After a four-year hiatus, Fall Out Boy returned to Singapore with a big bang. Back on our sunny shores for the third time, the punk rock group brought Fort Canning Park to life yesterday evening.
The atmosphere was saturated with anticipation as rock band EMPRA opened for the night. Before long, Fall Out Boy made their entrance. There was no doubt that the band had spent the past four years fruitfully, putting up a spectacular and technically flawless performance. Patrick Stump’s resonant vocals was accompanied by Pete Wentz’s death growls and rhythmic basslines. Guitarist Joe Trohman rocked the stage with their pop rock melodies, while Andy Hurley thrilled the crowd with his solid beats and impressive drum fills.
Fall Out Boy kick-started the night with the oddly sentimental “Thriller”, including a recording of Jay Z’s introduction on the track. Fans got pumped up as the band proceeded with blasts from the past, including old favourites like “Grand Theft Autumn/Where Is Your Boy” and “Sugar, We’re Goin Down”. The concert drew in crowds from diverse age groups, all of whom were exuberantly pumping their fists in the air and chanting the lyrics.
The 1.5 hour-long sing-along had a rather good turnout. At one point in time, Patrick courteously instructed the throngs near the back to “take a giant step back”. It was no surprise that the crowd could not get enough of the band, with Patrick calling out to them, “Singapore is one of our favourite places to date!”
Just like the namesake of one of their top new songs, Fall Out Boy rose from the ashes and rocked hard as the music video for “The Phoenix” played in the background. Fans also lit up in recognition when the band launched into the catchy pop-rock anthem “My Songs Know What You Did In the Dark (Light Em Up)”.
During the light-hearted “Young Volcanoes”, the camera panned across the young faces in the audience, showing their gleaming smiles and rhapsodic waving on the big screens that filled the venue. The band transitioned smoothly to the fantastically frenetic “Dance, Dance” with a super-tight, intense drum solo from Andy. The crowd exploded in cheers as he pounded on the drums and worked those double pedals at bullet speed.
“Sometimes when I get into too much trouble, in real life, well maybe I’ll just run away to a place, and you know, no one will ever hear from me again. And kind of what I imagine, was like a beach or an area in Singapore, to be honest with you,” Pete cheekily commented at one juncture. Patrick jokingly replied, “The end of Batman, in The Dark Knight Rises, is here in Singapore!”
On top of their stellar setlist, Fall Out Boy performed an encore of four songs, including a more punk rock cover of Michael Jackson’s “Beat it” and the classic “Saturday”. The band also paid tribute to rock and roll Legends, like Freddie Mercury and Michael Jackson, with a slideshow as Patrick belted out “Save Rock and Roll”.
Let’s cross our fingers and hope that the band comes back for the fourth time!
Full Setlist:
Thriller
I Slept With Someone In Fall Out Boy And All I Got Was This Stupid Song Written About Me
Sophomore Slump Or Comeback Of The Year
Disloyal Order Of Water Buffaloes
The Phoenix
This Ain’t A Scene, It’s An Arms Race
Alone Together
What A Catch, Donnie
Death Valley
Hum Hallelujah
Grand Theft Autumn/Where Is Your Boy
Sugar, We’re Goin Down
Young Volcanoes
Dance, Dance
I Don’t Care
My Songs Know What You Did In the Dark (Light Em Up)
Save Rock and Roll (Encore)
Beat It (Encore)
Thnks fr th Mmrs (Encore)
Saturday (Encore)
Featured Image Credit: Marcus Lin
