It seems Fall Out Boy can't seem to shake their fans (not that they're trying to).
In an age when pop-punk has seen better days, the band's fan base looks stronger than ever tonight (24 February) at the Roundhouse in Sydney. The venue is sold out, and while not the largest the band could command, it's swelling with Fall Out Boy obsession.
Branded band shirts litter the mosh pit as the crowd surges ever forward toward the stage. The stench of sweat is unbearable - as is the heat driven by the evening's temperature, and yet the crowd refuses to relent. I witness more girls than boys being hauled out of the pit, eager for some reprieve. Others stand their ground, calling to the security guards for shots of water.
It's so intense that halfway through their set, Fall Out Boy's bassist Pete Wentz asks the crowd to step back a pace, which they reluctantly do before surging forward once more. The call of the band's music being so strong, even reason can't abate the crowd's intensity.
Starting from the beginning though, openers Emily's Army and Twin Atlantic did well to gather and entertain the crowd. While many openers tend to play to a distracted, piddlesome lot, these two commanded the stage.
Although their first gig in Australia, it was obvious Glaswegians Twin Atlantic already looks to hold a fan base, with the crowd singing gleefully to songs like 'Free', 'Hold On' and 'Heart And Soul'.
But as the lights dim and the spotlight shines, it's all forgotten as Fall Out Boy hits the stage. 'Phoenix' is the first number off the bat, and a starter that has the whole venue begging for more. Despite having released a record only this year, what's interesting is the lack of focus on their new material. Instead, the band plays to the long time fans. (I'm honestly surprised how young the demographic is tonight, with many punters looking to be in their early to mid 20s, which suggests either they're early peakers or the lights are so dim I can't tell age anymore).
Hits like 'Alone Together', 'Dance Dance', 'Sugar', 'We're Going Down', 'This Ain't A Scene', 'It's An Arms Race', and 'I Don't Care' are belted out to an audience that screams all the words back with just as much gusto as lead singer, Patrick Stump.
It's intriguing to see Stump on stage. The more reserved member of the band (well, compared to Wentz) draws all the attention to himself when he's standing on his platform, coaxing the audience into song with his unique set of pipes. At the sight and sound of him, it becomes all too easy to let the rest of the band fade into the background. That is, until Wentz takes the mic and makes a joke about the next song.
It's an endless ball of energy for the boys, Stump fisting the skies while Wentz kicks up his boots, stomping the ground, and it keeps going long into the encore.
The crowd doesn't have to wait long after 'Grand Theft Autumn/Where Is Your Boy' finishes. Lights dim, the crowd call out for one more song, and the band returns in kind. "All right, one more song," says Wentz. But as the setlist would have it (it's two pages long), it's an encore of three, mixing up records and known names with the trio of songs: 'Centuries', 'Thnks fr th Mmrs' and 'Saturday'.
Something tells me pop-punk isn't dead yet.
