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Manchester Evening News

Entertainment

Luke Beardsworth

Review: Panic! at the Disco turn AO Arena into house of memories for the final time

Freddie Mercury Manchester

Panic! at the Disco's show at the AO Arena was initially another stop for the Brendan Urie show that has developed to such an extent that it could lay claim to being one of the best on the planet.

In January, that was turned on its head with the announcement that Urie wanted to focus his energy on being a father. After 18 years, and a journey from best-in-class emo band to solo project for one of the most perfected showmen in music, the curtain was going to come down in Manchester.

A show that was already tricky to get tickets for became must-see for legions of fans who grew up with Panic! at the Disco and witnessing this evolution. From hearing the open notes of 'I Write Sins Not Tragedies' on Kerrang all the way to certified pop bangers and duets with Taylor Swift, there was a sense of things coming full circle and a last celebration was due. You were lucky to get a ticket anywhere near face value.

More: Self Esteem at Manchester's Albert Hall is a testament to the power of pop defiance

The set here is divided into three parts, with no deviation to what has come before it on previous shows in the tour. Brendan Urie opens and closes the show with greatest hits selections with the centrepiece coming in the form of most-recent album 'Viva Las Vengeance' in full. The decision, which fans will have been well-aware of before, is a bold one given the importance of the evening and many will have been wondering if this final show could have been the site of more of a celebration of everything from debut .A Fever You Can't Sweat Out. to 'Pray for the Wicked'.

No such luck but seeing the show in the flesh, it's clear that they've made the right decision. Viva Las Vengeance feels markedly different to everything that came before (with the exception of mostly-ditched second album 'Pretty Odd'). It's here that Urie can undertake his final form. There are elements of Brandon Flowers from Killers, Matt Bellamy from Muse and Freddie Mercury in there in a performance of an album that is more classic rock than anything else. The similarities are there, too, to an act like Meat Loaf. The album makes sense played in full and isolated from the rest of the gig, with stands outs 'Don't Let the Light Go Out' showcasing Coldplay-esque light participation and God Killed Rock and Roll bringing the rock and roll in its most old-school form.

It all works but people are here for the memories tonight especially and so it's not surprise that the standout moments come from deeper in the back catalogue. 'Don't Threaten Me With A Good Time' is all powerful hooks and would grab even the most casual of attendee. There is a bloke in his thirties next to me on the verge of tears during 'This is Gospel'. At this point we're four songs in and it's clear the show means a lot to the people here.

It all reaches a very deliberate fever pitch in the final stretch. 'Nine in the Afternoon' gets the traditional nod from 'Pretty Odd' and 'I Write Sins Not Tragedies' turns 18 in some style. Sandwiched in between in 'Death of the Bachelor', which sees Urie joined front-of-stage by his brass section for the night who later go on to star in set-closer 'High Hopes'.

It's a victorious end in Manchester for Brendan Urie and co. Fans throw flowers onto the stage, confetti is shot into the arena to rain down onto the crowd. The act finishes as a completely different proposition to what entered kids' headphones back in 2005. Since then, they turned into one of the strongest live acts on the planet in a way nobody could've predicted and Brendan Urie has been able to bow out at the peak of his powers, showcasing it all.

Setlist