{"id":2038915,"date":"2026-07-11T08:39:22","date_gmt":"2026-07-11T05:39:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2038915"},"modified":"2026-07-11T08:39:22","modified_gmt":"2026-07-11T05:39:22","slug":"twenty-one-pilots-live-at-mad-cool-alt-rock-innovators-play-their-hearts-out","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2038915","title":{"rendered":"Twenty One Pilots live at Mad Cool: alt-rock innovators play their hearts out"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>[analyse_image type=&#8221;featured&#8221; src=&#8221;https:\/\/www.nme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/TwentyOne-Pilots-at-Mad-Cool.jpeg&#8221;]<\/p>\n<article id=\"template-id-3332206\" class=\"post-3332206 tdb_templates type-tdb_templates status-publish post\">\n<div id=\"tdi_65\" class=\"tdc-zone\">\n<div class=\"tdc_zone tdi_66  wpb_row td-pb-row\">\n<div id=\"tdi_67\" class=\"tdc-row stretch_row_1400 td-stretch-content\">\n<div class=\"vc_row tdi_68  wpb_row td-pb-row\">\n<div class=\"vc_column tdi_70  wpb_column vc_column_container tdc-column td-pb-span12\">\n<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_single_featured_image tdi_71 tdb-content-horiz-left td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_71\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"696\" height=\"441\" class=\"entry-thumb\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/TwentyOne-Pilots-at-Mad-Cool-696x441.jpeg\" alt title=\"Twenty One Pilots at Mad Cool 2026\"><figcaption class=\"tdb-caption-text\">Twenty One Pilots at Mad Cool 2026. Credit: Andres Iglesias<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"tdi_72\" class=\"tdc-row stretch_row\">\n<div class=\"vc_row tdi_73  wpb_row td-pb-row\">\n<div class=\"vc_column tdi_75  wpb_column vc_column_container tdc-column td-pb-span12\">\n<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_breadcrumbs tdi_76 td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2 tdb-breadcrumbs \" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_76\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span>Reviews<\/span><span>Live Reviews<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_title tdi_77 tdb-single-title td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_77\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Twenty One Pilots live at Mad Cool: alt-rock innovators play their hearts out<\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_single_subtitle tdi_78 td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_78\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<p>Iberdrola Music, Friday, July 10: the lads reign in Spain, riding the goodwill of the country&#8217;s World Cup win<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_single_author tdi_80 td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2 tdb-post-meta\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_80\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-author-name-wrap\"><span class=\"tdb-author-by\">By<\/span> Jordan Bassett<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_single_date tdi_81 td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2 tdb-post-meta\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_81\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><time class=\"entry-date updated td-module-date\" datetime=\"2026-07-11T09:39:22+01:00\">11th July 2026<\/time><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"tdi_82\" class=\"tdc-row\">\n<div class=\"vc_row tdi_83  wpb_row td-pb-row\">\n<div class=\"vc_column tdi_85  wpb_column vc_column_container tdc-column td-pb-span12\">\n<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_single_content tdi_86 td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2 td-post-content tagdiv-type\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_86\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<p>Mad Cool turned on a dime tonight (July 10). Spain sealed their triumph over Belgium in the World Cup midway through Kings of Leon\u2019s set on the main stage, leading the Followills to precede \u2018Use Somebody\u2019 with ecstatic visuals declaring <em>\u201cESPA\u00d1A HA GANADO!\u201d (\u201cSpain won!\u201d<\/em>). A state of mass euphoria ensued, with punters spontaneously breaking out into a chant of \u2018Seven Nation Army\u2019. The Kings were already cruising towards festival victory, but this kicked them into hyperspace.<\/p>\n<p>That excitement decidedly spills over into Twenty One Pilots\u2019 bravura headline show on the same stage immediately afterwards, as the Ohio alt-rock innovators close the night with a set that packs in pyro, fireworks and death-defying stunts. Not that they really need the boost: Tyler Joseph and drummer Josh Dun have essentially taken over Iberdrola Music all day, their merch-clad fans \u2013 aka the Skeleton Clique \u2013 flooding the site in such vast numbers that it felt like you were walking among a religious cult.