Twenty One Pilots – Gig Review & Photo Gallery 24th November @ Qudos Bank Arena, Syd NSW

Twenty One Pilots
Qudos Bank Arena, Sydney NSW
November 24, 2024
Supports: Balu Brigada

When I got the call up to review this show, it was almost as if my journey had come full circle. After slugging it in the nosebleeds with my dad, dressed in the signature red beanie for the Emotional Roadshow Tour in 2017, to then attending the Bandito Tour in 2018 covered in yellow tape and disguised in camouflage, this now six-year wait was commemorated by finally getting my moment in the pit for the aptly named Clancy World Tour. With some new tricks, and also busting out some tried and true crowd favourite moments, Twenty One Pilots have yet again proven why they not only stand as one of the world’s best performers, but as quite possibly the biggest cultivator of pure connection, displayed through heartfelt and sentimental moments throughout the room. From the lineup, to the line out, the air was thick with feeling, gratitude, and importance- and it’s a feeling that lingers as I write this.

Opening the night were New Zealand alternative powerhouses, Balu Brigada! By their third song, the band had intoxicated the room with an undeniable groove that had people moving, even if it was subconsciously. They also quickly became an act that seemed to capture people’s long-lasting attention, with multiple sights of Shazam being thrown up in the air- an unshameful proclamation that this is a band to revisit after the night had ended. Wearing thick black glasses, the band had a spunk and loveableness that I think was the reason they were so well-received. There was no question about who they were or what they were there to do, and they were there to do more than warm up the crowd, but to assert their own place in that room. By the final moments of their set, Balu Birgada became supersonic, with beaming green lights cutting through the crowd as their sharp notes did the same! With a cheeky farewell, the short set delivered the right amount of energy to get the crowd ready!

As another curtain draped upon the stage, the room was illuminated by nothing but a red light that focused on its flowing nature. Paired with ambient music, the waiting time was a cautious and unnerving homage to the character and nature of Blurryface, making the large stage in front of us all the more intimidating. This near silence remained unbroken, until a small snippet of ‘Midwest Indigo’ played over the speakers; “TWO MINUTES”! The crowd suddenly shifted. People began moving like heated molecules; bouncing, shaking their friends, jumping up and down to see any movements that might indicate what comes next for them in mere minutes.

Upon the two massive screens of Qudos Bank Arena, an extravagant flash through the complex narratives of the Trench to Clancy era played. Haunting and dark, this amalgamated recap was a swift reminder of just how lore-driven this band is, and shed light on just how story-orientated the show would be, taking place with a narrative-like structure. As the deep voice proclaimed “Welcome back to Trench”, the curtain dropped to reveal an already sweaty Josh Dun on the drum kit. He occupied the stage for some time on his lonesome, before frontman Tyler Joseph leaped out from the side. Covered in the Clancy accessories we have grown to become familiar with, most striking being the eared balaklava, he radiated a swagger and confidence that is truly second to none. The main stage became his catwalk, moving menacingly and hypnotizingly, swiftly moving along the ground before stepping strangely to an uneven pace. He held tightly onto a lightbulb-looking microphone, a reference to the self-titled album, and the “three lights are lit but the first one’s out” lyric! From the first song, it was abundantly clear that this was a stage in which they would not merely consume and make their own, but planned to dominate and leave under their ownership.

Admittedly, there are some moments that perhaps I won’t recall best, but I didn’t think it would happen so soon. On just song two, the Pilots whipped out fan favourite (or at least my favourite), ‘Holding On To You’, a song from their 2013 album Vessel that is a grueling expression of reclamation and fighting back from a losing battle to mental health. It took one note for me to begin bawling my eyes out. And I’m not talking a little tear, but a snot-pouring, visceral type of breakdown. While I hate to admit it, this was a common occurrence during the night. It radiates from these songs that already have so much feeling, but live, their weight, importance, and messages rise exponentially. It’s hearing the small cracks in Tyler’s voice recalling lyrics of hopelessness from many years ago, or seeing the person next to you entangled within their friend’s arms, connected by an anthem that saw them both rise from their battles and to the other side. The other side was the destination of tonight, and I think that was the most powerful realization of the evening. Whether people’s small A4 signs told you, or their pooling eyes, this was so many patrons “made it” moment, After everything, this show has proven their strength. And this was a moment that rang true for the band, with Sydney marking the last show of the World Tour.

