We head to Manchester to meet some of twenty one pilots’ biggest fans to find out what they love about the genre-bending twosome and why they always come back for more…
After what has felt like an age since the release of their superb seventh album Clancy, twenty one pilots have finally hit the UK with one of the most stunning shows we’ve seen this year. Having first played these isles way back in 2013, Tyler Joseph and Josh Dun have built a community tens of thousands, who’ve bonded over the incredible universe the pair have built.
But who are these fans that deck themselves out in yellow tape and queue overnight outside some of the country’s biggest venues? We head to the AO Arena in Manchester to find out.
How long have you been a twenty one pilots fan?
“I've been a twenty one pilots fans since I was about 12, 13 years old. I think I found them through [2015 single] Stressed Out. I listened to [the album] Blurryface and I think Goner captured my heart. That was my song.”
What would is your favourite era of twenty one pilots?
“The self-titled era. I think when they were starting off, their music was so, like, out there, it was so different. And the way they combined all their instruments was just amazing. It's my favourite.”
In emergency situation, do you think you could pilot a plane?
“Yeah, I've flown planes before in Air Cadets!”
What is it that you love about the band so much?
“twenty one pilots genuinely saved my life. I can connect repeatedly with their lyrics at any point in my life, and the things that I'm struggling with. So, yeah, I've obviously felt very connected to them.”
What other bands you listening to at the moment?
“I am listening to Chase Petra. They're from America and they're absolutely amazing, I'm going to see them in August.”
What's your outfit is today?
“Just a pair black jeans that I got from New Look and I've got my twenty one pilots T-shirt on. I've got my neck done like Tyler has in Blurryface and got my make-up to match Clancy.”
How long have you been a twenty one pilots fan?
“Probably since I was 13 or 14. I used to watch Capital's Top 40 on the TV constantly with my dad – the Stressed Out video came up and that's how I got into them. We used to love watching the Top 40, judging all the music together.”
What is your favourite era of twenty one pilots?
“I think it's still Blurryface; it just brings me back to being that age, sitting there and having no worries. I can still picture the whole music video and everything, so it's brilliant. Free of responsibilities.”
In emergency situation, do you think you could pilot a plane?
“Yes, absolutely. I've flown a plane before – also in Air Cadets!”
What is it that you love about twenty one pilots so much?
“It just brings me back to a childhood innocence before everything got, you know, adult-y. It brings me back to having no worries. I can just sit there and lean my head back.”
What other bands are you listening to at the moment?
“Green Day, mostly. They're probably my top.”
What's your outfit today?
“I've just got a Blurryface T-shirt on and went for the colour scheme!”
How long have you been a twenty one pilots fan?
Rebecca: “I found them in 2013.”
Tegan: “Year Six, I think. How old are you then?”
Rebecca: “10 years old, probably?”
What first got you into them?
Tegan: “We had this ukulele we'd learn on in class, and one of the songs we learned was Stressed Out. And then I like discovered them through that.”
Rebecca: “I just stumbled across them. When they released [2013 album] Vessel I pressed on one of the videos, listened to that, and fell in love.”
What is it about then that keeps listening to them?
Tegan: “I just like how diverse the music is; that there's something for everyone. There's loads of different stuff, and there's just loads of different genres.”
Rebecca: “They aren't the same constantly. They change stuff up.”
What's your favourite era of twenty one pilots?
Tegan: “Trench. That's one of the main albums that made me cry.”
In an emergency situation, do you think you can pilot a plane?
Rebecca: “Yeah!”
Tegan: “If I'm in an emergency situation then I'll learn! Might crash it, but I'll learn.”
What other bands you listening to at the moment?
Tegan: “My Chemical Romance, Rose Garden, Funeral Party, Siouxsie And The Banshees.”
Rebecca: “My Chemical Romance. The Pretty Reckless.”
What are you wearing today?
Tegan: “Red shirt, fishnets and red laces on black boots.”
Rebecca: “These pinstripes, I found them in the back of my wardrobe. I just went very black.”
How long have you both been twenty one pilots fans?
Christina: “Since 2016, I think?”
Jay: “As long as I've known you. So I think, 2023? I got into them because I met Christina.”
What got you into them?
Christina: “I went through the phase of the early-2000s emo scene and just kind of fell into them naturally.”
What is it that keeps you listening to them?
Christina: “The emotion they put into the music and the fact that they give it their all live, which quite a lot of artists these days don't, and it's kind of upsetting. These guys put everything in.”
Jay: “I fully appreciate the theatrics and everything – all the crowd interaction, and all the crowd does for the band as well.”
What's your favourite era of twenty one pilots?
Christina: “I am original album, so self-titled – pre-Josh. They are very heart-wrenching songs, so they resonate differently to everything else. Everything else has been a progression, but I still resonate very hard with the early ones.”
Jay: “I'm around for Blurryface and also the new one, Clancy. Most of the discography is quite sad but the emotion is really good sometimes. You need it.”
In an emergency situation, do you think you could pilot a plane?
Jay: “I'd give it a shot. Probably trash it.”
Christina: “I have no faith in him. I could try.”
What other bands you listening to at the moment?
Jay: “Sleep Token.”
Christina: “Yeah, Sleep Token, and bit of Gojira.”
What you're wearing?
Jay: “We've got logos, symbols of the torch bearers.”
Christina: “Yep, lots of torch bearer tape.”
How long have you both been twenty one pilots fans?
Alex: “Since I was 13. Or 12. How old are you in Year 7?”
Rory: “Eleven.”
