Grammy-nominated and multi-platinum band, Panic! At The Disco brought their VIVA LAS VENGEANCE Tour celebrating their seventh studio album to The AO arena in Manchester last night for the final time. Supporting the band on this final show was Fletcher.
Having recently announced that the show at Manchester’s AO Arena would not only be the final night of Panic! At The Disco’s European tour, the show would also signal the end of the Brendon Urie led band. With impending fatherhood in his immediate future, Urie’s priorities are taking him down a different path so tonight takes on extra special importance for this sold-out crowd.
Despite the weather doing it’s best to derail the party, there was barely an seat empty in the Manchester Arena by the time support act US sing-songwriter Fletcher bounced onto the www. The perfect appetizer for the main course, Fletcher’s hooky alt-pop singalongs were welcomed ecstatically by this Friday night crowd who, judging by the reaction to tracks like “Serial Heartbreaker”, were more than happy with Urie’s choice for pre-main event entertainment.
With just over ten minutes to go until showtime, fans across the front rows were unfolding homemade banners with various messages of thanks to the headliner. A band held dearly in the hearts of their fans, this was always going to be an special night for fans who had travelled far and wide for one last night with their idols.
Urie himself bounded out from the wings with a huge grin on his face and, while this was surely as much of an emotional night for the singer, he was hiding it well making sure he had as much of a party as the fans. As for the set-list, it’s something that has caused some controversy throughout this final tour. Choosing to perform current album, “Viva Las Vengeance” in full, jammed in between a set of hits, might have been a brave move but it also meant that fans were likely to miss out on many of their favourites. That being said, a slick, pop production gave the night a splash of glitz and glamour.
Despite the much-talked about set list choice, either side of the album playback, Urie packed out the remainder of the night with emo-bangers like “Say Amen (Saturday Night)” and “Death of a Bachelor” before rounding out the night with “I Write Sins Not Tragedies”, “Victorious” and “High Hopes”. Hits that defined a generation, they wrapped up this chapter in Urie’s life and, as he headed off stage for the last time, he made sure that he won’t be forgotten in a hurry.
Photo Copyright © Jo Forrest
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