amazing that there are only two men on the stage, because they both cover every inch of the surface: vocalist Tyler Joseph running from the front of the stage back to the piano and then up to a platform with a hanging microphone, and drummer Josh Dun leaving his kit to backflip off of the piano during 'Holding On To You' - you can't get bored during a twenty one pilots set, because they don't stay still, and there's always something to watch. Add in the fact that Josh started playing the trumpet during 'We Don't Believe What's On TV', and Tyler flipped his kimono over the top of his head and performed the entirety of 'Lane Boy' as a kimono-clad ghost, and then they invited a fan up on stage to do the 'Stressed Out' handshake with Josh - there are so many memorable moments that it would take me hours to mention them all.
I do wonder if I would have felt the same without the inclusion of the medley and the surprise appearance of the outro of 'The Run and Go'. As this tour is supporting 'Blurryface', the majority of songs in the set are from that release, but the earlier songs are still so brilliantly received that it almost makes me want to go back to the days of every set featuring 'Vessel' played in full. I was elated at the response to 'The Pantaloon' from the self-titled album - the fact that a large amount of the crowd were still singing along to it, despite it being their most under-appreciated release... It just showed that the band have received mainstream success, and they have acquired a much larger fanbase, but the majority of people have listened to every song that the band have put out.
If you haven't been to a twenty one pilots show, I don't know what you're doing with your life. Their songs really are transferable from situation to situation - instead of just working brilliantly in small venues, they actually sound much better in a large environment like this - and I genuinely believe Brixton O2 Academy might be the perfect venue for the bands sound. The crowd singing along didn't overpower the band but elevated them, and with it still being safe enough for the drumming on the crowd portions of the evening (during which Josh and Tyler are held up by the crowd on platforms) they're still bringing elements to their show that keep it utterly unique. Tyler asked the crowd "if we can get night number two to blow night number one out of the water", and later said "this is probably maybe gonna beat night number one"... Well, based on their reaction before they walked off stage - Tyler so speechless he had to stop speaking twice before he could say "We're twenty one pilots, and so are you" - I think that might have happened. They aren't going to be playing venues of this size for long, and I wouldn't be surprised if they announce a headline show at Wembley Arena before 2016 is over. I, for one, will be attending that show.

Setlist:
heavydirtysoul
Stressed Out
Guns For Hands
Migraine
Polarize
House of Gold (intro)
We Don't Believe What's On TV
The Judge
Lane Boy
Medley (The Pantaloon/Semi-Automatic/Forest/Screen/Ode To Sleep/Addict With A Pen/Screen)
Doubt
Holding On To You
Ride
Not Today
The Run and Go (outro)
Tear In My Heart
Car Radio
-
Goner
Trees

twenty one pilots - Oxford O2 Academy, 07/11/15

I missed the beginning of Jeremy Loops set because I was eating (oh, bite me - I was hungry!) and I'm not sure exactly how many of his songs I missed, but I managed to get there for his last four. I was pleased to see that much of his set, especially because it included an awesome mash-up of Jeremy's own song 'Down South' with a cover of 'Three Little Birds'.
It's not surprising, going by the name, that Jeremy Loops does indeed work with a loop pedal - that's just a given! But what I did find surprising was Jeremy's regular switching between the guitar and the ukulele, and the multitude of instruments his band could play, including some harmonica, a bit of trumpet, a lot of drumming and a various assortments of other instruments - some of which I don't even know the names of.
I was expecting something eclectic, but I don't think I'd been anticipating anything of this magnitude. The beat was infectious and it was impossible not to dance along or join in on the singing bits, because Jeremy's enthusiasm was contagious. He seemed so grateful to be playing a show of this size, and thanked twenty one pilots multiple times for choosing him to open up for them, sharing how important it is for him choosing his support acts at home in Cape Town.
I hadn't expected the crowd reaction to be as energetic as it was, but it genuinely did have the buzz that would normally surround a headline performance, which was commendable for an artist who was very unknown over here in the UK. The hand bounce along to 'Running Away' involved nearly every member of the crowd, and it really was so much fun.
My favourite moment of his set was definitely the end of 'See, I Wrote It For You'. Jeremy had encouraged the crowd to sing along with the words, teaching it to the crowd, which was brilliant enough - the reaction was good, and the song was fun and made it impossible to stand still. However, the thing that really blew me away was the fact that Jeremy had recorded the crowd singing on his loop pedal, and at the end of the set - after he'd finished the song and had said all of his goodbyes - he played the loop back and dived straight back into the song for a little reprise. For a support act to do something that ballsy was impressive, to finish the set and then start again could have gone down badly, but it was brilliantly received and he owned the stage.
Jeremy is returning to Oxford in January, headlining his own show at The Bullingdon just down the road, and the likelihood is that I'm going to be attending - keep an eye out for the review!

