Passion & Perfection with Paramore
Photographs by Zachary Gray
Under the stars at the Rod Laver Arena precinct in Melbourne, Australia awaited Grammy-Award-winning US trio - Paramore. With sell-out shows for four nights in this city of Australia, the pink and orange wigs of highly anticipated fans gathered around for an unforgettable show ahead of them.
Not only did Paramore grace their presence on stage this very night, but a very familiar singer came by surprise who goes by her pop hit sensation, Miss Remi Wolf. Known for escapism and playful tunes, many fans were instantly in love with the way she sang some of her favourite hits including ‘Disco Man’, ‘You First’ and ‘Cheesin’. It had perfectly set the tone for the rest of the night ahead.
Nine o’clock struck, and as the lights dimmed into the atmosphere, Hayley Williams, Zac Farro, Taylor York and accompaniments walked across the stage to kick off tonight’s first-ever show in Melbourne, Australia. A wild scream from the audience and Hayley herself thought it was the perfect welcome compared to the usual chanting and shouting of excitement and thrill for one’s audience.
I was thoroughly impressed by the visual effects and confetti cannons that effectively complemented the hit of the drums and the voice of a powerhouse angel, Hayley Williams. Kicking to and fro, she gave her absolute heart out. Creating a safe space for her audience to dance, cry, laugh and sing with her.
Throughout her performances, obscure-shaped light beams hovered among the artists on stage with colours shifting to set the mood, tone and scene. I had never seen such an artist with such thrill-seeking and gentle touches to their music. Some moments made you feel stuck in time. You couldn’t bear to think of anything else but the magic that was happening in front of you.
Some of the audience’s favourite performances of the night include ‘Misery Business’, ‘The Only Exception’ and ‘Still Into You’, which left all audience members out of their seats in love with what was happening in front of them. After every heartfelt performance from each of the members and their audience performers too, two hours had flown by in an instant and Paramore had left nothing but perfection for their first night in Melbourne.