There were also multiple moments where the crowd took over. In ‘Tear In My Heart’, Tyler surrendered the mic, bowing down and placing the microphone facing us, without uttering a word.

A Twenty One Pilots show has become renowned for being a show that occupies the whole venue. There is truly never a dull place to reside. Whether you are in a seat, or in the middle of the floor, your chances of being stalked by Joseph and Dun are never, EVER zero. This notion first came into play during ‘Car Radio’ where Tyler looks deep into the barrel of the live-streamed camera, before disappearing for a generous five seconds, and popping up somewhere else in the venue. Tonight, he found his footing on the second-tier seated area of the left-hand side of the building. As the patrons in the seats raised to their feet, jumping up and down with the joy that the proximity to their hero had gotten that much closer, the glee on people’s faces was something beautiful to consume. And it seemed to be something that the band took in as well. Whether it was in the stands, or their respective B stages, instrumental breaks or moments of talking proved an apt time for the men to look around far and wide, up and down, making eye contact and smiling at those who filled the space. Soundtracked by shouts of “You saved my life” and “You inspired me to keep going”, the sentimental nature of the evening appeared to be tortuous on their composure and mysteriousness on stage.

Earlier in the day, as the sun pummelled us early arriving fans in line, the band’s video crew came around, asking people to relive their best pilot memories, record dedicated outfits, and even get groups to sing ‘The Judge’. These clips were quickly made into a beautiful, tear-inducing video package with a key emphasis on togetherness and community. Playing on either side of the stage, the fans led the vocal introduction to ‘The Judge’ before Tyler bought out his signature ukulele to take the lead.

Despite the band playing for quite a long time (8:45 till around 11PM), their extensive discography makes setlist curation incredibly difficult. So too, with albums under different labels and works not all too official, there is always something that fans feel is missing or, like any show, feels like their favourite got abandoned. Yet, I have never seen a band so accurately and consciously use their time. If there was one thing to note about Twenty One Pilots performance, it was the method of transitioning- whether this be mashing and merging full songs, or using bridges to introduce another song’s chorus for a brief moment in time, and then back to the original. It felt like every basis was covered.

This became even more apparent when Josh and Tyler walked through the crowd to get to their respective B Stages. Acknowledging the edge of the pit fans on the way down, I found myself planted at the very front of Josh’s drum kit, close enough to reach with my finger. It was an honour to get to stand this close to one of my heroes, but even more so, to witness the collection he played on that stage. Here, the band played a medley of ‘Addict With a Pen’ / ‘Migraine’ / ‘Forest’ / ‘Fall Away’. Pulling deep cuts from Self Titled, Regional At Best, and Vessel, this became a moment that a long-time fan, like myself, will never forget. To see the drumsticks hit the fleshy covers, and hearing the raw sound as Josh’s sweat flung into our local vicinity- it was nothing short of mesmerizing. It was also a complete perspective shift, with the audience redirecting themselves to move around the room. There are not many bands that can command such attention and demand movement that induces you to take in the show from a new point of view, but it is something the Pilots did on countless occasions.

