I stepped off the train at Birmingham International just after 4 p.m., and even then, I could feel it in the air… that special pre-show electricity.

I’ve been to a few gigs here before, but nothing felt quite like this. Fans were already congregating outside the NEC, buzzing with excitement, red tape stitched, pinned, and duct-taped across jackets, jeans, bags – anywhere it would stick. It was a living sea of symbolism, a quiet nod to the lore and the band’s creative world that only we understood.

You could tell that people had made things for this night. There were posters, tote bags, even handmade flags with Clancy lyrics stitched into them. A few people were trading friendship bracelets already, strangers becoming friends just because a lyric meant something to them both. The whole vibe outside felt like a community, not just a queue for a concert.

I brought my boyfriend along. I’ll be honest, he’s not a Twenty One Pilots fan. Or at least, he wasn’t. He’d always been respectful about my obsession, but he just didn’t get it. Still, he came with me, mostly because he knew how much it meant. Watching him take it all in, the fans, the art, the warmth, I could see his curiosity slowly shifting. It was that kind of crowd. The kind that pulls you in. I have to shoutout Georgia, our buddy we made in the queue, for making him feel so welcome and giving him an Oldie’s Station bracelet (one of the few songs he actually knows!).

Once we got inside BP Pulse LIVE and found our spot, front and centre, right in front of Josh’s B-stage, I felt that pre-show tension ratchet up a few notches. The air was thick with anticipation.

And then the lights dropped.

The second “Overcompensate” kicked in, the place erupted. It was like a wave hit us. Tyler emerged in that unmistakable mask, moving like a man possessed, and Josh, always the heartbeat, was already in a rhythm that made your chest shake.

The setlist was a whirlwind emotionally and musically. They dipped back into fan favourites like “Holding Onto You,” “Car Radio,” and “Tear In My Heart,” and they soared through their newer Clancy material like “Vignette,” “The Craving (Jenna’s Version),” and “Next Semester,” which was absolutely incredible live. And then, the moment I wasn’t sure would come following some song cuts during the Glasgow show the night before, they played the Doubt demo. That gritty, stripped-down version that’s gone viral online. If you’ve ever been to a concert and been transported to your childhood bedroom from just a few notes, you’ll know exactly the kind of feeling I’m talking about. This sh*t was NOSTALGIC.

That said, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a little gutted that “Oldies Station” didn’t make the cut following it’s debut on the US leg of the Clancy Tour. I’d been quietly praying for it, holding out hope until the very end. It’s one of those songs that feels like a hug from the band. But in its absence, the show still felt complete.

There were so many unexpected details, too. Tyler disappearing mid-song and reappearing in the seated section for “Car Radio” was mad. I’m still not quite sure how they did it. It caused a wave of screams to ripple through the crowd as people realised where he’d popped up.

Josh’s solo on the B-stage, right in front of me, was another jaw-drop moment, not just because of his ridiculous skill, but because you could see every bead of sweat, every expression. He was completely locked in, and it was intense. Girlies… my view was blessed.

Even the transitions between songs were seamless; ambient interludes, subtle lighting changes, and that flicker of world-building that makes every Twenty One Pilots tour feel like a full experience, not just a setlist. The visuals were like living album covers, red strobes, cryptic imagery projected across the stage, flashes of Clancy lore.

When “Trees” closed the show, it felt like a spiritual release. I saw my opportunity, and weaselled my way forward just a bit so I could get into the heart of the crowd. That final percussive explosion was pure euphoria. People were crying, hugging, screaming lyrics like it was the last time they’d ever get the chance. I looked at my boyfriend, his hair stuck to his forehead, arm around me, smiling, and I knew this night meant something to him, too.

And that was it. I came hoping to see a band I loved perform my favourite songs. I left with a boyfriend who gets it now, and a heart full of something I can’t quite put into words, only that I want to feel it again, as soon as possible.

Thank you to the fans, the clique, for being so incredible.