LIVE: Fall Out Boy, MEN Arena, Manchester, 09.10.15

No matter what they say, how ‘over’ their pop-punk phase they claim to be, I guarantee anyone would jump at the chance to see Fall Out Boy; and it’s safe to say I’m glad I did.

Getting there just in time for Brooklyn-based dance duo Matt and Kim, the energy was instantly set for the night. Known for their DIY approach to music, the pair certainly aren’t afraid to give the audience something new. To say their energy is infectious is an understatement; their upbeat pop and relentless dancing around the stage – with Kim even making the audience hold her up so she could twerk above them – makes you want nothing more than to dance with them. It’s performance at it’s finest.

Professor Green was up next and I can’t help but wonder who designed this lineup. Whoever it was, however, should never have their logic questioned. It’s an odd sight, seeing hundreds of scene kids singing along to ‘Read All About It’ and ‘Just Be Good To Green’, but a refreshing one; a reminder that not everyone is massively closed minded and will actually greet most enjoyable music with open arms. Professor Green is one of those acts you see thinking you won’t know anything, and suddenly catch yourself singing along to every song; you know them without knowing you do and they’ll stick with you for ages after hearing them. Tugging on everyone’s heartstrings for the final song, ‘Read All About It’ was met with a sea of phone torches and lighters – a surprisingly nice use for phones at a gig.

As expected, seeing Fall Out Boy felt exactly like I’d shot back in time about 8 years. Kicking off with ‘Sugar, We’re Going Down’, Fall Out Boy proved from the offset that their years of experience have done them nothing but favours – they’re not ‘past it’ as you may expect, but rather they’ve grown into a band that undeniably knows how to work an arena. 10 seconds into the first song, everyone who had been sat down had stood up, and everyone standing had launched into a full on bounce, which didn’t seem to let up for the entire set. By the third song, ‘The Phoenix’, fire had already started. Whilst I definitely felt a little odd during the newer songs – during which it felt like I was just seeing a new pop-punk band that I didn’t actually want to see – it has got to be said that Fall Out Boy kept the energy at a constant high.

Giving the audience a chance to catch their breath again after the excitement of ‘This Ain’t A Scene, It’s An Arms Race’, the band moved to the B-Stage in the centre of the room for a brief acoustic break of ‘Immortals’ and ‘Young Volcanoes’. After a drum solo whilst the band ran back to the stage, it was clear why the acoustic break was needed; they launched full force into an absolutely immense final half of the set, featuring ‘Dance, Dance’ ‘American Beauty/American Psycho’ and ‘Thnks fr the Mmrs’. An encore consisting of ‘My Songs Know What You Did In The Dark’ and ‘Saturday’ cemented the idea that no matter how cool you think you are, you’re never too cool for Fall Out Boy.

Melissa Svensen

Melissa Svensen

Melissa, 22. Editor. Student, music journalist, probably talking about Blur or Bowie