by Aiden Christer
Fall Out Boy kicked off the European leg their latest album tour last night in Birmingham with roaring renditions of their newest hits, as well as a generous helping of some of their classics. And as a nice surprise to those in attendance, Guitarist Joe Trohman made an unexpected appearance, after announcing earlier in the tour he would be missing in Europe for the birth of his daughter.
FoB played 5 songs off their new album, 2018s M A N I A (yes, that is officially how its written), including an acoustic rendition of Young and Menace after struggling to perform the song live in the lead up to the tour. As well as Young and Menace, they also played hit songs ‘Hold me tight or don’t’, ‘Champion’ and a surprise inclusion of ‘Stay Frosty Royal Milk Tea’.
Lead singer Patrick Stump was on fine form as ever, and has finally got to grips with the new style of songs from the new album, and the old songs sound better than ever. If anything his voice has grown into them as time as gone on. In recent years Stump has really come into his own on stage, and whilst bassist Pete Wentz is still the main voice in-between songs, there is no doubt that Stump is the real star of the show.
The mid way drum solo has become a staple in a FoB concert at this point, and although its not quite the same as the drum battle from the Save Rock and Roll tour, it still gives Andy Hurley a chance to let loose and showcase his abilities. That and it also transitions perfectly into fan favourite ‘Dance Dance’.
As always the show was filled with epilepsy inducing lights, and slightly confusing imagery on the big screen. Why was Princess Diana on there for example? Although I did like the emojis during ‘I Don’t Care’. There was also a second and third stage to give the people at the back a closer look during ‘Dance Dance’ and ‘Wilson (Expensive Mistakes)’.
If you have ever been to a Fall Out Boy concert before then you’ll know that the crowd is very diverse. There are people there for their new stuff, and hard-core fans for their older material. This is a natural symptom for a band that’s been touring for 15 years. But every single one of them will have left after another great performance with a smile on their face and “Saturday” in their ears.
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