<\/p>\n<div class=\"td-a-ad id_inline_ad0 id_ad_content-horiz-center\"><span class=\"td-adspot-title\">Advertisement<\/span><\/div>\n<p>One lad wandered into the Pixies crowd earlier with his neck painted black, a reference to Blurryface, a figure at the heart of the band\u2019s complex lore. Or maybe he just needed a good shower on day three of the festival. In any case, when Joseph roars, \u201cWe\u2019re gonna give you everything we\u2019ve got tonight!\u201d, it\u2019s far from boilerplate festival crowd work \u2013 it\u2019s a statement of intent and possibly the Pilots\u2019 entire <em>raison d\u2019etre<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>The duo take absolutely no chances, stuffing their small hours set (they come on at half midnight) with one hook after another. There\u2019s even a section where they lead a singalong of Cher\u2019s \u2018Believe\u2019 and, yes, \u2018Seven Nation Army\u2019 \u2013 the latter introduced by a video of Jack White giving them his blessing. \u201cCongratulations on your win tonight,\u201d Joseph yells, prompting an ear-splitting roar from the audience.<\/p>\n<p>This crowd-pleasing approach says a lot about the group. For all that their music is steeped in enough narrative to fill several hundred branches of Games Workshop, as the lyrics concern a character named Clancy battling a bunch of bad bastards called the Bishops, this is also just an epic arena show that anyone can appreciate.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_3956356\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-3956356\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-3956356\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Mad-Cool-26-atmost.jpeg\" alt width=\"2000\" height=\"1267\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-3956356\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Mad Cool 2026. CREDIT: Javier Bragado<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>You don\u2019t need to be a card-carrying member of the Skeleton Clique, for example, to appreciate the festival-ready chant of \u2018heavydirtysoul\u2019, or the moment when Dun climbs a huge ladder to batter the drum kit atop a precipitous tower of scaffolding. Not to be outdone, Joseph scales the viewing platform opposite the stage, standing on its edge as he sing-songs through the cod-reggae of \u2018Ride\u2019. After that daredevil Russian couple made headlines with their Empire State Building stunt earlier this month, you half expect him to get down on one knee and propose to someone up there.<\/p>\n<div class=\"td-a-ad id_inline_ad1 id_ad_content-horiz-center\">\n<h5 class=\"taboola-mid-article-title\">Recommended<\/h5>\n<\/div>\n<p>So, yes, this is a nail-biter of a set, which begins and ends with Joseph standing on a disc that\u2019s being held up by fans in the front few rows. For any other band, that would be the most noteworthy part of the night; for these guys, it\u2019s just another dizzying combination play. One-nil to Twenty One Pilots.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Twenty One Pilots played:<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>\u2018Overcompensate\u2019<br \/>\n\u2018The Contract\u2019<br \/>\n\u2018Center Mass\u2019<br \/>\n\u2018Shy Away\u2019<br \/>\n\u2018Heathens\u2019<br \/>\n\u2018Next Semester\u2019<br \/>\n\u2018One Way\u2019 (with Milky Chance\u2019s \u2018Stolen Dance\u2019 in the bridge)<br \/>\n\u2018Tear in My Heart\u2019<br \/>\n\u2018Jumpsuit\u2019 (with first verse and chorus of \u2018City Walls\u2019 in the bridge)<br \/>\n\u2018Nico and the Niners\u2019<br \/>\n\u2018Heavydirtysoul\u2019<br \/>\n\u2018Drum Show\u2019<br \/>\n\u2018RAWFEAR\u2019<br \/>\n\u2018Drag Path\u2019<br \/>\n\u2018Doubt\u2019<br \/>\n\u2018Ride\u2019<br \/>\n\u2018Tally\u2019 (with a snippet of Cher\u2019s \u2018Believe\u2019 in the bridge)<br \/>\n\u2018Seven Nation Army\u2019<br \/>\n\u2018Stressed Out\u2019<br \/>\n\u2018Trees\u2019<\/p>\n<p><em>NME is the official media partner of Mad Cool\u200b<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_single_tags tdi_87 td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_87\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<ul class=\"tdb-tags\">\n<li><span>Related Topics<\/span><\/li>\n<li>Pop<\/li>\n<li>Rap<\/li>\n<li>Rock<\/li>\n<li>Twenty One Pilots<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"tdi_88\" class=\"tdc-row\">\n<div class=\"vc_row tdi_89  wpb_row td-pb-row\">\n<div class=\"vc_column tdi_91  wpb_column vc_column_container tdc-column td-pb-span12\">\n<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"vc_row_inner tdi_93  vc_row vc_inner wpb_row td-pb-row\">\n<div class=\"vc_column_inner tdi_95  wpb_column vc_column_container tdc-inner-column td-pb-span12\">\n<div class=\"vc_column-inner\">\n<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"wpb_wrapper td_block_wrap vc_raw_html tdi_97 \">\n<div class=\"td-fix-index\">\n<h3>More Stories<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap td_flex_block_1 tdi_98 td-pb-border-top td_module_flex_1--card