BPREVIEW: Fall Out Boy @ Arena Birmingham 27.03.18

Fall Out Boy @ Arena Birmingham 27.03.18

Words by Ed King

On Tuesday 27th March, Fall Out Boy perform at Arena Birmingham, with support from MAX and Against the Current.

Doors open to Arena Birmingham at 6pm, with Max on stage at 6pm and Against the Current at 7:45pm. Fall Out Boy will be performing from 9pm, with the show scheduled to finish by 10:30pm.

Tickets are priced at £32.50 / £42.50 depending on positioning within the arena, plus booking and fulfillment fees – as presented by SJM Concerts/Gigs and Tours.

For direct gig information, including venue details and online ticket sales, click here. 

Fall Out Boy are back on the road with their MAN I A Tour, kicking off a series of 11 European dates at Arena Birmingham. After finishing their UK dates at London’s O2 Arena on 31st March, with stops in Cardiff (28th Mar) and Manchester (29th Mar) in between, Fall Out Boy will go on to play a series of gigs in France, Holland, Germany, Belgium, China, Singapore and Japan, before returning to the US for a series of dates on home soil.

Fall Out Boy will be back in Blighty for two gigs the Reading and Leeds Festivals this summer, should you miss the European leg of their world wide tour and not be able to afford an Uber to Asia or North America. Mind you, knowing Festival Republic the hole in your pocket might end up just as uncomfortable. For full details of all Fall Out Boy shows, click here.

Stalwarts of the new wave pop/punk scene, Fall Out Boy smashed a small hole into the scene with their 2003 album, Take This to Your Grave. Signed by the then relatively small Fueled by Ramen (and subsequently swallowed up by the then relatively monolithic Island RecordsFall Out Boy put some strong feet forward with their twelve track debut. And whilst it may not have been an immediate commercial success, Take This to Your Grave would cement itself into the mindset of the burgeoning pop/punk culture – receiving plaudits and high chart placements in the mainstream media listicles that would try and surmise the genre many years later. But love it, loathe it, own it, or lost it, fifteen years since its release Take This to Your Grave is widely respected as a defining moment in the pop/punk scene.

Fall Out Boy would go on to release a further three albums, before juggling band members, negative press attention, blotter acid, and the ill fated 2008 release of Folie à Deux would push them into a break up. Or hiatus. Or decompression. But whatever the word, the bursting bubble kept Fall Out Boy collectively off a stage and out of a studio for the next few years – finally stepping back into the limelight with their fifth studio album, Save Rock and Roll, in 2012.

Described by Rolling Stone magazine as a ‘rather stunning renaissance’, Fall Out Boy managed to pull themselves back from the cultural abyss with Save Rock and Roll – paving the way for a renewed touring schedule and their second ‘comeback’ album, American Beauty/American Psycho, released on 16th January 2015.

Nearly three years to the day later, and Fall Out Boy released MAN I A – the band’s seventh studio album, with a extensive worldwide tour to promote it kicking off in September 2017. Hitting the No1 spots in both the US and Japan, reflecting two of Fall Out Boy’s strongest fan bases, MAN I A would also reach top ten chart positions in Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Germany, Finland and the UK – with the album’s latest (and somewhat cathartic) single, ‘Wilson (Expensive Mistakes)’, released in January 2018.

Fall Out Boy start the UK leg of their MAN I A Tour at Arena Birmingham on Tuesday 27th March, with support from Max and Against the Current.