Alex: “Eleven, there you go.”
Rory: “A few weeks!”
How did you get into them?
Alex: “I don't actually know. I think listened to Stressed Out. Hang on… it can't have been Stressed Out as it wasn't out yet. I can't remember, it was so long ago! They're so ingrained in my life.”
Rory: “I started listening to them when I started dating Alex.”
What is it that you like about them so much?
Alex: “I like the fans. And I like how they have all of the lore in their music. It's so deep and it goes back years. When they don't have new music, you can still find something by delving into it all.”
Rory: “Yeah. I know more about the lore than the songs themselves, being told it by Alex.”
What's your favourite era of twenty one pilots?
Alex: “Trench – I feel like it's the major boom of the lore. Everyone got it and it set an aesthetic that everyone followed. It created a culture of dressing up for the concerts. Also the music, obviously.”
In an emergency situation would you be able to pilot a plane?
Rory: “No. But I like to think that I could.”
Alex: “I mean, I'd have to try, wouldn't I?”
Rory: “Maybe. If you had your glasses on.”
Alex: “Yeah, if I had my glasses on. If you told me what to do.”
What are the bands you listening to at the moment?
Alex: “I've literally only been listening to twenty one pilots because I just can't shake them. I listen to Basement because Rory just got me a vinyl, so I was re-listening to them.”
What are you wearing today?
Alex: “I've got red tape that's falling off of my boots. An old twenty one pilots T-shirt that I've had for ages. And then I did my little red nails. I made bracelets as well.”
Rory: “I've got a The Coming Strife Records hoodie.”
How long have you been fans for?
Josh: “Ten years.”
Millie: “Yeah. Ten this year.”
Cian: “Nine-and-a-half years.”
Do you remember how you first got into the band?
Josh: “Yeah, I went to another gig and there was a poster on the wall. It was the first show they ever played in Belfast and it was nowhere near sold out! It was like 200-cap, so the ticket was only £11. [It was a] no-brainer. It didn't even sell out.”
Millie: “Mine was after their hit song blew up. And I was thinking, 'I'm going to listen to a few more of these' and you get sucked in very quick.”
Cian: “I heard them through a podcast of a YouTuber that I no longer wanted to be associated with.”
What is it that keeps you listening to them?
Josh: “It's not even them so much, it's more the community. All of my friends [were made] through twenty one pilots now. I think it's my 34th show.”
Millie: “I'm on 13. This is show 13 today.”
Cian: “It's the community around it all. Me and Josh are both Irish, but we met in Berlin.”
That's amazing. How did you meet through the community?
Josh: “On Twitter. Then it was The Bandito Tour and people were making group chats for camping in the line. Otherwise it was just coincidence.”
Millie: “Yeah, you just kind of get to know people through other people.”
Josh: “You spend that long sitting with each other on the concrete.”
What's your favourite era of twenty one pilots?
Josh: “This one, just because I feel, like, older. I'm more experienced; I know what I'm doing and it's not awkward. Everyone has their big group of friends at the shows.”
Millie: “Maybe Trench, because that's when we all met each other.”
Cian: “Mine is Clancy, because that album bangs.”
In an emergency situation, would you be able to pilot a plane?
Josh: “No, not at all.”
Cian: “I think I could. Sheer willpower.”
Millie: “Neither me or Josh are any use.”
Josh: “We'll be the flight attendants.”
What other bands are you listening to at the moment?
Josh: “Regular emo stuff. My Chemical Romance, Paramore, Fall Out Boy, all that kind of shit. Turnover as well, as they're going on their Peripheral Vision tour soon!”
What are you wearing? And who is this?
Josh: “It's Dudu – he has his own Instagram and this is his 11th show tonight. This is actually the third Dudu as the others have exploded. The original Dudu has an arm and a leg left. I'm then just wearing the first thing I pulled on my back.”
Cian: “Blue Mickey shirt!”
Millie: “I've got a Ohio State football jersey, just for the singer. No other reason.”
So how long have you been twenty one pilots fans?
Kay: “Since 2015? Maybe 2016? A long time.”
Vyles: “Too long, we need to be retired!”
Kay: “I started listening to them because he started!”
Vyles: “Yeah, I just think they're very appealing because of their rhythm. And then when you focus on the lyrics, it all blends out and it's the perfect match.”
Kay: “I love the changes in their style and genre of music because they are never the same. Every time they drop a new album it's always a new discovery. You have to discover not just the story of it, but also the genre, the rhythm, the music. It's a surprise every time.”
What's your favourite era?
Vyles: “My personal favourite is the self-titled album. But also, I really love the Trench album. I really like Taxi Cab [from the self-titled album] – I just think it's kind of poetic, like the energy of their music. Now I think it's mainly more commercial, but still very lovely.”
Kay: “Ah, Vessel, for sure. Vessel is my favourite because I relate to the lyrics of each song.”
In an emergency situation, could you pilot a plane?
Vyles: “I mean, I've flown planes... in Grand Theft Auto.”
Kay: “A few years ago, I would have said no, but right now I think yes. Out of survival, yeah.”
What other bands do you listen to at the moment?
Vyles: “I'm listening to Orville Peck. And Italian artists like Salmo.”
Kay: “I'm stuck in 2005. So Green Day, My Chemical Romance, blink-182. Like the pop-punk wave of the early 2000s.”
And what are you wearing today?
Vyles: “This is just random thrifted stuff I found. We did the make-up like 15 minutes ago.”
Kay: “The most comfortable things, because we just came here from Italy.”
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