Live Review: Twenty One Pilots, Safia

Two extra merch stands are set up outside Rod Laver Arena to better accommodate Twenty One Pilots' rabid fanbase, but the queues are still uncharacteristically long. The things kids do to stand out in a crowd these days! We spy a couple of 'bananas' queuing for food and a punter inside the arena sports a panda wrestling mask.

Safia are already in full flight as we take our seats. Unfortunately they're at the point in their set where they mash their own Bye Bye with Feel Good Inc by Gorillaz, which only serves to make us wish we were experiencing the genuine article. Safia's frontman Ben Woolner seems to be having difficulty with one of his mics. There are a lot of red beanies (Twenty One Pilots merch) in the GA section, which is rammed. The kids are responsive to this support band, too, especially when instructed to wave one arm up and down or clap above their heads in unison. Woolner's got a stunning voice, but there's just something forced about the way he twitches/moves around the stage, which is particularly pronounced on an arena stage.

Relaxing music in between sets temporarily dampens teen spirit before becoming a low drone as our suspense builds. Red-and-white lighting dots appear on the black curtain - which conceals what's happening on stage - the crowd screams, then the curtain drops and our black balaclavaed Twenty One Pilots commence with Heavydirtysoul. A massive surge forward in the pit looks terrifying from where we're sitting. Tyler Joseph and Josh Dun sport matching outfits: red suit jackets, black ties that appear to be glued to their white shirts, black pants, red socks and black trainers (correction, Dun's trainers are red). The duo's colour palette is strong. A gunshot sound closes their opener, which we're not sure is such a wise choice post-Bataclan attack.

"Everyone on the floor, two steps back please!" A voice urges. It appears these crazy kids have broken the barricade! Security work quickly to rectify the situation. A black sheet is brought out on stage to be thrown over Joseph. Blackout. A millisecond later, a spotlight illuminates a figure halfway up the stage right seated section. What the WHAT!? It can't be! After removing his balaclava, the mystery figure's identity is confirmed: it's Joseph! We all gasp and collective jaws hit the ground. That's some Dynamo shit right there!

Message Man becomes Polarize and all sets of arms in the pit are raised and bouncing. Scratchy bass throbs bring the menace during the pair's contribution to Suicide Squad's soundtrack ("It looks like you might be one of us!") released since their last visit to our shores in April 2016. Marching band drums lead into a formal introduction for Dun, subsequent solo and chance for his close-up, during which we admire the drummer's crop of yellow hair and trademark red eye makeup. And the crowd just loves yelling, "Yeah-Yeah-Yeah!" after a, "One, two, three," countdown from Joseph, who now wears a snazzy floral duster coat and oversized sunnies with white frames. A cover of Elvis Presley's Can't Help Falling In Love, performed solo by Joseph on ukulele, further proves he sure can sing.

There's not only singalongs but also rapalongs during Lane Boy. Those in the pit are then instructed to "get down low", before they catapult up into the air on cue as smoke cannons detonate. A coupla stage hands in white prison uniforms wearing gas masks storm the stage deploying handheld smoke cannons. While we're distracted watching vintage Twenty One Pilots footage on the screens, the duo materialise on a second stage surrounded by searchlights, in front of the sound desk - drums facing piano - and launch into Ode To Sleep. Their cover of Cancer by My Chemical Romance is a tender inclusion.

Back on the main stage, footage of a Dun doppelganger sitting at the ready behind a drum kit appears on the screens. Impressively, Dun keeps perfect time while drumming along with his doppelganger's image before a 'drum-off' between the pair ensues (the real Dun is eventually victorious). Onscreen, the doppelganger's head explodes. Joseph goes out into crowd - standing above them somehow - and winds up singing in the face of a yellow inflatable kangaroo during Holding On To You. Once back on stage, he runs and jumps up on top of the piano in a single bound - he'd be ace at parkour. A cover of House Of Pain's Jump Around sends the pit postal. Ride follows ("I've been thinking too much") then a drum kit on a portable platform is set up over the front section for Dun to bash (later dual platforms are impressively utilised by both Dun and Joseph). And of course Dun's drum sticks are red.

Once Dun returns to the stage he dons an alien wrestling mask for Stressed Out and by now the pungent smell of tween sweat fills the arena. A Wayne Coyne-style translucent red bubble is inflated to enable Joseph to run out over the crowd's heads. Once safely back on stage, the frontman jokes, "Right. Any questions?" Tear In My Heart ("The songs on the radio are okay/But my taste in music is your face") is another set highlight. The pair of gas-masked extras return to the stage wearing slung drums to form a marching band trio with Dun, all drumming in unison with fluoro green sticks.

Twenty One Pilots return for an encore featuring Goner and Trees. Tyler gushes, "I love your country so much, man!" There's a promise they'll work on new music, which raises squeals and this talented musical duo truly deserve all the accolades.