td_module_flex_1--card--highlight td_block_template_2 tdc-no-posts td_flex_block\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_98\">\n<div id=\"tdi_98\" class=\"td_block_inner td-mc1-wrap\">\n<div class=\"td_module_flex td_module_flex_1 td_module_wrap td-animation-stack\">\n<div class=\"td-module-container td-category-pos-above\">\n<div class=\"td-module-meta-info\">\n                    Live Reviews<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"entry-title td-module-title\">Mad Cool Festival 2026 Day Three: Halsey, Pixies, Cliffords and Interpol rock Madrid<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"td_module_flex td_module_flex_1 td_module_wrap td-animation-stack\">\n<div class=\"td-module-container td-category-pos-above\">\n<div class=\"td-module-meta-info\">\n                    Music News<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"entry-title td-module-title\">Jack White offers Twin Temple support slot after duo were dropped from Charley Crockett tour due to \u201cSatanic imagery\u201d<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"td_module_flex td_module_flex_1 td_module_wrap td-animation-stack\">\n<div class=\"td-module-container td-category-pos-above\">\n<div class=\"td-module-meta-info\">\n                    Music News<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"entry-title td-module-title\">Watch JENNIE perform epic remix of Tame Impala\u2019s \u2018Dracula\u2019 at Mad Cool 2026<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"td_module_flex td_module_flex_1 td_module_wrap td-animation-stack\">\n<div class=\"td-module-container td-category-pos-above\">\n<div class=\"td-module-meta-info\">\n                    Music News<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"entry-title td-module-title\">Sam Fender and Olivia Dean\u2019s \u2018Rein Me In\u2019 makes history as longest-running British Number One of all time<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"td_module_flex td_module_flex_1 td_module_wrap td-animation-stack\">\n<div class=\"td-module-container td-category-pos-above\">\n<div class=\"td-module-meta-info\">\n                    Music News<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"entry-title td-module-title\">Nick Cave &amp; The Bad Seeds announce Resident record shop takeover to celebrate huge Brighton homecoming show<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"td_module_flex td_module_flex_1 td_module_wrap td-animation-stack\">\n<div class=\"td-module-container td-category-pos-above\">\n<div class=\"td-module-meta-info\">\n                    Features<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"entry-title td-module-title\">Bonnie Tyler, 1951\u20132026: raspy-voiced Welshwoman who captured \u201cwhat rock\u2019n\u2019roll is all about\u201d<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"tdi_99\" class=\"tdc-row\">\n<div class=\"vc_row tdi_100  wpb_row td-pb-row\">\n<div class=\"vc_column tdi_102  wpb_column vc_column_container tdc-column td-pb-span12\">\n<div class=\"wpb_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"wpb_wrapper td_block_wrap vc_raw_html tdi_104 \">\n<div class=\"td-fix-index\">\n<h3>You May Also Like<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><span class=\"td-page-meta\"><\/span><span class=\"td-page-meta\"><span class=\"td-page-meta\"><\/span><\/span><span class=\"td-page-meta\"><\/span><\/article>\n<\/p>\n<div class=\"td_block_wrap tdb_single_content tdi_86 td-pb-border-top td_block_template_2 td-post-content tagdiv-type\" data-td-block-uid=\"tdi_86\">\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<p>Mad Cool turned on a dime tonight (July 10). Spain sealed their triumph over Belgium in the World Cup midway through Kings of Leon\u2019s set on the main stage, leading the Followills to precede \u2018Use Somebody\u2019 with ecstatic visuals declaring <em>\u201cESPA\u00d1A HA GANADO!\u201d (\u201cSpain won!\u201d<\/em>). A state of mass euphoria ensued, with punters spontaneously breaking out into a chant of \u2018Seven Nation Army\u2019. The Kings were already cruising towards festival victory, but this kicked them into hyperspace.<\/p>\n<p>That excitement decidedly spills over into Twenty One Pilots\u2019 bravura headline show on the same stage immediately afterwards, as the Ohio alt-rock innovators close the night with a set that packs in pyro, fireworks and death-defying stunts. Not that they really need the boost: Tyler Joseph and drummer Josh Dun have essentially taken over Iberdrola Music all day, their merch-clad fans \u2013 aka the Skeleton Clique \u2013 flooding the site in such vast numbers that it felt like you were walking among a religious cult.<\/p>\n<div class=\"td-a-ad id_inline_ad0 id_ad_content-horiz-center\"><span class=\"td-adspot-title\">Advertisement<\/span><\/div>\n<p>One lad wandered into the Pixies crowd earlier with his neck painted black, a reference to Blurryface, a figure at the heart of the band\u2019s complex lore. Or maybe he just needed a good shower on day three of the festival. In any case, when Joseph roars, \u201cWe\u2019re gonna give you everything we\u2019ve got tonight!