Paramore - Apollo - 29/01/08 by Ben Connell

First to kick start tonight’s hormone fuelled extravaganza is Virginia’s post-hardcore mob Conditions. Tonight is their first ever performance in the UK, however, the sheer size of the Manchester Apollo does not appear to faze them at all. Rock ‘n’ roll swagger, spiralling guitars and pounding drums carry them through their half an hour set with ease. Although they may not be to everyone’s taste, tonight’s performance is guaranteed to win them an abundance of Myspace friend requests and certainly restores faith in the unsigned band.

New Found Glory are considered to be somewhat legends amongst the pop punk fraternity. Naturally this leads to questions as to why they aren’t headlining this tour. Tonight they do not fail to impress, no stranger to crowds of thousands, front man Jordan Pundik commands the stage, leaping around in euphoria. An unexpected appearance from Paramore’s leading lady Hayley Williams sends the crowd wild as her and Pundik launch into a cover of Dylan’s “It Ain’t Me Babe”, taken from their “From the Screen to Your Stereo Part II” due to be released on these shores within the next couple of months.

New Found Glory certainly prove a hard act to follow, their songs sound simply sublime in a venue such as this. Old favourites such as “My Friend’s Over You” and “Hit Or Miss” have the crowd yelling every syllable back at the band. Masters of crowd banter, martyrs of pop punk, New Found Glory are sure to be headlining this tour next time around.

Tonight is first time Paramore have been to the UK since last years Carling Festival appearances, since then their album ‘Riot!’ entered the UK charts at number 24 and have been nominated for ‘Best New Artist’ at the 50th Annual Grammy Awards. It’s fair to say that 2007 was a good year for Paramore.

Everyone knows what is coming next. The hoards of fourteen year old girls wave their neon bracelets in the air and excitingly shuffle around trying to get the best view of their new idol. The lights dim down and riot footage is projected onto a screen draped across the back of the Apollo stage.

There is a countdown from ten to one, and the lights go up and they explode into album opener “For A Pessimist, I’m Pretty Optimistic”. They plough through a selection of their finest songs from both ‘All We Know Is Falling’ and ‘Riot!’ throwing in a well executed cover of Jimmy Eat World’s “Sweetness”.

There are no doubts that Paramore are an amazing live act, however this is clearly the “Hayley Show”; her band lack charisma, other than the occasional acrobatic leap through the air, or choreographed swaying.