WORDS AND IMAGES KIERAN ANDREWS
First to warm up the sell-out crowd is Nothing Nowhere
Even though they are a band, the group are based upon Joseph Edward Mulherin as a solo and three tour musicians. All new members for 2023.
Promoting his new album ‘Void Eternal The American Rapper’
Bursts onto the stage wearing a Welsh rugby top. One sure way to become an instant favourite, with the Welsh rugby game going on down the road, he combines rap with emo rock, the set is loud, fast, and hard-hitting with strobe lights at the side and rear, lighting the stage in flashes.
Two types of music you wouldn’t associate together that Edwards seems to make work.
Band Members
Edward Mulherin – Vocals
Ryan Yester – drums
Clayton King – guitar
Jeff Sahyoun – bass, backing vocals
Next to hit the stage is Pvris. Previous supporting Fall Out Boy in 2016, another band from across the pond, USA Massachusetts. Promoting their album ‘Evergreen’
Mixing dark electro with stadium-filling rock, switching to alternative rock and onto synth pop rock. The 3 piece group take to the stage and doesn’t waste any time kicking their set off. Hard-hitting bass with a voice that flows through the air. There’s a girl next to me dancing slowly, steady interpretive dance moves to her songs, even though the music is rock style, Lynn’s voice feels above you, a like dream state.
Going into the third song Lynn Gunn picks up a guitar to take over some rhythm while Brian MacDonald switches between, rhythm guitar, bass and keyboard. Pausing to let everyone here at Cardiff know this was the first city she played at overseas.
Finishing her set with “Goddess”.
The stage is being prepared for Fall Out Boy. The arena is sold out and is now packed full waiting for the headliners to take the stage.
Considering the band’s first hits were in 2005 making them 18 years going strong, the crowd here are made up mainly of younger fans, under 20 years old, emo rock style band like Fall Out Boy keep it going strong
This is their last UK stop on the European tour, So much for tour dust before heading off for Germany next.
Three songs play, as an intro, promoting their latest album ‘So Much for Stardust’
The stage goes black, the lights flash, a shadow of the drums is raced to the front stage, the first song explodes into action, setting the tone for the concert from the off there are pyrotechnics, flames, and explosions.
The second song is a real show setter “The Phoenix”. Peter Wentz bass guitar spits flames out from the neck while there are cross-fire fountains behind Andy Hurley on the drums.
The set continues through their hit-packed catalogue. The curtain lifts into the air for “This ain’t a scene it’s an arms race”, the crowd start screaming along joining in with the chorus, to the rear of the stage there’s a giant dog’s head, it floats around the back of the stage. Charging forward with its mouth openen randomly, This dog’s head is around 20ft tall. Takes up the whole height of the stage. You have to see it !!
As a bubble machine blasts bubbles onto the crowd, giant bubble-looking balls fall from the ceiling to be hit around. A piano is brought onto the stage, Patrick Stump says he didn’t used to talk back to the crowds before, this was not a regular thing and was kinda a dare to chat leading into a solo, which seemed to go well. ‘I’m like a lawyer the way I’m always trying to get you off’
They continue through their set with every song being fed back to them from every fan in here tonight. Pete Wentz stands on the piano, pulls up a curtain, lets go and he’s gone. As if by magic he rises from the floor at the back of the arena onto his own stage.
Making it back in time for the next song. Coming to the end of their set they don’t have time to slow down, diving straight Into their encore, “My Songs Know What You Did in the Dark” first up and what a tune to fire the crowd up for the closing songs. There’s fireworks, fire and a chorus to scream along to. Patrick laughs as he nearly catches a flame from Pete’s fire-shooting guitar.
As the show comes to a close confetti is blasted into the air ending the show. And what a show this has been, the band have given the fans here everything, fire, fireworks, bubbles, explosions and with a 30-song set (3 recorded into) everything a fan could wish for.
Set List
The Middle
We Didn’t Start the Fire
The Pink Seashell
1/ Love From the Other Side
2/ The Phoenix
3/ Sugar, We’re Goin Down
4/ Uma Thurman
5/ A Little Less Sixteen Candles, a Little More “Touch Me”
6/ Chicago Is So Two Years Ago
7/ Grand Theft Autumn/Where Is Your Boy
8/ Calm Before the Storm
9/ This Ain’t a Scene, It’s an Arms Race
10/ Disloyal Order of Water Buffaloes
11/ Heaven, Iowa
12/ G.I.N.A.S.F.S.
13/ Headfirst Slide Into Cooperstown on a Bad Bet
14/ Fake
15/ I’m Like a Lawyer With the Way I’m Always Trying to Get You Off (Me & You)
16/ Golden
17/ So Much (for) Stardust
18/ Save Rock and Roll
19/ Baby Annihilation
20/ Crazy Train
21/ Dance, Dance
22/ Hold Me Like a Grudge
23/ Our Lawyer Made Us Change the Name of This Song So 24/ We Wouldn’t Get Sued
25/ My Songs Know What You Did in the Dark (Light Em Up)
26/ Thnks fr th Mmrs
27/ Centuries
28/ Saturday
FOLLOW FALL OUT BOY
FOLLOW PVRIS
FOLLOW NOTHING NOWHERE
My life is a soundtrack, i track my life through music, photography is my passion, my escape, my expression. Without both i have pieces missing, thankfully i’m blessed and get to combine both.
Born in Manchester, lived in Australia for 22 years where i was heavily involved in the Australian Music Industry, firstly in bands (Singer) and then managing bands (all original), I moved back to the UK, Wales specifically 10 years ago
