Panic! At The Disco @ HMV Institute, 3rd May 2011
Tonight, as the que snakes all around the venue and down the streets of Digbeth, it’s obvious what most are here for. The return of Panic! At The Disco to UK shores.
Starting life as an emo rock gathering, debut album A Fever You Can’t Sweat Out dropped in 2005, providing memorable hooks with intriguing lyrical content and a showman charm. Then came Beatles-esque Pretty Odd which in my opinion was a disappointing follow up to such a strong debut. This may be reflected in the fact that only two songs are played from said album tonight, boosted up by songs from the debut and recent album Vices & Virtues.
First up are London band The Love Letters. With an electro feel and danceable beats, they fail to have any hooks matching of tonight’s headliners but also lack the charisma and stage presence required for a venue of this size. With the lead singer looking like he just fell out of a heavy metal club, it’s a shame that the music’s a little Metro Station and not Metallica really. I’m not arguing for fashion over substance, but an image to match the music can tend to help. A band of misfit’s with tunes to match is what we’re disappointingly given unfortunately.
I don’t mean to be biased within this review but Pretty Odd was one of the biggest disappointments of my musical adventures, and I’m glad that only Nine In The Afternoon and That Green Gentlemen (Things Have Changed) are played tonight even if they seems completely different and irrelevant to the rest of the set. Old hits such as I Write Sins Not Tragedies and But It’s Better If You Do shine and dazzle in the brightness of the positive and theatrical lyrics that Panic! began pursuing, with similar sounds shown in recent Trade Secrets and Nearly Witches.
Front man Brendon Urie rises above recent problems within the band, with his showmanship and splendid voice aiding to the reception to which the songs are received. Having a flirtatious and captivating air about him, he constantly has the audience within the palm of his hand, making the performance interesting to watch. The two remaining members of Brendon and Spencer, are joined by Ian Crawford and Dallon Weekes who both manage to pull of all era’s of the bands relatively short history, giving the songs a new sound and life once lost. A cover of The Smiths slows down the mood a little, and maybe doesn’t step up to the mark in terms of skill but adds an extra dynamic to the show. A confident and strong performance tonight, just missing a special spark to which it’s impossible to determine.
Playlist:
Vices & Virtues (7)
Pretty Odd (2)
A Fever You Can’t Sweat Out (5)
Covers (1)
Review – Dan Earl
<a href=”http://www.flickr.com/photos/brumlive/5612704821/” title=”IMG_6646 by Birmingham Live!, on Flickr”><img src=”” width=”400″ height=”267″ alt=”IMG_6646″></a>