"We Didn't Start The Fire", but Fall Out Boy did.

 I woke up to face an ordinary day and went to bed with a punk rock overdose. The day of the return of Blink-182 with the album "ONE MORE TIME," I attended the Fall Out Boy concert of the "So Much (for) Stardust" tour.

The funny thing is, I've never been a fan of Blink-182 or Fall Out Boy. However, I'm a huge punk lover. My first encounters with this genre happened when I was a child, tuning in to MTV and hoping to hear "American Idiot" by Green Day between songs by the Black Eyed Peas and Rihanna (who were rocking the scene back then). I didn't understand a word, but it drove me crazy in the best way possible. 

Green Day was the first band that caught my attention, maybe because of the electric guitar or maybe just because their eyeliner was incredibly cool. For a few years, they faded from my mind until I met Davide, one of my best friends, who convinced me to attend one of their concerts in June 2017. That day, I fell in love for the second time, and this time, I didn’t let them go. I started blasting my eardrums with their discography, and Spotify began suggesting similar bands. That's how I got to know bands like Blink-182, Sum 41, Blur... and Fall Out Boy.

My first contact with Fall Out Boy was through the song "Dance Dance." Not bad. So, I decided to give their album "From Under the Cork Tree" a chance. It was catchy and somewhat in line with my tastes at the time, but nothing extraordinary. I also gave "Infinity on High" and "Take This to Your Grave" a shot. I appreciated both albums, but I still found myself running back to "American Idiot."

And here we are now, on October 20, 2023, just a few hours before the show, where I am trying to figure out if any of my friends will come with me. After reading various excuses and peoples’ uninterest, to give some meaning to an otherwise monotonous Friday, I decided to go alone to the Fall Out Boy concert.

Performance

Fall Out Boy took the stage with their original lineup: Patrick Stump on vocals and guitar, Pete Wentz on bass, Andy Hurley on drums, and Joe Trohman on guitar. Shortly after the release of their latest album, Joe Trohman decided to take some time off due to mental health issues. We were glad to see him back on tour after a few months of inactivity. 

You can clearly see that they are a band with twenty years of experience. They know how to command the stage and entertain the audience. Patrick was simply extraordinary; he had an incredible live voice. Not many could sing and play for almost 2 hours with such a high-pitched voice, but he succeeded. Joe did his part, although he seemed a bit indifferent and absent; considering what was said earlier, we forgive him for that. Andy was solid on the drums. But the true frontman, the real leader, the soul of FOB, is Pete.

Contrary to what usually happens, where the lead singer is responsible for interacting with the crowd, for Fall Out Boy that role belongs to Pete; he engages with the audience throughout the entire show, spits fire from the headstock of his bass, and performs magic tricks. It seemed to me that he was more interested in entertaining than playing. Sometimes, he would stop playing his bass out of nowhere to engage with the crowd, yet the songs continued seamlessly. I didn't have high expectations, and I must admit I was pleasantly surprised by their stage presence.

Production

Here comes the interesting part. I need to make a small disclaimer: there were some controversies about the ticket prices. They ranged from €45 for the stands to €85 for the ground floor standing. Prices that one might justify for artists of a different caliber (in terms of popularity) like Dua Lipa or The Weeknd. Who would ever spend 85 euros to see Fall Out Boy?

After being there, I can confirm that the show was worth the ticket price. During the concert, I lost count of how many times they changed the stage setup (5 or 6 times). It started with a standard stage with the usual set of lights, but every time the curtains opened or closed, a new world unfolded. 

First, an underwater environment with corals and starfish, then an inflatable Doberman head (featured on their latest album cover) with a mouth that opened and closed (thanks to a technician hidden behind the dog, operating it manually).

Not to mention the fireworks, explosions, confetti, and magic tricks throughout the entire concert. At the end of a song, Pete performed a trick where he lifted a cloth, and once the cloth fell, he vanished. A few seconds later, he reappeared on a pedestal in the middle of the crowd, just as the riff of "Dance, Dance" started. How did he do it??

Special mention goes to the stage setup during the 4 songs from "Take This to Your Grave," where the band gathered at the center of the stage (including the drummer) and lowered the lighting rig until it was just a few inches above them. I believe they wanted to recreate the conditions in which they played when they released their first album in 2003, aiming to represent one of the many small-capacity clubs where they used to perform. Simple but brilliant idea! It was, by far, the part of the concert that I appreciated the most.

Setlist

Having only partial knowledge of their first 3 albums (there are 4 more), it's challenging for me to comment on the song choices. Nevertheless, I'll try to share some reflections based on what I know.

The setlist consisted of 26 songs, spanning their entire discography, with a particular focus on "So Much (For) Stardust" and "Take This to Your Grave." They started off strong with one of their most famous tracks, "Sugar, We're Goin Down." After, there were 4 songs in a row from their first album, and it felt like a nostalgic trip. I found the middle part of the concert to be somewhat monotonous; judging by the audiences’ reactions, it seemed like they weren't playing the famous songs that I was familiar with.

However, the last 30 minutes were pure fire. With "Dance, Dance," we began to see what the audience was made of. The first circles opened up, and when the chorus hit, it was madness. Towards the end, they played much more pop-oriented tracks than rock, such as "My Songs Know What You Did in the Dark (Light Em Up)" and "Centuries," before concluding with "Saturday" (the concert was on a Friday, they got the day wrong).

In hindsight, the only thing I would criticize was the somewhat boring middle part of the concert where they could have included a couple more songs from their early albums or interspersed some of the final songs in between. Frankly, even the ending felt a bit too long to be a proper finale.

Crowd and Venue.

The Mediolanum Forum in Milan is an arena that can hold around 10,000 people and is primarily used for basketball games. This setup means that the seating stands are never too far from the stage, whether you're on the ground floor or in the stands. Wherever you are, you can comfortably enjoy the concert.

As for the audio, there's not much to complain about. Both Fall Out Boy and the two opening bands sounded very good.

As mentioned in the introduction, I attended the concert more as a lover of the genre than a fan of Fall Out Boy. I had the impression that 80% of the people present were like me—enthusiastic about punk rock and familiar mostly with the headline band's most famous songs. A friend I bumped into (almost by chance) at the concert confirmed that there has never been a significant Fall Out Boy fanbase in Italy, which is why many songs went unnoticed. 

That being said, even though few people knew the lyrics well, everyone still had a good time, and you could see that they were eager to support FOB.

Finishing Touch

A few days have passed since the concert, and new Fall Out Boy songs have already made their way into my playlist. I've always believed that to truly evaluate a band, especially in the realm of rock, one must experience them live. I'm glad I gave FOB a chance, and they seized the opportunity to gain a new fan.

I also want to dedicate a few lines to the opening acts. Kicking off the night was Nothing Nowhere, perhaps a bit too intense given the evening, with a sound reminiscent of nu-metal in the style of Linkin Park (they performed "One Step Closer"). They brought immense energy to the stage, and the audience appreciated it and their strong sound.

Next up was PVRIS. Frontwoman Lynn Gunn was a force of nature, with a sweet voice and impressive guitar skills. Their genre leans more towards electro-pop, although they do have songs that make you want to headbang. Asking around, they didn't manage to warm up the crowd much; many would have preferred to hear Nothing Nowhere before FOB. I agree up to a certain point; I think their performance was top-notch, but I too would have liked a bit more interaction with the audience.

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Performance: 🌶🌶🌶

Production: 🌶🌶🌶🌶

Setlist: 🌶🌶🌶

Venue: 🌶🌶🌶

Crowd: 🌶🌶🌶