Riot Squad
Paramore's stock is pretty high at the moment and it's little surprise that they fill the Dimebag Darrell tent back as far as the mixing desk. There's been a danger over the last few years that the band would become overshadowed by all the attention surrounding the blossoming Hayley Williams but today they prove that they have grown as a band together and deliver a tight performance to a partisan crowd.
Paramore don't do anything particularly technical but what they do they do well, a succession of upbeat rock songs with a punk edge impress early on. As they go through 'Franklin' and 'All We Know' it's obvious that Williams is a good front woman. Her voice is strong, she has a good presence and works the crowd at every opportunity. Some of the songs are weaker and new song 'Hallelujah' doesn't really impress; overall the faster songs work better but they have enough sense of dynamics to carry off the slower tracks. Forthcoming single 'Misery Business' is infectiously catchy and should serve to boost the band's profile yet higher.
Paramore aren't the best band in the world but they're certainly too good to be dismissed as kiddie punk or emo or whatever other label gets flung in their direction. Admittedly half way through their set I begin to lose interest a little and Williams constant cajoling of the crowd between songs becomes rather annoying. They finish with a flourish however with 'Pressure', the chopping guitars and big chorus reminding you of all the good things about Paramore. Predictably the crowd love it and it's been a good energy fuelled performance. With the release of new album 'Riot' imminent it will be interesting to see how Paramore develop further.