Having been on hiatus, which seems to mean they split up but not for long, Fall Out Boy have returned to Save Rock and Roll, according to the title of their first album in five years.
The reality is less dramatic. Once described with the dread tag emo — meaning they traded in lengthy T-shirt slogans for overexcitable teenagers — their fizzy pop punk has not left a gaping hole in popular culture by its absence.
Nevertheless, the Chicago quartet couldn’t fail to generate deafening buzz by making their return in the kind of venue in which they began their decade-long career. This sweaty cauldron, outside which forlorn girls hovered clutching signs including, “I’ll lick it for a ticket”, was rammed with fans singing every word.
The band enjoyed it, romping through the hits of platinum albums past as well as a few early songs including Calm Before the Storm. Even singer Patrick Stump, known for preferring bass hunk Pete Wentz to handle all banter, was more demonstrative than the literal Stump of old.
“I really hope it was worth the wait,” he said.
The new single, with a typical title too ridiculously long to repeat here, was catchier than ever, suggesting that the band are hungry to be back in the charts.
If the rest of their fanbase is as passionate as this microcosm, the next hiatus will be a long way off.
