Photo: Justine Trickett
Fall Out Boy have played a mixture of UK venues since their 2013 reunion – from Camden’s Underworld to Reading festival to Islington O2 Academy – but Wembley Arena is the big one.
It’s not that Fall Out Boy aren't an arena band – they’re more than capable of it – but there’s no denying that they thrive in smaller, more intimate venues. The crowd at the arena definitely don’t seem to mind, judging by the way the atmosphere is electric. While support acts New Politics and The Pretty Reckless get a decent enough reception, there’s no comparison to the screaming welcome that Fall Out Boy receive when they take to the stage and straight away launch into ‘The Phoenix’, wearing the now familiar balaclavas.
The band mostly make good use of the screens behind them, showing what’s happening on stage to those sat too far away to see the stage clearly, and there are some nice moments when the inevitable crowd shots include those in the seats instead of just in the standing area – as well as a Mexican wave shown all around the arena. Still, at times they seem a little superfluous – the slideshow of random kids with mohawks during ‘Alone Together’, especially.
It’s easy to see what Fall Out Boy are going for, but it only really seems out of place. While they have an eclectic fanbase by any stretch of the imagination, there’s a definite shortage of mohawks at the arena tonight. The punk references continue with a video taping of an interview talking about punk rock, and it only serves to highlight the disparity – what Fall Out Boy do is great, but it’s not punk rock, and definitely not the type of punk rock they’re showing on the screen.
That’s just a minor quibble in the scheme of things, and Fall Out Boy don’t make it easy to criticise them. They take full advantage of the arena, including a three-song acoustic set in the middle of the venue, where lead singer Patrick Stump really shows off his vocals with performances of ‘Grand Theft Auto’, ‘Sophomore Slump or Comeback of the Year’ and ‘I’m Like A Lawyer With The Way I'm Always Trying To Get You Off’.
They've also perfected the mixture of old songs and newer ones, including tracks such as ‘Saturday’ from fan favourite Take This To Your Grave, as well as the one of their latest hits ‘My Songs Know What You Did In The Dark’ – Pete Wentz tells the crowd, “This one was written for all of you.” And of course, it wouldn't be complete without his routine speech about staying weird.
Look, this is what it comes down to with Fall Out Boy. They've been around for a while now, and there’s no doubt that they know what they’re doing, but it’s more than that. The long hiatus and subsequent reunion has seen them re-energized – they’re doing this because they want to, not because they have to, and it shows.
Whether they’re playing to 100 people or 10,000 people, Fall Out Boy give it their all, playing hit after hit after hit. Let’s hope this time they’ll stick around for a while.
Fall Out Boy played:
The Phoenix
I Slept with Someone in Fall Out Boy and All I Got Was This Stupid Song Written About Me
A Little Less Sixteen Candles, a Little More "Touch Me"
This Ain't a Scene, It's an Arms Race
Alone Together
Thriller
Death Valley
Sugar, We're Goin Down Young
Volcanoes Beat It (Michael Jackson cover)
Acoustic:
Sophomore Slump or Comeback of the Year
I'm Like a Lawyer with the Way I'm Always Trying to Get You Off (Me & You)
Grand Theft Autumn/Where Is Your Boy
Dance, Dance
Just One Yesterday
I Don't Care
My Songs Know What You Did in the Dark (Light 'Em Up)
Encore:
Save Rock and Roll
Thnks fr th Mmrs
Saturday
Below: More exclusive and awesome photos of Fall Out Boy rocking Wembley Arena
