TWENTY ONE PILOTS // 14/05/2025//THE 02 ARENA//LIVE REVIEW

I am, somehow, working through my bucket list of bands I have wanted to see live since I was about 13 or so. Seeming as in the next couple of years it'll be a decade since I made said imaginary list, I reflected on it briefly on the way to see the legendary Twenty One Pilots at the O2. I am so lucky to be able to see these bands, experience these shows, and enjoy everything the world of live music has to offer, and boy was I in for an absolute treat last night. After the huge success, and my huge hyper fixation, on Clancy, I knew I had to go and see the Ohio two piece strut their stuff, and I chose to see them on the closing night of the tour - an exciting prospect in case anything fun happens hey? So, here is my review of the Clancy World Tour 2025!

Venue

See my other reviews for my undying love and affection for the O2 Arena. 'Nuff said.

I will however comment on the crowd for the closing night of the tour, who were so energetic and psyched up it was positively infectious. Everyone was being lovely, handing out tape, bracelets, things they had hand made, it was a lovely thing to watch (from a socially awkward distance of about four or so meters!)

Merchandise

Ah, yes, the merch goblin strikes again. I was surprised at the range of merchandise available to be honest, and thought they were all really solid designs and graphics. The prices were a little bit steeper than I was used to, at £40 for a tee and £25/30 for hats and other accessories, but once you had it in hand you realised that actually it's pretty awesome quality, so it wasn't too big of a deal. I walked away with the black tour t-shirt (which I quickly changed into before the show started) and one of the logo dad hats. The shirt is soft and comfortable, with good solid graphics, and although my hat has a couple of machine issues on the brim, its insanely comfortable. I'm not usually one to splash out like this at concerts, but I get so much use out of my Sleep Token one that I thought I'd grab another to add to the growing arsenal. There were also hoodies, zip ups and bomber jackets available, as well as flags and bandanas.

(what, you mean this isnt from your show and from one of the ones in the US? yeah. i forgot to take pictures of the merch stand again...shut up i was busy being socially awkward in a crowd full of sweethearts leave me be)

Support Act

The support came from New Zealand band Balu Brigada. I had never heard of them previously, but had heard that they were really good, so went in pretty hopeful for a good show. They did not disappoint. The four piece were insanely dynamic, running around the stage and performing their socks off through their half hour or so set time. Their music was really funky, with chunky bass and really lively guitar parts, and a keys player who looked like he was having the absolute time of his life vibing on stage. I really enjoyed their warm up show, and although the live levels were a little off, you really can't complain!

Twenty One Pilots

The moment the intro to Overcompensate started playing, everyone in my seated section was on their feet. The excitement was palpable in the air as the chords played, and then down came the curtain. There was Josh Dunn, absolutely playing his heart out on that kit, so much so that it was audibly echoing off the back walls of the O2. Then in comes Tyler Joseph leaping over the piano, grabbing his glowing microphone and starting to perform. They perform like a well oiled, slick machine. They nailed every section, every moment, working seamlessly with the tech and backing to create a truly unique concert experience. Each song merged into the next, with Overcompensate leading into Holding On To You. That song was there for me during my younger years, so I would be lying if I said I didn't shed a tear or two finally seeing it live. The transitions were insane too, with the last drum beats merging seamlessly into the slammed intro from Vignette. For Car Radio, Tyler appeared about ten or so meters away from me, and being able to see one of my idols so close to me was a bordering on ethereal experience, as well as hearing those insane screams at the end of the track.

The next few tracks relied on the Ukulele, which Joseph played with insane skill and ease, sounding almost identical to how it did on the records itself. The Judge was a particular highlight, with the entire crowd full force singing along. Another highlight in the opening section was Backslide which was so cool, with Tyler sat back in a chair, casually singing a song about not wanting to relapse into a negative headspace - appearance vs reality huh. But that scream at the end? Goosebumps. His live voice is stunningly impactful.

Next, they moved to the B stages, two small red scissor lifts with a piano on one and drums on the other. The two made their way, Josh first and then Tyler during Routines in the Night, which was one of my favourite tracks from their latest record. The swagger was insane, and as he walked along the crowd I was really taken aback by how second nature the performance looked. These two are seasoned veterans of live shows, this performance has been seriously planned, meticulously thought out and nailed on the day. They played The Line next, which isn't my favourite from them, but that live scream? Cmon man, you know I'm a sucker for extreme vocals. Mulberry Street was next, and they separated the crowd into sections, and made them raise their phone torches on specific parts of the chorus, it was so cool to see all those phone torches throwing light around the stadium!

