Hayley Williams is making sure her concerts are safe places to be. In the middle of a Nov. 7 Paramore show in Toronto, Williams paused the performance to shut down a fight that had broken out. Some fans documented the pause in series of videos, which show how it all happened.
“Stop,” she said at one point. “Everyone OK?” She then noticed that some fans were fighting in the crowd. “Oh man, what do you guys think this is, like, a terror show? We’re not a hardcore band, bro, come on,” she said. “We’re gonna dance tonight, we’re gonna have fun, or we’re not gonna do it.” She then called out the people creating the chaos. “You OK? Are you OK? Do you want to split up? Got me up here acting like a teacher. Detention for everyone.”
She went on to tell fans she hoped she wouldn’t have to stop the show again. “Are you OK out there now? You good?” she asked. “Thank you for taking care of yourself and each other. Jesus Christ. . . . Where were we?”
In September, Williams, 33, confirmed in an interview with The Guardian that she and longtime bandmate Taylor York, 32, are dating. After a long hiatus — their last album as a band was released in 2017 — the band are gearing up to release their next album, “This Is Why,” in 2023.