Setlist:
-
My Shoes
Down South/Three Little Birds
Running Away
See, I Wrote It For You

Full disclosure here: I was not looking forward to this show.
I know, it's a shock. After my rave review of the show at Electric Brixton a year ago, I'd thought there was never going to come a time when I didn't anticipate a twenty one pilots show for weeks before the day arrived. I had been excited soon after booking the tickets, but the excitement went stale in my mouth because of one reason, and one reason alone.
I don't like 'Blurryface'.
Or, rather, I didn't. I feel so bad for admitting that, because twenty one pilots were my favourite band this time last year: they were my favourite band up until six months ago, but then everything went downhill for me. I wasn't happy to be going to the show, nearly not even bothering to attend, because - as it said in the name Blurryface World Tour - I knew the band were going to be favouring the inclusion of new material, and I knew most of the songs I loved were not going to make the cut.
The surprising thing? Things actually flipped on the night. I detest 'Blurryface' as a recording; it feels over-produced, it feels lazy and it feels like the passion has left the band. It's completely the opposite to 'Vessel', with the heartfelt, deep and meaningful lyrics that every single person could relate to in some way, shape or form. But, for some reason, the songs from 'Blurryface' work live. It might be because they're fresh and new, while 'Vessel' has been toured for three years now, but it seemed to ignite something in the crowd and that seemed to fire the band up more.
Choosing to open with 'heavydirtysoul' was a genius move, because of the frenetic energy that is inherent in the song itself. Vocalist Tyler Joseph was having some problems with his microphone, so it was a struggle to hear him throughout the entirety of the song, but the crowd carried him - the room sang through the entire night, and was oftentimes louder than the band themselves, showing just how popular these songs have proven to be.
Follow up 'Stressed Out' also worked brilliantly, with the shout of "Wake up, you need to make money!" reverberating through every corner of the building.
But, for a strong opening two songs there were an equally weaker two to match them, and I'm sorry to say that in this instance that was 'Guns For Hands' and 'Migraine'. I'm not sure if it's because I've seen them performed at a far superior level, but they fell flat for me, nowhere near the mark of excellence I've come to expect at a twenty one pilots show. The backing track on 'Guns For Hands' was much louder than it needed to be, detracting from the organic sound that normally makes them feel like such a perfect live band, and it was completely distracting. It wasn't as bad on 'Migraine', but it still made the band feel like a parody of themselves - instead of the crowd moving because the band were having so much fun, this definitely felt like it was more work than play as a show. It could be because the tour has been so long, but neither Tyler or drummer Josh Dun was throwing themselves into the show like they normally would, so it does make me wonder if they're exhausted from being on the road for so long without a break.
However.
Oh, and that is a big however, because the flat, disappointing beginning is still weighing heavily on my mind, and is definitely where my brain is focused.
However... The rest of the show was amazing. I could say flawless, but I won't, because I was still expecting more, but maybe the new material just doesn't warrant the effusive stage energy and the constant movement and surprising stage tricks. Maybe the new material is just chilled out and relaxed, and therefore cannot be as impressive (audibly or visually) as the previous albums.
In the biggest shock of the night, it was actually 'House of Gold' that turned things around for me. 'House of Gold', my least favourite song on 'Vessel' and the only song I regularly skipped, which was performed beautifully, naturally, and felt so much more like the band I first fell in love with. It definitely helped that Tyler's kimono made an appearance, showing that they haven't come too far from their roots. The ukelele stayed out through 'We Don't Believe What's On TV' and their cover of Elvis Presley's 'Can't Help Falling In Love', which were both beautifully performed - 'Can't Help Falling In Love' got the loudest singing of the entire evening, while 'We Don't Believe What's On TV' has more energy live than I'd ever imagined that it could have based off of the recording. The "1, 2, 3, yeah yeah yeah" chant was continued by the crowd throughout. It stills sounds distinctly like a rip-off of 'Riptide' by Vance Joy but I did enjoy it, especially when Josh casually whipped out his trumpet for a section. Certainly not something I'd been expecting.
'Lane Boy' was introduced with the dialogue that is captioned over the music video ("Why do I kneel to these concepts?") which certainly racked up the tension: it's one of those songs that starts off understated but builds very quickly and very strongly to a brilliant climax, and that was perfectly performed. I do think the song is a bit too long, with all the extended dubstep-esque outro and the feigned ending, but it works live, in a way that it doesn't on the album. Listening to something this powerfully crafted is pointless through headphones, because it has so many layers and nuances that you can only pick up on while hearing it performed in a room of this size. It really made me fall in love with the song. When it finished, Tyler joked "the lower the ceiling the better the show!" and considering the other venues the band have been playing over the last six months I wouldn't be surprised if this ceiling was the lowest they had seen in a while.
I'd been hoping the band were going to include the medley that they've been playing on their US and select UK dates (including 'Addict With A Pen' and 'The Pantaloon', both songs off of their debut album), so when they cut it from their set I was highly disappointed. It didn't detract from the impact that 'Doubt' had on me, though - especially with the split crowd vocal at the end of the song. Echoing "Don't forget about me" from the left side of the crowd to the right side of the crowd, it worked perfectly - definitely a stand out moment of the show, and the song has been stuck in my head all day as a result.
The rest of the set continued in the same fashion - old songs and new songs alike all impressing me - but my highlight of the entire evening was definitely 'Goner'. I've been in love with 'Goner' since the half finished demo of it was posted on Youtube, and while I miss the accordion and the cold sound that came with the conception of it, I adore the new version because it's just so right. When I heard they were finally finishing it and were extending it, I was shitting myself because I was certain it wouldn't live up to my expectations, but it far succeeded them. And live?
Live, it's so much more. The slow build to the climactic ending is palpable, and I had goosebumps and spine shivers... You couldn't beat that moment for me. If I was still feeling even slightly skeptical about the show, 'Goner' saved the entire evening for me, and it gave me hope for the Brixton O2 Academy show I'm attending in February. Before playing 'Trees' (in which the band did their awesome water drumming on the crowd once more) Tyler said to the crowd "if you'll have us back we'd love to come back some day", but I can't see that happening - with a capacity of 1,000 people, twenty one pilots will not be playing shows of this size for much longer, and I was surprised enough that they returned to the venue after their sold out show upstairs nearly two years ago.
Look, I still can't say that twenty one pilots are one of my favourite bands again, because I'm not exactly sure how I feel about them. This show has come a long way to helping me accept their development and the fact that they're still them, underneath the changes and the exposure they've gained. Meeting Tyler after the show, I was struck by the fact that he's still such a kind, lovely and down-to-earth guy: these are just two boys from Ohio who have been insanely successful because they've worked so hard to get where they are. Yes, they aren't exactly a rock band anymore: yes, they're pretty much in the mainstream. But they deserve this success and I am proud of them.

