Fall Out Boy (w/ Against The Current) @ Manchester Arena (Manchester, UK) on March 29, 2018 [Photos & Show Review]

Fall Out Boy are in town for the latest date of their UK Arena jaunt and the air is almost crackling with excitement for showtime at the enormous Manchester Arena.

Before that though, alt-rock kids Against The Current take to the stage for their stint as special guests (sadly we missed opener Max). Fronted by a blur of hair that goes by the name of Chrissy Costanza, the band waste no time winning over this young crowd with energetic pop-rock anthems like “Runaway” along with tracks from their yet-to-be-released new album. Midway through their set, the singer jokes about how sick she was last time the band played in Manchester so, this time, with the vocalist and her bandmates firing on all cylinders, Against The Current showed the Manchester rock community what they’re really all about.

Video screens illuminate the arena as a countdown works this now bouncing Fall Out Boy crowd into an absolute frenzy before it hits zero and the band rise from the back of the stage in front of a barrage of pyrotechnics. Opening with “The Phoenix”, US rockers Fall Out Boy deliver a truly flawless arena rock show. Making use of every inch of the stage, Patrick Stump, Pete Wentz and Joe Trohman take it in turns to bounce up and down the walkway extending out into the crowd who greet them with open arms.

With a plethora of anthems like “Dance! Dance!” and “Sugar We’re Going Down”, it’s easy to understand why this quartet are one of the biggest pop-rock bands on the planet and they have a show to match this. The set continues with a jaw-dropping drum solo, more eyebrow searing pyrotechnics and more pop rock gems like “I Don’t Care” and “Thnks Fr The Mmrs” – the latter played high above the crowd on suspended stages.

“Church” makes its live debut while “This Ain’t a Scene, It’s an Arms Race” is simply flawless and “My Songs Know What You Did In The Dark” lights up the arena with more pyrotechnics. “Saturday” brings the whole evening to a close and, watching the band head to the finish line, it’s hard to expect anything other than an utterly unforgettable night when the band return to the UK later this Summer to headline the Reading & Leeds festivals.