‘Wilson (Expensive Mistakes)’ – Fall Out Boy

Fall Out Boy perform at Arena Birmingham on Tuesday 27th March, with support from Max and Against the Current – as presented by SJM Concerts/Gigs and Tours. For direct gig information, including venue details and online ticket sales, visit www.arenabham.co.uk/whats-on/fall-out-boy

For more on Fall Out Boy, visit www.falloutboy.com 

For more on Max, visit www.maxhellskitchen.com

For more on Against the Current, visit www.atcofficial.com

For more from SJM Concerts/Gigs and Tours, including further event listings and online ticket sales, visit www.gigsandtours.com

For more on Arena Birmingham, including venue details and further event listings, visit www.arenabham.co.uk

BREVIEW: Paloma Faith @ Genting Arena 21.03.18

Paloma Faith @ Genting Arena 21.03.18 / Eleanor Sutcliffe

Words & pics by Eleanor Sutcliffe

I never thought I’d witness a Genting Arena steward dance. Yet here I was, an hour into Paloma Faith’s show, watching a red-haired stewardess shimmy down the central aisle to the bemusement of the surrounding crowd.

Call it cliché, but it was unavoidable – the atmosphere of the evening was intoxicating, and it was all down to Paloma Faith’s incredible performance.

As the lights went down and the stage glowed an ominous red, Faith appeared and strode down the opposite staircase to where the four other photographers and I had been placed.Paloma Faith @ Genting Arena 21.03.18 / Eleanor Sutcliffe Cue an awkward minute or so of camera clutching as we waited for Faith to safely descend in a pair of mammoth white heels, microphone in hand, as she sang the title track from her latest album The Architect. The stage resembled something out of a post-apocalyptic Sci Fi film, with holographic geometric platforms housing her band whom she referred to as “the dream team”.

Paloma Faith @ Genting Arena 21.03.18 / Eleanor SutcliffeOne thing I was taken aback by was just how fond I grew of Paloma Faith as the performance went on. Between songs, she touched on numerous subjects such as childbirth, self-love, politics and war, with the charm and finesse only the Hackney-born singer could possess. Not pedantic or patronising (as some artists can be on these subjects) but delivered heartfelt and in all honesty, even hilarious at times.

Faith is not one to skirt around details either, as she recounted her hopes for a relaxed home birth before “it all went to shit, and I became a well of pus – Beyoncé didn’t have that, surely”.Paloma Faith @ Genting Arena 21.03.18 / Eleanor Sutcliffe These witty anecdotes grounded the evening’s performance, leaving the audience cheering for more.

And what a performance it was. Faith’s set list contained a whole host of tracks, both old and new. Songs such as ‘Crybaby’ and ‘My Body’ proved to be hits with the crowd, who were beginning to rise from their seats and dance along. Watching two women leap up and run down the main aisle whilst being chased by security, during ‘Warrior’, was a true highlight to the evening, especially when Faith actively encouraged their behaviour.

Paloma Faith @ Genting Arena 21.03.18 / Eleanor SutcliffeHer slower songs proved to hit a poignant note with the crowd too. Faith’s duet of ‘I’ll Be Gentle’ with her guitarist, BB Bones, left my jaw slack in awe, as did her rendition of ‘Picking up the Pieces’.

Although Faith is working hard to craft herself a new niche in today’s music scene, she hasn’t strayed too far from her former work – a refreshing change from the numerous artists that attempt to reinvent themselves every few years.

But that’s the beauty of a Paloma Faith show, the dynamic is simply ever changing – from clambering onto a grand piano to mournfully sing ‘Just Be’, to knee sliding along the stage during Sigala’s hit single ‘Changing’, you never quite know what you’re going to get. Apart from a bloody good show; that’s a given.

For more on Paloma Faith, visit www.palomafaith.com

For more from SJM Concerts/Gigs and Tours, visit www.gigsandtours.com

For more form the Genting Arena, including full event listings and online ticket sales, visit www.gentingarena.co.uk

BPREVIEW: 30 Seconds to Mars @ Arena Birmingham 29.03.18

30 Seconds to Mars @ Arena Birmingham 29.03.18

Words by Eleanor Sutcliffe

On Thursday 29th March, Thirty Seconds to Mars will be performing at Arena Birmingham as part of their Monolith Tour

Doors open at 7.30pm, with tickets priced from £37.60 (plus booking fee) as presented by SJM Concerts/Gigs and Tours. For direct gig information, including venue details and online ticket sales, click here.

