Live Review: Panic! At The Disco – AO Arena 10/03/23

Well tonight is the night, the last ever show to be performed by Panic! At The Disco following lead singer Brendon Urie’s announcement in January that the UK tour will be the final dates as he concentrates on raising his newborn child and spending more time with his family. It’s the first time in 4 years that the band have performed in Manchester since the highly successful ‘Pray For The Wicked’ tour back in 2019, and given the recent announcement it’s a packed audience at the arena.

Supporting PATD on the UK leg is American singer-songwriter Cari Elise Fletcher more commonly known as FLETCHER. With her energetic performance and playful pop lyrics she doesn’t look out of place at all performing in front of such a large crowd and has recently announced her own UK and Europe tour in support of her debut album ‘Girl Of My Dreams’ which kicks off in October. Tickets are available for purchase from Friday 17^th March here.

So as the lights in the arena go out and the strobe lights pulse on stage, the crowd wait with bated breath ready to celebrate the bands almost 20 year career come to a close. Opening the set with ‘Say Amen (Saturday Night) from the previous album Pray For The Wicked, the pyros blaze across the stage and the crowd is euphoric!

PATD’s recent album Viva Las Vengeance, has received mixed reviews and you could be forgiven for thinking that perhaps the setlist would feature more fan favourite tracks especially given the significance of the night and it being the last ever performance of the band, but it’s definitely a night of three parts with the entirety of the new album sandwiched in the middle. The choice of setlist does serve to create a somewhat stilted vibe with a much more subdued crowd during this period. In addition as the album is played in full, it leaves limited time for hits from the back catalogue meaning there are some glaring omissions from the setlist, which is sure to create some division in the fanbase.

In spite of this, the night ends on a high with some of their bigger hits and as seen on their previous tour, Girls/Girls/Boys is audience inclusive with fans encouraged to hold coloured paper hearts over their phone torches to create a rainbow pattern across the arena. ‘Death Of A Bachelor’ and ‘I Write Sins Not Tragedies’ feature before the night ends on the biggest hit from their previous album ‘High Hopes’.

It’s safe to say they will be missed, but here’s hoping it’s not a permanent retirement and merely time to reflect/recharge and then come back stronger than before!

Set List

Say Amen (Saturday Night)

Hey Look Ma, I Made It

Don’t Threaten Me With a Good Time

This Is Gospel

Miss Jackson

Emperor’s New Clothes

Viva Las Vengeance

Middle of a Breakup

Don’t Let the Light Go Out

Local God

Star Spangled Banger