Fall Out Boy - NIA Birmingham 16/03/14

I should have really written this as soon as I got back last night because I was so overwhelmed with the gig, but here goes anyway.

Fall Out Boy were everything I wanted them to be, and more. I enjoyed myself so much, I literally had tears in my eyes seeing Patrick, Pete, Joe, and Andy up close.

Somewhere inside me, my 14 year old self was screaming – oh, what the hell: I was screaming. It was so worth the 7 hour wait, the elbows in the stomach, the crippling back and feet pain, being crushed by huge guys, being in the vicinity of some poor guy throwing up, as well as almost falling over a million times.

I’ve never been to a gig that has swayed so much. I expect pushing and shoving, but this went on for a while. It didn’t hinder my enjoyment though, and soon enough Patrick and Pete were getting worried so Pete told us all to take a step back. It’s always so nice to see your heroes live, and have them confirm how talented and genuine they are.

I sang along to every single song, and by the end my throat was raw and I could have downed a thousand bottles of water. Afterwards, I kept replaying every moment over in my head so as not to lose it.

Like the bit in Young Volcanoes where Patrick says 'assholes' then laughs, he didn’t do the laugh thing live but he moved away from the mic and laughed as if to say it's a bad word and shouldn’t be said in front of so many people. Like the way Joe and Pete put their heads together and jammed. And both Andy’s and Joe’s solos. And Pete saying My Songs was a shout out all the fans. And during I Don't Care Patrick and Pete proper pumping up the crowd. And the acoustic of Nobody Puts Baby In The Corner (almost cried). I just cannot describe it well enough to do it justice.

Now, today, post gig depression has kicked in already, but I’ve got that feeling of empowerment I only experience after a gig. Like nothing anyone can say or do will touch me because I’ve just come from one of the best gigs of my life, I’ve seen one of my favourite bands up close, and I’ve survived almost 5 hours of physical strain. Nothing can kill this high.