Fall Out Boy at the O2 Arena

Fall Out Boy are back with their newest tour and record, So Much (for) Stardust. During the first of two nights in London, no holds were barred – the entire night felt like a paradise for music and sensation-seeking hedonists. After a couple of first songs, one can be sure that the entire audience found their source of fulfilment. Fall Out Boy served their purpose: they proved why the whole O2 Arena has been sold out. 

To paraphrase one of their albums’ titles, the band succeeded in, once again, saving rock and roll in awe-inspiring style. They always refused to be pigeonholed by a particular genre and this concert was a reminder of it, as singing along to Young Volcanoes or Thanks fr th Mmrs seemed like experiencing a music rollercoaster. Some of their songs hit differently now: the band isn’t young anymore, but their inner defiance is still there. 

The evening consisted of heartfelt moments, like the one when the band’s bassist and proverbial leader, Pete Wentz, mentioned that they were grateful to the London audience for spending a night with them: that’s how you build trust with your listener. Besides, they still remember their roots, even if tracks like Grand Theft Autumn were released on their first album. “It’s actually insane to play these songs 20 years later,” said Wentz, and then the pop-punk quartet delivered another explosive track, My Songs Know What You Did in the Dark (Light Em Up).

Time flies, but Fall Out Boy are still as free-spirited as they have always been. Who else covers Green Day with such braggadocio and naturalness? Presumably, no one. We forget that these guys are nearly 40. Yet, sheer joy is there, and that’s how the entire event was delivered. Even if their songs are dynamic and intense, musicians from Fall Out Boy have been readily able to be in control of their manic and mad tracks.

Another highlight was a solo piano interlude from Patrick Stump, who covered beloved-by-everyone Mr Blue Sky and Golden. Sometime later, other band members joined him, but he stayed right in the centre of the scene, glued to his piano, an instrument he felt maybe even more fiercely in tune with than the guitar. The conclusion is – what an underrated singer Stump is.

Although there was no encore (the concert abruptly finished just like that), it was sheer professionalism in a laddish, noisy and energetic style. Fall Out Boy’s music has evolved through the years, but the youthful aura that’s accompanied their careers hasn’t changed. Hopefully, it will never fade away.

Jan Tracz
Photos: Nick Bennett

For further information and future events visit Fall Out Boy’s website here.

Watch the video for the single Hold Me Like a Grudge here: