The kids are alright

“Young sounding” was one of the many comments about Paramore overheard during the American rock band’s debut show on Tuesday – and also their first concert in 2013 – at Bangkok’s Centrepoint Studio. But while the gig won the band thousands of young fans, ticket sales proved less successful than the organisers had hoped.
 “I’m so excited to see Paramore after such a long wait,” one teenage boy told us. He’d come with his dad and was impatiently waiting for the road crew to finish setting up the stage after the opening set by MewithoutYou, who sounded rather like a young version of System of a Down.
Screams greeted red-haired vocalist Hayley Williams, bassist Jeremy Davis, guitarist Taylor York and the two session musicians who now work with Paramore since founding brothers Josh and Zac Farro pulled out in 2009. Josh gave his reasons on his blog, saying the band had become “a manufactured product of a major-label”.
The remaining members have continued alone and they certainly didn’t disappoint their fans here, playing a high-energy set of pop punk and alt-rock that drove the audience crazy. Williams was particularly energetic, packing powerful vocals and making full use of the stage.
The band opened with “Now”, the first cut off the band’s new album, which is scheduled for official release in April. They carried on with “That’s What You Get”, “Born for This” and “For a Pessimist, I’m Pretty Optimistic” before Williams greeted the hall with “Hello, Thailand! We are Paramore. I love you. It’s great to see you tonight.”
Williams showcased her powerful high pitch in “Decode”, while Taylor’s guitar sound was accentuated in “Renegade”. In “Pressure”, she encouraged the audience to sing along as distorted guitar and metal bass provided a strong backup.
“This is our first concert in 2013 and it feels good to be here,” stated the singer. “I’m playing an acoustic song for you. It will sound so great if we sing together.” Sitting with Taylor, who retained his electric guitar rather than switch to an acoustic instrument, Williams proceeded to sing “Careful”.
The audience joined her for the reprise of “In The Mourning” and went wild when Paramore played “The Only Exception” before going back to serious rock on “Let The Flames Begin”, “Fences” and “Looking Up”.
“We have been a little bit of a soap opera since day one and are more grateful than ever to be standing on a stage in front of you guys. Today, we’ve cancelled the soap opera and are here and very thankful for your support. Let this next song be a reminder of how it’s never going to ever be again,” said Williams, before launching into “Ignorance”.
Much to the audience’s delight, the band then played “Monster”, a soundtrack of “Transformers: Dark of the Moon” and “Brick by Boring Brick” from the supernatural drama TV series, “The Vampire Diaries.”
Williams introduced guitarist York and bassist Davis to the audience, though not the two session musicians, and wrapped up the night with “Hello Cold World” and “Misery Business.”