It has now been close to 20 years since we were introduced to Thirty Seconds to Mars, with their self titled debut album shooting them into the top end of the alternative music scene. Two decades later, the band are still rooted in rock but have evolved a sound that takes inspiration from a range of musical styles.

30 Seconds to Mars @ Arena Birmingham 29.03.18However, it was during 2005 that the Los Angles based three piece paved their way into commercial mainstream with the release of their sophomore album, A Beautiful Lie – containing singles such as ‘The Kill’, ‘Attack’ and the titular ‘A Beautiful Lie’. Moving away from the progressive and ‘space rock’ of their debut, A Beautiful Lie brought the band into a more personal context – as front man, Jared Leto, told the American broadcaster, USA Network, “on the first record I created a world, then hid behind it. With A Beautiful Lie, it was time to take a more personal and less cerebral approach.” 

With a growing fan base, firmly rooted in the band’s music alone, Thirty Seconds to Mars would release of further two albums over the following decade – This Is War (2009) followed by Love, Lust, Faith and Dreams (2013). They would also win a cavalcade of awards, including a Guinness World Record for the longest concert tour by a rock band (just over 300 shows to be precise).

Then in November 2015, Thirty Seconds to Mars announced they were working on their fifth studio album – set for release in April 2018. So far two tracks have been released from America, with the album’s explosive and cinematic lead single, ‘Walk on Water’, hitting No1 on both the UK Rock and Metal and US Rock Airplay Billboard charts.

The supporting Monolith Tour was announced in October 2017, kicking off in Switzerland and coming over to the UK for five dates, starting with a show in Cardiff on 23rd March and ending at Arena Birmingham on 29th March – before heading back across the channel for shows in Portugal, Spain and a string of festival appearances.

‘Walk on Water’ – 30 Seconds to Mars 

30 Seconds to Mars perform at Arena Birmingham on Thursday 29th March, as presented by SJM Concerts/Gigs and Tours. For direct gig info, including venue details and online ticket sales, visit www.arenabham.co.uk/whats-on/thirty-seconds-to-mars 

For more on 30 Seconds to Mars, visit www.thirtysecondstomars.com

For more from SJM Concerts/Gigs and Tours, visit www.gigsandtours.com

For more on Arena Birmingham, including venue details and further event listings, visit www.arenabham.co.uk

BPREVIEW: Paloma Faith @ Genting Arena 21.03.18

Paloma Faith @ Genting Arena 21.03.18

Words by Ed King

On Wednesday 21st March, Paloma Faith performs at the Genting Arena – with support from the Liverpool based jazz and soul artist, XamVolo.

Doors open at the Genting Arena from 5pm (Forum) and 6pm (Arena), with XamVolo performing at 7:30pm followed by Paloma Faith’s headline set at 8:30pm. Tickets are priced at £40.45 / £51.75 depending on your position within the arena, as presented by SJM Concerts/Gigs and Tours.

For direct show information, including full venue details and online ticket sales, click here.

Paloma Faith is out on tour with her fourth studio album, The Architect – coming to the Genting Arena to play one of her final England based shows, before heading out for two dates in Ireland and two dates in Australia. Paloma Faith has further UK dates planned for June, July and August, including the inevitable appearances across the festival season. For direct information on all the Paloma Faith shows announced for 2018, click here. 

The Architect was released in November 2017, entering the UK charts at No1. No small achievement. Mind you, Paloma Faith’s previous three albums all hit the double platinum markers in the UK albums charts. So no small achievement times three, times 600k, and counting. And to think Epic Records wanted to wait a while…

Championed by Radio 2, Paloma Faith was invited to headline one of a series of special concerts from the broadcaster as part of The Architect’s introduction in last year. And despite a somewhat overzealous smoke machine, the show introduced a breadth of new content to Faith’s already fervent fanbase.

