The stage is set. As the clock hits 8:30 the crowd shout down to the very last seconds: “Five, four, three, two, one”. And then…. nothing. The audience fidget and grow restless as they wait to see Twenty One Pilots emerge onto the stage, a band that tonight, Wednesday 12th of September 2018 at Brixton Academy in London, aren’t just appearing to play this show, but are making a triumphant come back to an adoring fan base after a 444 day, much discussed and debated, hiatus.
It takes 15 long minutes for the venue to finally go dark, then a single spot picks out a masked figure at the drums. The curtain drops, and at last, here is Tyler Joseph clutching his bass in front of a burning derelict car. The crowd explodes as they kick off the set with Jumpsuit, one of a clutch of the bands’ new, heavier, darker singles that are the prequel to the release of the forthcoming album Trench. The colour scheme of the new songs is reflected in the lighting choices; yellow flashlights burst out from the stage, picking out a packed out crowd of devoted TOP followers, known as the clique, who fill the air with handmade yellow petals, thrown from their arms covered in yellow gaffa tape. All it takes for this band to start a new fashion craze is a trilogy of new music videos released over the last two months; quietly, no fanfare, just the pure weight of social media and expectation setting a dress code for this return. As they follow with new rap song Levitate, the crowd shouting along to the lyrics to “Welcome to Trench” in perfect unison, it’s pretty clear this is no ordinary gig and Twenty One PIlots, in 2018, are no ordinary band.
Performing a mix of hits from right across their career, Heathens, Stressed Out, Ride, Tyler and Josh pull out a variety of looks and sounds in a crowd pleasing and emotional run through exactly how they got here. The signature kimono and ukulele look from the band's past tour, The Emotional Roadshow, make an appearance for what can best be described as a brief mini set of Ukulele Screamo songs.
”We doing alright, London?” Tyler finally asks. The crowd, many of whom have been queuing for spaces for over 48 hours, nearly lifts the roof off with a resounding yes.
The third new single of the night, Nico and the Niners, is followed by Lane Boy, a song with an insane live bridge where the band and the audience get low and then jump as high as they can while people in hazmat suits spray mist in the air and strobe lights go fast enough to cause a seizure. The classic Holding Onto You see fans scramble to get as close as possible as Tyler clambers across the audience while Josh Dun performs full 360 degree flip off the piano.
The atmosphere continually ratchets up the volume and the heat, and emotions are fit to burst when the final new track My Blood has the band assigning melodies to the left, right and centre of the audience, as the venue fills with voices you can see Tyler Joseph’s face break into a smile so big, it truly looked like he was about to burst into tears of joy. Twenty One Pilots are home, where they belong.
There’s an emotional connection between this band and their fans that has side-stepped the mainstream music industry and gone straight for something more meaningful. The final two songs of the set ,Car Radio and Trees, are the tracks that sit at the heart of that connection. Taken from their 2012 album Vessel, these are the songs that finally break the emotional dam. After almost 2 years without their idols, the audience jump the highest, scream the loudest and cry the absolute most. Tyler and Josh climb on top of fan held podiums to drum out the last few hard hitting notes of Trees, while yellow confetti covered an audience that has been reduced to tears of joy.
“We are Twenty One Pilots…. and so are you” they announce. In the hands of other artists, these type of statements can come off as glib or trite.
With Twenty One Pilots, it’s a phrase you wouldn’t doubt for a second. A remarkable event.