Paramore: London Astoria, Thursday 6th September 2007
Support: This Providence & AnBerlin

Set list:
Misery Business
Emergency
Here We Go Again
That's What You Get
For a Pessimist, I'm Pretty Optimistic
Crushcrushcrush
When it Rains
Let The Flames Begin
Born For This
Whoa

Encore:
Hallelujah
Pressure


From the outset, the buzz around the Astoria keeps the fans pumping until the doors open at six, either that or it’s the near by Starbucks. For some this is their first Paramore show and for others this is a returning favourite, coming back to little old London town to bring some fun for the evening.
Once inside it’s a nice reminder that there are venues like this still running in London, as it almost looks like a rundown gothic theatre that we’ve happened to all stumble into and are about to see a secret treat. First out is ‘This Providence’ to warm up the crowd, who by this point are already sweating, but that’s not an issue for now as these guys just blew me away. With a stage presence comparable to the likes of Taking Back Sunday and a sound that is a meeting of Hellogoodbye/The Academy Is/early Taking Back Sunday I can easily see these guys coming back next time on their own tour and filling out the venues. There are one to watch, trust me.

Anberlin are next out and although after ‘This Providence’ they aren’t quite up to the same grade, they still manage to get the rally call from the crowd to keep us alive and entertained for the whole set and until the main act hits the stage. One major complaint so far would be the lack of water supplied to the seething crowd. I’ve been to many shows of all shapes, sizes and genres but never before have I felt such heat and thirst and hearing a crowd chanting for water more than the band they’ve come to see is just not right. Of course this is nothing to do with the band, more the venue organizers and security but it still factors into the evening; if you’re unconscious during your favourite song because of overheating how can you enjoy it.

Paramore smash onto the stage (I can’t remember the time because I didn’t look at my watch in fear that I might not be able to put my arm back down after wards), to their recent hit ‘Misery Business’ and everyone just explodes with movement and joy. Their stage performance is tight and their audience is craving for more as they roll out one after the other with a few sprinklings of comments and chatter from Hayley and co in between. They have been welcomed back to the UK and London with open arms and they are having as much fun as we are, after having just finished their summer long stint on the Warped tour, the change in venue, country and atmosphere is gladly received.

Favourites for the night would have to be ‘Crushcrushcrush’, a stomper of a track from their latest album and quite appropriate tonight given the mosh pit atmosphere in the audience and ‘Whoa’ which is one song that no matter if you’re an old or new fan you can ensure a great reaction and mass sing along. As the evening draws to a close, early as it may be at only 10.15, the fans fall out to the street, some to return tomorrow night for the second day of the Paramore London shows, some to just having to hold on till their return on their next tour, but we are all a little changed for the better, it be that we’ve made new friends, experienced our first time seeing our favourite band or if it’s only that we’ve left wondering how much collective body sweat is on our clothes, hoping that it’s mostly our own, we’ve left feeling refreshed, satisfied and happier than when we arrived.


Review by Laura Heath


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