\u201d, it\u2019s far from boilerplate festival crowd work \u2013 it\u2019s a statement of intent and possibly the Pilots\u2019 entire <em>raison d\u2019etre<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p>The duo take absolutely no chances, stuffing their small hours set (they come on at half midnight) with one hook after another. There\u2019s even a section where they lead a singalong of Cher\u2019s \u2018Believe\u2019 and, yes, \u2018Seven Nation Army\u2019 \u2013 the latter introduced by a video of Jack White giving them his blessing. \u201cCongratulations on your win tonight,\u201d Joseph yells, prompting an ear-splitting roar from the audience.<\/p>\n<p>This crowd-pleasing approach says a lot about the group. For all that their music is steeped in enough narrative to fill several hundred branches of Games Workshop, as the lyrics concern a character named Clancy battling a bunch of bad bastards called the Bishops, this is also just an epic arena show that anyone can appreciate.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_3956356\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-3956356\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-3956356\" src=\"https:\/\/www.nme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/Mad-Cool-26-atmost.jpeg\" alt width=\"2000\" height=\"1267\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-3956356\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Mad Cool 2026. CREDIT: Javier Bragado<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>You don\u2019t need to be a card-carrying member of the Skeleton Clique, for example, to appreciate the festival-ready chant of \u2018heavydirtysoul\u2019, or the moment when Dun climbs a huge ladder to batter the drum kit atop a precipitous tower of scaffolding. Not to be outdone, Joseph scales the viewing platform opposite the stage, standing on its edge as he sing-songs through the cod-reggae of \u2018Ride\u2019. After that daredevil Russian couple made headlines with their Empire State Building stunt earlier this month, you half expect him to get down on one knee and propose to someone up there.<\/p>\n<div class=\"td-a-ad id_inline_ad1 id_ad_content-horiz-center\">\n<h5 class=\"taboola-mid-article-title\">Recommended<\/h5>\n<\/div>\n<p>So, yes, this is a nail-biter of a set, which begins and ends with Joseph standing on a disc that\u2019s being held up by fans in the front few rows. For any other band, that would be the most noteworthy part of the night; for these guys, it\u2019s just another dizzying combination play. One-nil to Twenty One Pilots.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Twenty One Pilots played:<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>\u2018Overcompensate\u2019<br \/>\n\u2018The Contract\u2019<br \/>\n\u2018Center Mass\u2019<br \/>\n\u2018Shy Away\u2019<br \/>\n\u2018Heathens\u2019<br \/>\n\u2018Next Semester\u2019<br \/>\n\u2018One Way\u2019 (with Milky Chance\u2019s \u2018Stolen Dance\u2019 in the bridge)<br \/>\n\u2018Tear in My Heart\u2019<br \/>\n\u2018Jumpsuit\u2019 (with first verse and chorus of \u2018City Walls\u2019 in the bridge)<br \/>\n\u2018Nico and the Niners\u2019<br \/>\n\u2018Heavydirtysoul\u2019<br \/>\n\u2018Drum Show\u2019<br \/>\n\u2018RAWFEAR\u2019<br \/>\n\u2018Drag Path\u2019<br \/>\n\u2018Doubt\u2019<br \/>\n\u2018Ride\u2019<br \/>\n\u2018Tally\u2019 (with a snippet of Cher\u2019s \u2018Believe\u2019 in the bridge)<br \/>\n\u2018Seven Nation Army\u2019<br \/>\n\u2018Stressed Out\u2019<br \/>\n\u2018Trees\u2019<\/p>\n<p><em>NME is the official media partner of Mad Cool\u200b<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>[analyse_source url=&#8221;https:\/\/www.nme.com\/reviews\/live\/twenty-one-pilots-mad-cool-live-report-setlist-photos-3956346&#8243;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>[analyse_image type=&#8221;featured&#8221; src=&#8221;https:\/\/www.nme.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/TwentyOne-Pilots-at-Mad-Cool.jpeg&#8221;] Twenty One Pilots at Mad Cool 2026. Credit: Andres Iglesias ReviewsLive Reviews Twenty One Pilots live at Mad Cool: alt-rock innovators play their hearts out Iberdrola Music, Friday, July 10: the lads reign in Spain, riding the goodwill of the country&#8217;s World Cup win By Jordan Bassett 11th July 2026 Mad Cool [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[226,78],"class_list":["post-2038915","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-politics","tag-crawlmanager","tag-nme-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2038915","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2038915"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2038915\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2038915"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2038915"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2038915"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}