Fandom Spotlight: Panic! at the Disco

For many, 2006 was the best year for music. Fall Out Boy were doing their thing, Paramore had exploded onto the scene, and Panic! at the Disco were starting their rise to emo-rock stardom. Although the lineup and sound has changed throughout the years, Panic! will always have a strong following here on Mibba!

The Music

Panic! at the Disco’s sound is definitely hard to nail down -- every single album has been different, unique, and exciting for fans to listen to. Their first offering, A Fever You Can’t Sweat Out was a fantastic mix-mash of classical instrumentation, dance beats and solid rock backing. The theatrical nature of the music, accompanied by the catchiness of their second single "I Write Sins Not Tragedies" saw the band propelled into the same level of stardom as bands like Fall Out Boy.

The band’s second album, Pretty. Odd. saw a large change to the music, with the focus being on a more folky fusion of guitars and the psychedelic sound made famous by bands such as The Beach Boys -- a sound which produced feel-good tunes such as "Nine in the Afternoon" and more melancholy tracks like "Northern Downpour", both of which received heavy airplay. It also introduced perhaps the largest controversy of the band’s entire career -- the dropping of the ‘!’ in their name. A year after the release of this album, guitarist Ryan Ross and bassist Jon Walker left the band, prompting another change in style and a split in the band, leaving only singer Brendon Urie and drummer Spencer Smith to carry on the band.

When Vices and Virtues dropped (with the inclusion of the ‘!’ again and new bassist Dallon Weekes), the sound was a mix of the anthemic power from the first album and other styles of music. With this rapid departure from the last album, fans were once again introduced to a different era of Panic! music almost four years after the last album had dropped.

Since then, the band have released one further album -- Too Weird to Live, Too Rare to Die, which draws strongly upon the electronic feel of the first album -- and have another album in the works. The next album also signifies the first without drummer Spencer Smith, who left the band after the last album. Despite the constant changes to the lineup, however, Panic! at the Disco just don’t seem to be losing momentum, with a new album scheduled for release in 2016.

Panic! at the Disco on Mibba

Since Mibba’s inception, Panic! at the Disco seems to have been a staple site-wide. As with all fandoms, activity waxes and wanes with the activity of the band, but there’s always a steady stream of fans on the site ready and willing to get involved!

Enjoy a bit of role-playing? Mibba’s role-playing forum has you covered! A quick forum search will show you what role-plays are currently active and looking for members, or if you’d prefer to start your own then you can recruit other fans to join in through the Role-Play Recruiting Thread.

If you’d rather write a story with others than role-play, then check out the Group-Written Stories forum. Here, you can set up a thread with other Mibbians to discuss, plan and write a Panic! at the Disco co-written story. If you’d like to look for other fans to help you write, then you can do so through the Find a Co-Author thread.

Finally, if you’d rather just talk, then there are areas for that too! The Panic! at the Disco thread in our Music forum has been inactive for a while, but a conversation with other fans can be sparked in there pretty easily! If you would like to create a more interactive and dynamic area for discussion and challenges, then why not create a Panic! at the Disco club in our Clubs forum? And if you’re just looking to pour your heart out about the band, you can always post a blog!

Panic! at the Disco Stories on Mibba

There’s a wealth of reading here on Mibba for Panic! at the Disco fans to get their teeth stuck into!

I Was a Bird & You Were a Map by dead.ex is a story that follows the life of Harley, a stand-in musician who saves the day if bands find themselves a member short for a concert. When Jon Walker breaks his leg and is unable to play a show, Harley finds herself playing a Panic! at the Disco show alongside a very inquisitive Spencer Smith.

A Garden in a Cup by dru is beautiful. is a wonderful little drabble-ish story that features Brendon Urie and Ryan Ross. This cute little piece starts off with Brendon planting daisies in a styrofoam cup -- something that intrigues Ryan.

With over 100 pages of stories in the Panic! at the Disco tag, fans have plenty to choose from! However, if nothing you find takes your fancy, you can always create a new contest or challenge based around the band in the Contests and Challenges thread.

It doesn’t matter if you’ve been with them since the very beginning or if you’ve only just discovered Panic! at the Disco -- you’re sure to find something to enjoy here on Mibba!

Special thanks to silent hearts. and losing control. for editing!