Setlist:
heavydirtysoul
Stressed Out
Guns For Hands
Migraine
Polarize
House of Gold
We Don't Believe What's On TV
Can't Help Falling In Love With You
The Judge
Lane Boy
Doubt
Holding On To You
Ride
The Run and Go
Tear In My Heart
Car Radio
-
Goner
Trees

twenty one pilots - Electric Brixton, 14/11/14

I have seen a lot of bands live. And I mean a lot. That is a comprehensive list of the bands I have seen and there are more than I'd even be willing to count. 

I've said it before and I'll say it again, hopefully many many times; twenty one pilots are the best live band I have ever seen, and last night's performance at Electric Brixton just further cemented that in my mind. 

Before I start my review, I just want to give an honourable mention to the venue for the evening, which was the best venue I've ever been to. I can't praise Electric Brixton well enough: the acoustics were amazing, the lighting was amazingly well set-up and the performance would not have been the same without those things going right, so it was good to see how well the venue accommodated to twenty one pilots stage antics and set-up.

Now, for the concert. First up, opening band Purple (hailing from Texas) are obviously destined for big things, and I'm extremely proud to be able to say that I've seen them. Their debut album '(409)' was released recently to critical acclaim, so I've been keeping an eye on these guys, but unfortunately I hadn't had time to listen to their music before the show, but by going into this performance with a completely blank mind I was even more impressed than I'd expected to be. I automatically went and bought their album as soon as they'd come off stage, because with a mix of music that references a range from Pulled Apart By Horses to No Doubt I'm sure there will be something that I will love, because their mix is sure to appeal to everyone. My favourite tracks from the set were 'Beach Buddy' and 'DMT'; complete contrasts with each other but so well written and catchy, and with male and female lead vocals swapping on nearly every song the set felt both cohesive and interesting in a very stand out and individualistic way.

