Twenty One Pilots Live @ O2 Academy Oxford - 7/11/2015

This was unlike any concert I have ever been to, there was an electric energy in the air that kept everyone on edge in the best of ways. I've never danced for so long in my life, and didn't know that I was physically capable of it (and the aches and pains that followed would say that I'm really not). Every single person in that room enjoyed the show and were emotionally invested in the whole thing, as someone who'd been queuing since 11:30 finally getting into the venue was insane.



The venue itself was small which helped give the gig this brilliant atmosphere that you physically couldn't escape from, there were so many people crammed together to get that little bit closer to Tyler and Josh, and in reality we were all amazingly close. The majority of the staff were lovely and helpful, making sure that the people outside in the rain and wind had umbrella's and were warm.

Jeremy Loops was the support act for TOP, I'd done my research beforehand and knew exactly what we were in for - some other people had not. So when Jeremy came on rocking out on a harmonica there were some whispers of disbelief, then as he added loops (hence Jeremy Loops) and the song got more intricate and he started singing - well, the energy was almost as amazing as for TOP themselves. Although the two acts are so different, it's this that makes them similar; neither of them really fit into a genre but their music makes you want to dance and jump around whilst still having a message that is important. It was an amazing way to start the show, with his time flying by, Jeremy was gone far too soon - but is doing a European headline tour early next year and I strongly recommend checking that out. His stage presence is insane and you'll be in for one hell of a show. After seeing what he did with 30 minutes I am more than a little excited to see a whole show.

(Down South by Jeremy Loops - more videos from the concert will be on my channel.)

By the time twenty one pilots took to the stage the crowd was hyped to the extreme by a combination of Jeremy Loops, cruel teases, long wait times and the excitement of seeing a band that are important to you. TOP have a group of fans that genuinely love them, after meeting a lot of fellow fans the way people feel about them are the same - they are life savers. Their music isn't like anyone elses and they attack issues that others shy away from, they talk about their issues when they don't have to and people in a hard place see things like that and latch on. So when they took to the stage 1000 people saw the two guys they idolise and sang the lyrics that saved them.

That energy was palpable and the crowd fed off it. It was brutal in there, but so incredibly worth it. I don't think I could have stood still even if I had tried - but who would want to, there was rarely a moment when the crowd weren't moving; be it swaying to 'Goner' or trying to crouch down on 'Lane Boy' or bouncing up and down on 'Heavydirtysoul' (and every other song that night). I would do this again 10 times over. TOP's stage presence is something else, it's so captivating the way Tyler moves around the stage and I've never seen anyone play the drums as intensely as Josh did that night.

Every song was given the attention it deserved and delivered with such emotion that it was hard not to get sucked into the performance. The physical performance for each song fit alongside the message of each song and there really was this sense of a journey and battle being undertaken. It was a very intimate gig, and I get the feeling that twenty one pilots create that energy in even the larger venues, and I can't imagine it any other way.

For almost every song there was a minor change in 'costume', be it floral kimonos, red beanies of balaclavas (or in Josh's case removing clothing entirely). It kept the show feeling fresh and helped make the show absolutely fly by - simultaneously feeling like we'd been there forever whilst feeling like it was the first song. Seeing the personification of 'Blurryface', the inspiration behind their latest album, who represents their insecurities and watching them defeat those in their own way was just another thing that made the night a little more special and a little more memorable.

(This video and the one below was filmed by Tara Hancock - check out her page for some other videos too)

I cried. A lot. Especially at the encore. They saved the two most emotional songs for last, 'Goner' is one of the most moving songs I've ever heard, followed by 'Trees' which was performed with such emotion it honestly crushed me. The whole night was a rollercoaster of emotions and this was one hell of a way to bring it to a close.

I could honestly talk about this show and this band for pages and pages, my advice to you is to check these amazing artists for yourself. If you can get tickets to see twenty one pilots - do it. I don't think there is anywhere else you can experience that feeling, and if you're a hard-core fan then there is something reassuring about meeting other people who feel the same way. During the 7 hours I spent queuing I made some great friends, then had an amazing experience that I shared with 1000 people and during those few hours it felt like we were all one; we shared a purpose, a feeling, an experience, and I can't wait to do it all over again in February.


Check out my new and improved blog, Timbre, here:
https://truetimbre.wordpress.com/