Niall Horan Honors Liam Payne with Voice Tribute at Birmingham Concert Niall Horan paid tribute to late One Direction bandmate Liam Payne by playing a recording of his voice during a concert in Birmingham on Tuesday night. Niall Horan paid a heartfelt tribute to his late One Direction bandmate Liam Payne by playing a recording of Payne's voice during his concert at Birmingham on Tuesday night. Payne died at age 31 in October 2024 after falling from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Horan performed the song End Of An Era, which he has said is about Payne, during the opening night of his Dinner Party Live on Tour, and the tribute left many fans in tears. Emotional Tribute During Birmingham ConcertDuring an instrumental section of End Of An Era, Horan played guitar as an audio clip of Payne speaking filled the arena. The recording, taken from a previous interview, featured Payne saying that they thought something might happen but never anything like this. He added that he always tried to remind himself of where he had come from and where he had managed to get to in his life, calling it amazing.As the recording played, the stage lights darkened and Horan stood solemnly with his hands on his hips, looking out into the crowd in a moment of reflection. Fans took to X to express their grief, with many saying they had been crying since that moment. Some wrote that they now had to listen to One Direction and cry, while others said that hearing Payne's warm voice was a tender moment and that he is deeply missed.End Of An Era Lyrics and Fan ReactionsThe lyrics of End Of An Era reminisce about the band's One Direction days. The song includes lines about having pure magic, remembering what it was like, time passing so fast, and not being able to say goodbye. The performance marked a poignant moment for fans who have followed Horan and Payne's careers since their time together in One Direction.Back in March, Horan opened up about the aftermath of Payne's death in an interview with GQ. He explained that he went into hiding a little bit after Payne's funeral, which was attended by all of their other bandmates: Harry Styles, Zayn Malik and Louis Tomlinson. He recalled seeing lots of photos and videos of them growing up together and being nostalgic about it straightaway, along with fear, sadness and all the stuff that comes with grief.Niall Horan Reflects on Liam Payne's PassingOn getting the news of Payne's passing, Horan said he remembered getting a message and being in disbelief, thinking it was not real. He noted that Payne was so young and that you are not expecting to hear that someone you have just seen has passed. He described going back from shock to sadness to anger.Horan also recalled one of his most prominent memories of Payne, which was when they shared a room together at X Factor bootcamp. He spoke about seeing Payne in Argentina shortly before his death and said he seemed in good form. He added that although they had not seen each other for a while, when they met they immediately fell back into their familiar friendship.Following Payne's death, Horan posted a tribute on Instagram, writing that he was absolutely devastated about the passing of his amazing friend. He said it just did not feel real and that Payne had an energy for life and a passion for work that was infectious. He described Payne as the brightest in every room and said he always made everyone feel happy and secure.Horan also said that all the laughs they had over the years, sometimes about the simplest of things, kept coming to mind through the sadness. He noted that they got to live out their wildest dreams together and that he would cherish every moment forever. He added that the bond and friendship they had does not happen often in a lifetime.In a separate interview with the Sunday Times Culture magazine, Horan said he would always be grateful that his final memory of Payne is a happy one. He said it still feels surreal and that on day one he thought it did not happen. He described their friendship as a bond that was there forever even if they had not seen each other for a while, and said it is wild that one day, like the flick of a switch, Payne is gone.The tribute in Birmingham is one of the first public performances where Horan has incorporated Payne's voice into his show. Fans continue to mourn Payne's death, and the emotional moment at the concert highlighted the lasting impact of his life and friendship with Horan.