{"id":67860,"date":"2023-10-30T11:12:44","date_gmt":"2023-10-30T11:12:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/talkcelnews.com\/?p=67860"},"modified":"2023-10-30T11:12:44","modified_gmt":"2023-10-30T11:12:44","slug":"fall-out-boy-manchester-ao-arena-review-10-10-no-notes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/talkcelnews.com\/music\/fall-out-boy-manchester-ao-arena-review-10-10-no-notes\/","title":{"rendered":"Fall Out Boy Manchester AO Arena review – 10\/10, no notes"},"content":{"rendered":"

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This year marks 20 years since the release of Fall Out Boy\u2019s first album, Take This To Your Grave. And to celebrate, last night\u2019s sell-out show at Manchester\u2019s AO Arena took us right back to the beginning, with a 27-song setlist spanning the emo pop rockers\u2019 entire career.\u00a0<\/span>There was Chicago Is So Two Years Ago and Grand Theft Autumn\/Where Is Your Boy, then Sugar We\u2019re Going Down, A Little Less Sixteen Candles and Dance Dance from sophomore release Under The Cork Tree. \u201cIt\u2019s insane we\u2019re playing songs off this record 20 years later – and in an arena,\u201d said bassist Pete Wentz, looking around the 21,000 or so strong crowd. And indeed it was a masterclass in giving us what we wanted – the hits. One after the other they came, a veritable wrecking ball of fan favourites.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

The staging was good too – and in a welcome break from the space theme we\u2019ve seen A LOT lately there was a rotating starfish, a giant moving doberman head, a part-owl-part-tree contraption, a magic eight ball and fire – lots and lots of fire, including from out of Pete\u2019s guitar.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

There was even a magic trick, as a hoody-clad Pete disappeared from behind a black sheet atop a piano, appearing again at the back of the area on a small stage in the crowd.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

From start to finish there was plenty of interest, and importantly – fun.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The band – singer and guitarist Patrick Stump, Pete on bass, guitarist Joe Trohman and drummer Andy Hurley – looked to be having a good time.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

They spoke a lot, which gave us a little slice of them.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cGuilty pleasures is the stupidest phrase we have – why would you feel bad for liking what you like?\u201d mused Pete.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThere are a lot of you here,\u201d said Patrick. \u201cI have little kids so I try not to swear, so I\u2019m like \u2018jiminee there\u2019s a lot of you\u2019.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Poking fun at his long hair, beautifully balayaged, Pete said, \u201cI was on an aeroplane a few months ago and someone said, \u2018Is the wig so people won\u2019t recognise you?\u2019\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<\/p>\n

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Patrick\u2019s voice was great throughout, particularly during a pared back piano rendition of What A Catch, Donnie, Golden and Don\u2019t Stop Believin\u2019 a cover of the huge Journey hit,\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

And in general, the sound at the AO Arena was clear – the best I\u2019ve heard.<\/span><\/p>\n

Ending on My Songs Know What You Did In The Dark (Light Em Up), Thnks Fr Th Mmrs, Centuries and Saturday it was banger after banger to close the show, with the band forgoing an encore to fit more in.\u00a0<\/p>\n

A high to end a show without any lows.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Others should take note – that\u2019s how you do it.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/p>\n