Niall Horan Honors Liam Payne with Voice Tribute at Birmingham Concert Niall Horan paid an emotional 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 an emotional tribute to his late One Direction bandmate Liam Payne during his concert in Birmingham on Tuesday night, leaving fans in tears. The singer played a recording of Liam's voice during a performance of his song End Of An Era, which he has said is about his late friend. Liam Payne died aged 31 in October 2024 after falling from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Emotional Tribute at Birmingham ConcertDuring the opening night of his Dinner Party Live on Tour, Niall Horan performed End Of An Era and played along to an audio of Liam Payne speaking. As Niall played the guitar during an instrumental section, Liam's voice filled the arena in an audio taken from a previous interview. In the recording, Liam said: We thought something might happen but never anything like this. I always try to remind myself of where I've come from and where I've managed to get to in my life. It's amazing, really.As the recording played, the stage lights darkened and Niall looked solemn, standing with his hands on his hips as he looked out into the crowd in an apparent moment of reflection. The tribute left many fans in tears, with some taking to social media to express their emotions. One fan wrote: I cannot describe in words what I felt when I heard Liam's warm voice. But I have been crying since that moment. Another said: Now I have to listen to One Direction and cry. Others commented: Hearing Liam there would've broken me; And now we’re all crying; That must have been such a tender moment—Liam’s voice still carrying through the night; Liam is so missed.End Of An Era and Its MeaningThe lyrics for End Of An Era reminisce on their One Direction days. The song includes the lines: We had it / Pure magic / Remember what it was like / Time passes / So fast and / I couldn't tell you goodbye. Niall Horan has spoken about how the song is about his late friend and bandmate. In March, the singer opened up about the aftermath of Liam's death in an interview with GQ. He explained how he went into hiding a little bit after Liam's funeral, which was attended by all of their other bandmates: Harry Styles, Zayn Malik and Louis Tomlinson.As fans paid tribute around the world, he recalled seeing lots of photos and videos and things of us growing up together. And being nostalgic about it straightaway, along with fear and sadness and all the stuff that comes with grief. On getting the news of his passing, he added: I just remember getting a message, and I was just like, What? I just didn't think it was real. Someone so young, you're not expecting to hear that they've passed, especially someone that you've just seen. I just went back from shock to sadness to anger.Niall Horan Reflects on Friendship with Liam PayneNiall also recalled one of his most prominent memories of Liam – saying it was when they shared a room together at X Factor bootcamp. He also spoke about seeing Liam in Argentina shortly before his death and said he seemed in good form. He added that although they hadn't seen each other for a while when they met they immediately fell back into their familiar friendship. Following the singer's tragic death, Niall took to Instagram and wrote: I'm absolutely devastated about the passing of my amazing friend, Liam. It just doesn't feel real. Liam had an energy for life and a passion for work that was infectious. He was the brightest in every room and always made everyone feel happy and secure.All the laughs we had over the years, sometimes about the simplest of things, keep coming in mind through the sadness. We got to live out our wildest dreams together and I will cherish every moment we had forever. The bond and friendship we had doesn't happen often in a lifetime. Niall also said that he'll always be grateful that his final memory of Liam is a happy one. He told the Sunday Times' Culture magazine: I'm glad of that, it means my last memory of him was happy. It still feels surreal. On day one I was, like, Nah, it didn't happen. Our friendship was a bond that was there for ever even if we hadn't seen each other for a while and it's wild that one day, like the flick of a switch, he's gone.