Live Review: Twenty One Pilots, Little Earthquake

You know a gig’s packed to capacity when you walk into the venue and think, “There’s a high chance I’m getting crushed tonight,” which is exactly what happened when we squeezed our way into the Metro this evening. Unlike most gigs where a large chunk of fans tend to give the support act a miss, Twenty One Pilots’ “clique” was out in force to ensure a good spot to view their idols, meaning Central Coast’s Little Earthquake were treated to a good turnout, no doubt gaining a fair few new fans in the process. 

The atmosphere was so tense awaiting the arrival of Twenty One Pilots that if they’d done anything other than run out and blast their way through a trio of fan favourites then we’re fairly sure a few members of the audience would have combusted. Heavy Dirty Soul, Stressed Out and Guns For Hands proved high energy openers, with singer Tyler Joseph flitting back and forth to his piano, showcasing his infamous musical multitasking. These guys have created a community of faithful followers who between them create this infectious energy — if you could bottle it, Red Bull would be out of business. 

There wasn’t a single song people weren’t singing every word to, bar a short rendition of Bob Marley’s No Woman, No Cry, which threw fans a little before it blended seamlessly into Ride, echoing the band’s reggae influences but not entirely working. 

Shout out to Adrian, one of the front row security guards who was given the task of starting a “one more song” chant after Car Radio. He relented, getting so into it that a girl had fainted in the few moments he took his eyes off the front row. Typical.

The gig ended with Joseph and drummer Josh Dun being carried out into the pit on bodyboards by security, as they drummed the last of Trees, ending the night with the same excitement as it started with. Cool-down encores? Pah!