It was within the middle section of the night in which the narrative became a greater foundation of the show. As Josh found himself on the right-hand side of the arena on the first-tier stairs, clad in his bandito armor, he bared a lit torch. As he walked to the stage through the crowd with his torch, protecting Tyler and becoming his dutiful leader upon the journey, the stage yet again uncloaked itself to reveal a setting of DEMA– sterile and intrusive buildings that were now on fire. As both Trench and Clancy document the journey of Tyler’s escape and inevitable recapturing to the controlling leaders of the institution, the next set of songs became a dire representation of fighting for one’s creative freedom, personal control, and the power community holds to rise against the forces of evil (both in real life, and as a glimpse of the nature of Bandito’s). This was undeniably the loudest part of the evening, both in terms of the audience singing, but for Joseph’s performance too. It almost seems like something switched in him. With the Blurryface paint now consuming his neck and hands, it appears he too became engrossed in his character, screaming with desperation almost as a plea to be let go, coming to its culmination in ‘Heavydirtysoul’. However, my bet for the loudest song of the evening is currently on ‘Guns Of Hands’.

Just as I thought my moments of closeness were over, during my time turning to a different part of the room, my B Stage had been removed of its drum kit, and instead replaced by a single microphone. Before I knew it, this empty space had been filled by Tyler Joseph and his bass, his crisp white shirt gleaming off the stage lights now directed at us. Seeing his fading black fingers pluck at the bass, as he shifted and turned was a mesmerizing moment. For a moment, the little backhand corner became the loudest section of the room for ‘Ride’.

A moment here should also be taken to acknowledge the production itself for this tour, with a particular focus on the lighting. From songs where they strobed outwards into the crowd, tracks in which they were used with precision to create landscapes that looked depleted and foreign, to even the use of a spotlight that silhouetted the members on the roof in which only the keen eye looked up and soaked in, the lighting made this tour otherworldly. It was intoxicating to watch the lights change strategically, and was a moment in which I found myself really appreciative of the team and construction that went behind it.

The encore for the night was marked with the self-righteous and ridiculing proclamation of “so few, so proud, so emotional”. In the next four songs, Twenty One Pilots put together a movement, proving why this sentiment is so strong, why it overcomes the leaders of evil, and why it is the marker of their fan base. And there is perhaps no better display of these traits than in the final song, ‘Trees’, With a massive red circle marked on the floor, the band ushered thousands of fans to move back to the perimeter of the circle. With no need for haste or an authoritative tone, we obliged- there is mutual respect at play here (however, some of it may have been lost as fans poured back in before instruction). As the space was cleared,  the band made their way down. Although unchanging, the ‘Trees’ finale will always be one of the most special moments in live music history. In perhaps one of their most emotional songs, the night culminates with Tyler and Josh held up by the fans, both hitting on bare drums to the beat of the song. As confetti pours down and water sprays from their pulsing instruments, everyone is unified. Unified by holding up the band, unified by being underneath this shower of feeling, unified by singing the lyrics to a song that has defined a generation of music fans. There is perhaps no greater finale to a show I have ever seen.

“We are Twenty One Pilots, and so are you” the band proclaims as they take a well-deserved bow.

As the house lights now beam, people scurry to collect confetti, or find themselves burrowed in the sleeves of their friends trying to collect themselves. There is a sadness from leaving on such a tender note, but also a warmth that cannot be replicated in this same authentic way.

Review by Georgia Haskins @ghaskins2002

Setlist

Main Stage

Overcompensate
Holding On to You
Vignette
Car Radio
The Judge (Included video footage from fans lining up/With “Cut My Lip” snippet)
The Craving (Jenna’s Version)
Tear in My Heart
Backslide
Shy Away
Heathens
Next Semester
Routines in the Night

B-Stage

Addict With a Pen / Migraine / Forest / Fall Away
Mulberry Street

Main Stage

Navigating
Nico and the Niners
Heavydirtysoul
My Blood
Oldies Station
Guns for Hands
Lavish
Ride (With young fan Charlie singing final chorus)
Paladin Strait (with “Bandito” snippet)

Encore

Jumpsuit
Midwest Indigo
Stressed Out
Trees (Played in the crowd on rolling cage stages)

Photo Gallery by Jackson Saunders @jsaundersfilm
Please credit Wall Of Sound and Jackson Saunders if you repost photos.