Second band, Nothing But Thieves, had the home turf advantage by being the only English band on the bill, but sadly the crowd reaction was not as good as I'd thought they would receive. Their brand of rock is rather inclusive, so there wasn't much interaction with the crowd, but that didn't take away from what was a really good performance. The vocal that Conor Mason can perform astounds me - his soaring falsetto-esque vocals on 'Tripswitch' were breath-taking - and the lyrics are written very well, making Nothing But Thieves a band that I'm going to make sure to listen to much more. Some of their sound is quite reminiscent of Royal Blood, so if you're a fan of them definitely check these guys out, but don't write them off as copycats because they definitely put their own spin on the sound. Before the gig we got given a download card for their four track EP, so I'll give that a whirl and probably have a review of it up in the next week or so. I hadn't actually listened to any of their songs before last night, but watching Conor pour his heart and soul out in the last half of the set, showing how much passion he has - and they all have - for the music they perform, really made me respect and admire them.

Support choices are always going to be difficult with a band like twenty one pilots. Their music is so eclectic (often branded as 'schizophrenic pop') it's going to be hard to find a support that appeals to all of the crowd, so I wasn't too surprised by the muted reaction the first two bands received throughout the majority of their sets, but that changed as soon as the main event started. I cannot say a single bad word about their performance, and I don't think I'll ever be able to. 

If you haven't seen twenty one pilots live, you need to.
Vocalist Tyler Joseph is one of the most charismatic performers I've ever had the pleasure of seeing live - if Gerard Way is one hundred percent charisma, Tyler is one hundred and fifty percent - and the crowd followed his commands and screamed back his every word through the entire set, while drummer Josh Dun is beyond talented. Anyone that can drum on top of a crowd deserves infinite levels of respect, and to run from the drums to climb up the piano, back flip and return to finish playing 'Holding On To You' is a feat I could never imagine attempting to complete.
Their show was much more polished than the last time I saw them; with an intro track to welcome them to stage and to convince the audience to bring them back out for the encore, it added another element of the theatrical to a show that was already comprised of multiple costume changes and the highest amount of energy you could possibly imagine. With Josh drumming on the crowd during 'Semi-Automatic', Tyler standing on the crowd to perform nearly half a song and jumping off of the piano at multiple times throughout the set, and the climax of Tyler and Josh drumming together on top of the crowd, drums covered in water to cause an amazing explosion with every hit, there are so many moments from this show that are just unforgettable, and I'm so glad that I managed to witness this.
The crowd were superb, flooding forward as soon as the band exploded on the stage, showing the most interaction I think I've ever seen at a concert, and I genuinely think this band put on shows that are so inclusive that even if you go into it completely closed minded you will end up being unable to stop yourself from dancing throughout the evening.
This is a band that respect their fans and want to put on the best show possible for them; Tyler saying "Are we doing okay for you? I want you to know that we know that if you guys weren't here this show would suck, and you sold this place out!" proving exactly how grateful they are to be where they are, making sure that no one thinks they're taking their extreme rise to success for granted.
This is likely to be the last UK show twenty one pilots perform in support of 'Vessel', so the next time they grace our shores we should have new music which is a prospect that I can't wait for. During their cover of 'Summertime Sadness' by Lana Del Rey, mixed in with 'Fake You Out', the lyrics Tyler had written to commemorate the end of the show and the end of the tour were brilliantly clever but were also filled with reminiscing about all that they've succeeded with 'Vessel'.
To go from an unsigned band to being on a record label as big as Fueled By Ramen, supporting Fall Out Boy and Paramore on huge arena tours and performing on the MTV Movie Awards, all off of the back of an album that could easily have been dismissed as too eclectic to succeed - that's a success story. And if twenty one pilots next album is anywhere near as good as this one, they're going to be headlining much bigger shows than this next time they visit the United Kingdom. I, for one, can't wait for that day. 

Setlist: 

Guns For Hands

Migraine

Ode To Sleep

Screen

House of Gold

Fall Away

Addict With A Pen

Holding On To You

Semi-Automatic

The Run And Go

Fake You Out (with a cover of Summertime Sadness)
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Car Radio

Truce

Trees