Fall Out Boy’s crowd was a mixed bag. There were the side fringes and smudged eyeliner reminiscent of the mid-2000s emo days, teenagers who’d come on board post-hiatus, and even an 8-year- old boy (props to him for throwing the bird for the entirety of ‘I Don’t Care’) whose parents had been getting down since their 2003 debut, Take This To Your Grave.
That’s the way of bands like Fall Out Boy – those who were born creating music for outcasts, but ended up becoming so huge that they’d sell out Margaret Court Arena with ease.
Don’t underestimate it – no matter what you think of Fall Out Boy’s music, this was every part a rock’n’roll stadium show. Launching straight into ‘The Phoenix’ through jets of flame, it’s clear Fall Out Boy meant business; they weren’t letting up, and they wouldn’t let the crowd off easy either.
From there, the band flew through ‘Irresistible’, ‘Hum Hallelujah’ and their breakout single ‘Sugar, We’re Goin Down’. Just like that, fans were treated to a neat little summary of the Fall Out Boy journey, with blasts of confetti, streamers, and more flames for good measure.
Then, the intensity paused, as vocalist Patrick Stump took to the piano for a gorgeous performance of ‘Save Rock and Roll’ and a solo, stripped-back rendition of ‘Young and Menace’. Not to be outdone by the power of Stump’s vocals, drummer Andy Hurley was given the stage, where he busted out an incredible drum solo above tracks from Kendrick Lamar, Lil Uzi Vert, Post Malone, and Blur.
The opening moments of ‘Dance, Dance’ were enough to send the crowd into overdrive. With Pete Wentz now standing on a small stage at the end of the floor disguised as a security guard, even those in the furthest seats were treated.
Besides the sheer talent on display, one of the biggest highlights of Fall Out Boy’s show was the way they catered to every pocket of their fan base. From the ultimate throwback in ‘Grand Theft Autumn’ to choice cuts from their latest album, every record got a look in. While the crowd seemed most thankful for the older material, it was great to see the development
of their career squeezed into an hour and a half.
As far as encores go, this was a beauty. ‘Thriller’, ‘Uma Thurman’ and ‘My Songs Know What You Did In The Dark’ led into ‘Saturday’, one of their first singles, proving that nostalgia wins after all.
The show was fantastic – even after 17 years and seven studio albums, they still managed to find a near perfect balance between promoting their latest record and playing the older tracks. But bloody hell, surely there’s a way to more subtly highlight the fact that Pete Wentz is the “band leader” without blacking out the stage and sticking a spotlight on him between
every single song.
I left the venue remembering all the times I changed my msn messenger display name to a line from a Fall Out Boy song whenever I was feeling a little blue. I don’t think I’ll be leaving my 2005 reverie any time soon.
Highlight: Inject nostalgia into my veins, I’m forever living in 2005.
Lowlight: A ticket mix up which meant we weren’t allowed in the venue during the support act, but I heard Waax killed it.
Crowd Fave: ‘Grand Theft Autumn’ into ‘Thnks Fr The Mmrs’ seemed to do it.