Inspired by the call to arms of common concerns and compassion that Marvin Gaye presented with What’s Going On, Paloma Faith’s fourth album moved away from the tropes of relationships, heartbreak, love and loss – exploring a more socio-political landscape and the issues we all face within it.

The album’s opening track, ‘Evolution’, features a soliloquy from Samuel L Jackson about the dichotomy of masculinity, with writer and political/social activist Owen Jones offering a reminder of the basic human rights much of society had to fight for (and our responsibilities to honour those who fought for them) in ‘Politics of Hope’.

But love is always at the heart, and even if it embraces socio-political thoughts, ambitions and endeavour, The Architect is not an outright political record. It’s a human record.

Plus, a Paloma Faith show is just that, a show. And the arena tour that’s supporting her latest LP is set to be packed with all the soul and spectacle the world has come to expect from this unique artist and performer. 

‘Til I’m Done’ Paloma Faith (live session) 

Paloma Faith performs at the Genting Arena on Wednesday 21st March, with support from XamVolo – as presented by SJM Concerts/Gigs and Tours. For direct gig information, including venue details and online ticket sales, visit www.gentingarena.co.uk/whats-on/paloma-faith 

For more on Paloma Faith, visit www.palomafaith.com

For more on XamVolo, visit www.xamvolo.com 

For more from SJM Concerts/Gigs and Tours, visit www.gigsandtours.com

For more from the Genting Arena, including full event listings and online ticket sales, visit www.gentingarena.co.uk

BPREVIEW: All Time Low @ Genting Arena 15.03.18

All Time Low @ Genting Arena 15.03.18

Words by Eleanor Sutcliffe

All Time Low will be performing at the Genting Arena on the 15th March – opening the show by performing their sophomore album, So Wrong, It’s Right, in full. Support will be coming from Southampton based Creeper.

Doors open at the Genting Arena from 5pm (Forum Live) and 6pm (Arena Bowl), with All Time Low scheduled to perform from 8pm onwards. Tickets are currently on sale from £37.63 plus booking fees – as presented by SJM Concerts/Gigs and Tours. For direct gig information, including full showtimes, venue details, and online ticket sales, click here.

This will be the first UK tour for the Baltimore band since they released their latest album, Last Young Renegade, which scooped the Rock Sound Award for Album of the Year in 2017. A far cry from the more summer-y beats of So Wrong, It’s Right – their most recent LP explores a darker side to All Time Low’s style, winning over their fans with tracks such as ‘Dirty Laundry’.

It’s clear All Time Low have come a long way since releasing their debut studio album, The Party Scene, back in 2005. Their steady climb to pop-punk stardom has included performances at festivals such as Warped Tour, Reading and Leeds, plus more albums than you can shake a muddy greenfield stick at.

But the band’s last album did mark a significant shift as All Time Low left their long time label, Hopeless Records, to release Last Young Renegade through the Atlantic subsidiary, Fueled by Ramen. Their latest tour announcement hasn’t been without its obstacles either – with the withdrawal of Pierce The Veil as a co-headliner following allegations of sexual misconduct against the band’s drummer, Mike Fuentes, the status of the UK leg seemed in doubt.

But All Time Low soon rectified the situation by announcing that, as opposed to bringing in another headliner at such short notice, they would instead fill the time by performing their 2007 album So Wrong, It’s Right in full – alongside recruiting the support of ‘horror punk’ four piece, Creeper, on their UK dates.

And with popular tracks such as ‘Dear Maria, Count Me In’ and ‘Remembering Sunday’ hailing from the album in question, fans are in for a nostalgic treat at the Genting Arena and across the UK.

‘Dirty Laundry’ – All Time Low

For more on All Time Low, visit www.alltimelow.com

For more on Creeper, visit www.creepercult.com

For more from SJM Concerts/Gig and Tours, including further event listings and online ticket sales, visit www.gigsandtours.com

For more from the Genting Arena, including venue details and further event listings, visit www.gentingarena.co.uk