Josh then reappeared as Torchbearer, his character in the Dema storyline, garbed in his green hoodie and yellow tape, holding his flaming torch. He moved to Tyler's B stage, and held up his Clancy jacket to him. Every night before, no matter how reluctant, he had taken the jacket, but tonight...he didn't. He physically refused it, and walked straight past Torchbearer, instead covering his eyes with his Clancy stole, and running off backstage. Torchbearer was then left alone, walking onstage where the spires of Dema were revealed, and then set ablaze, but they did not fall. From a lore perspective, this is insane. The jacket has always signified (at least to me) Clancy's companionship with the Banditos, the symbol of their community and the team they have formed to remove vialism. But on this night, he was blinded by himself, by his own hubris perhaps, and Dema remains - if you haven't seen the final FPE letter, go and look at it, it speaks volumes to the fact that Clancy is trying to gain absolute power, and may be becoming the very thing he swore to destroy.

The next part of the setlist was intense and energetic once more. From Navigating to then the chaos of HeavyDirtySoul, the entire stadium was reeling from the insanity of the last five minutes, and the adrenaline was really pumping now. They even played the new demo of Doubt, which sees Joseph in a skeleton mask, which he then blinded himself in with the stole once again. It seemed like they were really trying to hone in on the fact that something big is happening, and that this is the closing of one chapter, and the beginning of the next. In terms of the music, it was still on point. The live mixing was brilliant, with Dunn's drums not dominating the mix, allowing Joseph on the bass to really weave through. Lavish was another highlight, just in all it's silly glory, the two guys having some genuine fun and prancing across the stage. They finished this final section with Paladin Strait, but made it a mash up with Bandito, it was awesome, and let Josh sing live with Tyler, which was a really lovely moment to see - and I love it when bands reimagine their songs in a live context - TOP do this incredibly well.

The encore started explosively with Jumpsuit, stacked to the nines with concussions and flares, it was intense but so so cool. Tyler was back in the Clancy jacket again, after rejecting it before, and as the song finished, he undid it, to reveal his Clancy shirt. However tonight, the text wasn't red like usual, it was black. Is Clancy dead? Is he no longer a part of the Banditos? Once again, the O2 lost it's collective minds, but they jumped straight in to Midwest Indigo. It was awesome to see it live, and sounded superb, and then it melded into the classic Stressed Out, which was very cool to hear. They obviously closed out on Trees, which they have been for years in the middle of the crowd, pulling out their huge drums and slamming them to the final beat as confetti sprayed out from the stage. It felt really special to see, like I was finally being let into the ritual of it all as they played in the centre of the pit, and the spectacle of it all, the feelings of togetherness and community were truly palpable. It was a joyous way to end a really special night.

Overall

What can I really say? I felt every emotion at this concert, from sheer shock, to joy, happiness, I was moved to tears - at a Twenty One Pilots concert you can't help but be absorbed into the live experience. The experience and spectacle of it all was insane, and so so well put together - the sheer production value enough would have left me shocked. What added to it was the skill and beauty of the live music. It was all performed with such energy and sounded absolutely beautiful - almost exactly how they did in the albums themselves. What more can I really say? Bucket list band ticked off, life altered in the best way possible. I am so grateful for the experiences I get to have, and the fact I got to see this amazing tour take place. The setlist was also absolutely perfect, have a peek at the whole thing here:

1. Overcompensate

2. Holding On to You

3. Vignette

4. Car Radio

5. The Judge

6. The Craving (Jenna's Version)

7. Tear in My Heart

8. Backslide

9. Shy Away

10. Heathens

11. Next Semester (extended outro)

    
    

    B-Stage

12. Routines in the Night

13. The Line

14. Mulberry Street

    
    

    Main Stage

15. Navigating (Tyler did not put on the Clancy jacket)

16. Nico and the Niners

17. Heavydirtysoul

18. My Blood

19. Doubt (Demo Version)

20. Guns for Hands

21. Lavish

22. Ride

23. Paladin Strait (With Josh singing "Bandito" Snippet)

    
    

    Encore:

24. Jumpsuit

25. Midwest Indigo

26. Stressed Out

27. Trees

We are banditos, we will leave DEMA at true East. We renounce Vialism.

Thank you for reading this review, who knows what's next, but if nothing else, I'm seeing Iron Maiden in June, so stay strapped in for that! Cheers!