Fall Out Boy Live At Wembley October 2015

How's your week going so far? Mine's been quiet and uneventful. I've had a nasty cold for the last week, so I've been hibernating, and working on some Christmas craft projects whenever I've felt up to it. I've also been playing a lot of Fall Out Boy tunes, remembering how great they were live a couple of weeks ago.

Yes, I admit it; I'm a total fan-girl!

I went to see them live at Wembley Arena with my sister, Marie, on the 12th, and it was the most fun I've had in ages. I don't think I've enjoyed myself that much since I went to see Linkin Park live last November.

My sister drove the hour and a half in to London for the first time, which went really well until we got grid-locked in traffic in a really rough neighbourhood just a couple of miles from the arena. It was getting dark and we didn't know the area, so being great big wimps, we were on edge the entire time. (What can I say? We're used to small-town life). The wailing sirens and police riot vans in the street just ahead didn't exactly help to reassure us! It took us almost an hour to inch along a mile of road and get moving again, but we eventually made it in to the arena in one piece in time to catch a few songs from the first support act.

The support acts weren't great. The first was an American duo called Matt and Kim, who couldn't even keep the beat in time with the music. The second was Professor Green, who sounded like Eminem on helium, and danced like someone's Dad trying to do the Hokey Cokey at a wedding. Not my thing! Fall Out Boy, on the other hand were fucking incredible!

The show was amazing, easily one of the best I've ever seen- and I've been to a lot of gigs over the years. It was even better than the first time I saw them live last year! They were on fire!

The set list was fantastic. They belted out so many great tunes; old favourites like Sugar, We're Goin' Down, Dance, Dance, A Little Less Sixteen Candles, and I Don't Care; some awesome old album songs like Thriller and Hum Hallelujah (which I bloody loved- it's one of my faves); and loads of newer material, like Young Volcanoes, Alone Together, and most of the songs from American Beauty / American Psycho. God, it was amazing!

I still can't decide on which songs I enjoyed best because I enjoyed every last one of them, but I was ridiculously excited to hear Hum Hallelujah, Fourth of July, Uma Thurman, and The Kids Aren't Alright live for the first time. The latter three are three of my favourites from American Beauty/ American Psycho, and they all sounded phenomenal live. I loved hearing all the old classics again, too, especially Dance, Dance, Sugar, We're Goin' Down, and A Little Less Sixteen Candles which made me feel about twenty again. Those songs never get old!

What I love about Fall out Boy is that they can actually sing and play their instruments. I personally think they're even better live than they are on their albums, and you can't say that about a lot of bands these days. They also know how to put on a good show, without needing to build a ridiculously OTT, elaborate set to impress the crowds. There was fog, fire, and fireworks this time, but it was still very much about the music.

We both spent most of the show transfixed by Andy Hurley's drumming skills. He was beating the shit out of those drums throughout the show, and didn't miss a beat. Fuck me, that little tattooed bearded man has stamina. If you watch the next video from 2:50, you'll see what I mean!

I don't know what it is about drummers, but whenever I'm at a gig, I can't stop watching them play.

The magical levitating Wentz!

We had a great view from our seats in one of the nearest tiers to the stage. It was side on but unrestricted, and I was even able to sit down for most of the show as there was the perfect-sized gap in front of me when everyone stood up to dance! I tried to stay on my feet but I was in so much pain I had to admit defeat after just two songs. It didn't spoil any of my fun, though; I didn't miss a moment of it, and I still had a blast watching the show from my seat. It was exactly what I needed to put the smile back on my face. It left me smiling for days.

Here are a few of the videos I took that night, if you're interested. Make sure to turn the volume down first because they're pretty loud! (It was so loud my hearing is only just getting back to normal 3 weeks later!) Also, apologies for the shaky footage, I have the shakiest hands ever.

I felt more like myself that night than I've felt in a really long time. I started to feel like the old me again as soon as I heard that first note of music, and felt the base pulsing through my veins. It awakened something in me, and helped me to remember the person I used to be. The girl who was never happier than when she was watching her favourite bands perform live with friends. The girl who sometimes queued all day to get as near to the stage as possible, and once travelled all the way up to Inverness (from Oxford) for a gig, just because she wanted to go; just because it made her happy. For a couple of hours, I was able to pretend I was still that strong, healthy, impulsive, fun, and slightly crazy girl who always found happiness in live music, even during those years when depression gave her no other reason to smile. Live music helped her through a lot, and it still helps me today.

I used to go to gigs all the time before I got ill four years ago, and chronic pain started spoiling my fun. (Or at least it tries to). I usually had at least a couple booked at any given time, and loved hopping on a train to go on another concert adventure. (My nearest arena is 80-100 miles away in any direction, so concerts always turn in to mini adventures). I always had a blast and made some amazing memories with friends that I wouldn't trade for anything.

Sometimes it amazes me to remember how I used to go gallivanting off to gigs all the time without suffering any pain or fatigue. I can barely remember what it feels like to spend an entire day out of bed having fun pain-free, with enough energy left over to go on for days. I'm just glad I made the most of it while I could, and allowed myself to live a little before everything changed.

These days, I can't make it to gigs often because I just can't cope with the amount of pain that travelling and being up and about all day inflicts on me, on a regular basis. It takes me a couple of weeks to recover from each one, so I have to be sensible, and put my health first. I genuinely miss having the freedom to go to all the shows I want to see, and it's the only thing I truly begrudge about my health conditions. I hate not being able to enjoy my favourite pastime like I used to. Although, now I can only manage one or two a year, I definitely appreciate them a lot more. I know I'll never be able to give them up entirely just because of a week or two of intense pain. If I did, I'd be losing a big part of who I am, and I'm not ready to say goodbye to that side of me just yet.

It's the one part of me I hope I'll always get to keep.

What was the last band you went to see live? Do you enjoy going to them, or is it not your thing?

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