Anyone already familiar with the band’s swoon-inducing mixture of nu-wave, electronica and indie may have found themselves fighting back a little tear of joy to witness them finally getting the chance they so glaringly deserve.  | | Fall Out Boy (pic: Shirlaine Forrest) |
Not ones to waste said opportunity, the band delivered a simply mesmerizing set. Whilst on the surface, the songs all possess the stuff that packs dancefloors in spades, the sheer heart and passion they are delivered with is utterly captivating. If this band does not explode this year, the business isn’t working anymore. To use an analogy fitting to the average age of tonight’s crowd, Cobra Starship’s sugar rush of effeminate dance moves set to colourful synthesizer-led disco pop turns out to be the binge you wish you hadn’t had before dinner. Gabe Saporta and friends certainly have quite the clutch of fun, catchy numbers and the charming, girl-pleasing steps to deliver them with, but behind the gaudy surface, there is little substance.  | | Fall Out Boy (pic: Shirlaine Forrest) |
And so to, for all intents and purposes, a strange set by the headliners. To go six whole songs on a tour that promotes your new record without any new material strikes as a little odd, yet it gave way to the dusting off of old tracks not witnessed for some years. New tracks, when eventually introduced into the set, fit in with the old seamlessly, though the likes of Thnks Fr Th Mmrs, seemingly the perfect cross between the old and new styles, lacked the grandeur and sass their recorded counterparts possess. It fell to the one ballad, Golden, to truly mark the band’s coming of age - singer Patrick Stump left solitary, without his mouthy wingman, and letting his gorgeous performance do all the talking.  | | Fall Out Boy (pic: Shirlaine Forrest) |
Ending the night, irritatingly, on Saturday, seemingly just so Pete gets to show the crowd how not to scream, hardcore style, all is forgiven as he daringly wades into a sea of girls willing to tear off a piece of his flesh if that’s the best they can get of him. Despite all the hype, drama and Jay-Z collaborations, Fall Out Boy are still built on their audience. They may not be the best live act, but there are few other bands that still care as much for their fans as these four Chicagoans and, to all filing out of the Apollo as Petey’s last wail rings silent, that’s really all that matters. | 
