Venue: Suntec Singapore Convention and Exhibition Centre, Singapore
Date: 16th August 2016
Promoter: LAMC Productions
Review by: Anna F.
Special Thanks: The LAMC Productions team
Panic! at the Disco first brought their live show to Singapore a good eight years ago at SINGfest, back when their lineup was completely different. Eight years later, Brendon Urie remains the only one contributing creatively to their music but has since recruited a band of brothers which have undoubtedly lived up to the challenge of bringing their songs to life, live.
Brendon spearheaded the quartet with his golden chops and otherworldly energy. He bounced, shimmied and strutted across the stage, exuberant and passionate. This was a man who was genuinely grateful to be able to live out his dreams so far away from home. His energy alone acted as a much-needed anchor, around which the antics of their live performance blossomed.
At times, you could tell how flummoxed he was by the groundswell of support he saw as he gazed around the crammed venue, laughing and almost in disbelief. Clad in skin-tight leather pants (what’s new) and a baby blue jacket with a leopard print shirt, the singer and multi-instrumentalist absolutely stole the show.
The band recently released Death of a Bachelor, their fifth studio album, and made it to Number 1 on the Billboard 200 Chart, which comes some 10 years after the act made their chart debut with A Fever You Can’t Sweat Out.
The audience had so much to look forward to from beginning to end and delighted in Brendon’s tangible excitement, which was fed off the crowd. Even the backing, DJ-esque tracks which were played in-between songs made for perfect segues and allowed the show to transition smoothly into the next segment seamlessly.
Then came the moment the audience always looks forward to at their shows: The Backflip. Everyone had their phones at the ready to Boomerang Brendon’s scripted yet always impressive airborne somersault during “Miss Jackson” and it added that much more danger and edge to their live performance.
The other members of the band did not go unnoticed or unappreciated, either. Bassist, Dallon Weekes did a swell job at getting the crowd involved whilst guitarist, Kenneth Harris and drummer, Dan Pawlovich took turns to show off their chops on their respective instruments.
The night even saw the band doing their fair share of covers, including AC/DC’s “You Shook Me All Night Long” and Journey’s “Anyway You Want It”. Their rendition of Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody”, which was featured on the soundtrack of this summer’s blockbuster film, Suicide Squad, however, took the cake. The legendary tune saw Brendon sat behind a piano, belting out a song spanning three octaves with ease.
A P!ATD show isn’t complete without their most iconic tune to date, “I Write Sins Not Tragedies”, which was the Las Vegas band’s second single and was released some 10 years ago. After thanking the audience yet again, Brendon lovingly dedicated it to the fans, before launching into the undeniably catchy hit, only to be accompanied by everyone in the audience who sang along to every word.
The foursome definitely killed the night and managed to set up a happily ever after, providing enough memories to make all of us smile even though we’re sad.