Hayley Williams Shares Letter To Fans Before Paramore Gig
Hayley Williams shared a heartfelt letter to Paramore‘s fans before their headline gig at When We Were Young festival.
The much-anticipated festival – co-headlined by My Chemical Romance and described as “an epic line-up of emo and rock bands from the past two decades” – debuted in Las Vegas yesterday (22 October). The first event was initially set to take place on Friday (21 October),but was cancelled an hour before gates opened due to weather warnings.
For all three of the festival’s dates, Paramore are closing the festival’s Pink Stage. Reflecting on the band’s story to this point, Williams shared a handwritten letter to her Instagram Story.
“To grow up in this scene was not a simple thing,” she wrote. “To be celebrating it (and to be celebrated by it) is not a simple thing. Nothing about this life – for you, me, or anyone – is simple.
“We fell in love with this subset of post-punk and hardcore likely because nothing else moved us. We didn’t fit in other places. To be a young girl in love with this scene was to have the hope that I might find my own way to belong. It took years to find that belonging. It’s taken a lot of unlearning. A lot of untangling knots I didn’t even know were there.
“What I did know was that for every ‘Take off your top!’ or snarky punkzine review… For every dramatic headline pinned on my name, or any season of self-doubt… No one was going to define Paramore but Paramore.”
Williams went on to celebrate Paramore’s “legend” status in the rock and alternative scenes, noting: “Nearly 20 years later, we find ourselves a pillar of the very scene that threatened to reject us. And me.”
She added: “Fuck the ones who doubted! Hugs to the ones who watched on and even sort of believed. Young girls, queer kids, and anybody of any color… We have shifted this scene together, messily, angrily, heartbroken, and determined. Tonight, for me at least, is about celebrating all the facets of what punk music actually represents. All the things it wasn’t allowed to be when we were young. Can’t wait to see everyone tonight.”
Paramore When We Were Young Night One setlist
All I Wanted
That’s What You Get
Still Into You
Brick By Boring Brick
I Caught Myself
Here We Go Again
Ignorance
Ain’t It Fun
Last Hope
Hard Times
This Is Why
Misery Business