Live Review: Fall Out Boy – So Much (for) Tourdust – The O2, London

It’s cool to like alternative music once more and Fall Out Boy has capitalised on that by selling out not just one but TWO nights at the O2 Arena! Enlisting the support of Pvris and Nothing, Nowhere, Fall Out Boy minted on giving their fans a night full of new memories and childhood nostalgia. We went down to night 2 of their London residency to check out what they were bringing to the table this time around. Here’s what went down!

Kicking things off was Nothing,Nowhere, an American alternative rapper who blurs the lines between mainstream and alternative music. Bringing a heavier blend of music to the O2 Arena, the set came as quite a shock to the system for some in attendance. Guttural screams mixed in with a smooth flow and a pinch of attitude helped to loosen up the muscles of the early birds in attendance on the night. A massive stage for the up-and-coming artist with a lot to prove meant he was able to captivate more minds than ever before and by the end of his set, he received a very positive reaction!

Artsy in nature, Pvris would hit the stage next to a large applause. Not quite as chaotic as Nothing, Nowhere but more focused on their sound, Pvris would quickly have the London crowd joining in with their unique art. Mostly performing in Sillohuets, the visual performance was quite something. Mixing heavy emotions with impactful instrumentals seemed to be a perfect way to hype up the Fall Out Boy crowd as when the set ended, the venue’s anticipation hit a boiling point.

Lights out, the sound of ‘Ther Pink Seashell’ echoed around the O2 Arena before the curtain opened and Fall Out Boy unleashed ‘Love From The Other Side’ to a sold-out arena! Fireworks and singing would be followed by fire, and a lot of it during ‘The Phoenix’. Pete Wentz would mesmerise the crowd with his bass/flamethrower combination while the rest of the band proved that they may sound the best they ever have on this tour! One of the classic Kerrang TV rotation tracks was up next as ‘Sugar, We’re Goin Down’ sent the crowd into overdrive early on.

A massive part of this performance was the stage design and as the curtain reopened once again, Fall Out Boy where deep in the depth of an ocean where they would perform the likes of ‘Uma Thurman’ and ‘A Little Less Sixteen Candles, A Little More “Touch Me”’. Turning back the clock saw a performance of ‘Chicago Is So Two Years Ago’ and ‘Grand Theft Autumn/Where Is Your Boy’. Dog Lovers rejoice as a giant rottweiler hed would lend Patrick Stump a helping hand during ‘This Ain’t A Scene, It’s An Arms Race’ top the amusement of both him and the fans.

Showing their experience and expertise, after the song ‘Heaven, Iowa’ Pete would briefly stop the show as he noticed an injured fan fairly deep into the crowd and ensured they got the help they needed. A touch of class and professionalism from the band went a long way toward proving they really do care about their fans./ The show would resume with and run through the motions until Patrick’s Piano medley section which consisted of partial performances of Queen’s ‘Don’t Stop Me Now’, ‘What A Catch, Donnie’ and ‘Golden’ before the band would return for a powerful performance of ‘Save Rock And Roll’ and a fan favourite in the form of ‘So Much (for) Stardust’.

The Piano medley wasnt the last cover of the night however as the band would cover Blur’s ‘Song 2’ before Pete would appear at the sound desk to start ‘Dance, Dance’ where he would walk through the sound out crowd playing his signature bass groove before reuniting with his band onstage. ‘Hold Me Like A Grugde’ went down well with the crowd making a tonne of noise as Patrick delivered a vocal growl during the second verse.
One of the most entertaining parts of the set came in the form of the Magic 8 Ball Section where, as expected, a Magic 8 ball would decide the fate of the set. Up first would be the full band live debut of ‘What A Time To Be Alive’ before being followed by ‘American Beauty/American Psycho’ which received an overwhelming reaction. Heating up the crowd once more, the flamethrower bass would return during ‘My Songs Know What You Did In The Dark (Light Em Up)’ before a powerhouse closing of their set with the trio of ‘Thnks fr th Mmrs’, ‘Centuries’ and ‘Saturday’.

As the alternative music revival seems to be here to stay, Fall Out Boy have proven why they are one of the bands at the very front of it! Their sound was incredibly crisp and clean on the night and their overall energy levels seemed higher than ever. On top of that, their stage production on this tour has been truly remarkable and adds a whole new element to their live show that fans seem to be eating up.