Growing up with older siblings meant I was exposed to the music that accompanied their angsty teenage years. As I grew older, I found that more and more of these songs had crept their way into my own playlists, until they were all I listened to. Fall Out Boy and Red Hot Chili Peppers were two of these bands that marked both my childhood and teen years, so there was no way I was going to turn down seeing them LIVE at Tennent's Vital! I'm a tad late writing this post, but I really want to share my experience seeing as I had such an unforgettable time - so here's how my day at Tennent's Vital panned out!

Although we were quite loose with our time management, we still arrived early enough to beat the crowd. This was the first concert that I attended without devising a strategic master plan on how to get up front. I was surprisingly laid back about the whole thing, and all I wanted to do was to sit around with some snacks and listen to my favourite oldies.
We kicked off our day by scoping out the area. We spent about half an hour stupidly wondering what drink they were serving (obvs Tennent's), what food was cookin' (THERE WAS EDDIE ROCKETS) and we had a good gawk at the band tees. Now up until this point, I was convinced I'd come to this whole shindig mainly for the Chilies - but then I saw Fall Out Boy's BLOOM tour range and that was it. I thought back to how much I used to overplay their songs, especially their 'Save Rock and Roll' album, which came out during my Leaving Cert days. I needed one.

After spending half an hour deliberating over t-shirts, we popped on over to the small crowd that was forming around Dublin-based band, Otherkin. We decided to hang on for Labrinth's performance (which was great), but we did question why he was there in the midst of all the rockers. Finally, we saw Cage the Elephant! I will admit, I was too lazy to give them a listen before the gig, but I was pleasantly surprised, they had some decent tunes! 

And then we waited. By this stage, we somehow magically made it to the barrier without even trying, and quite the crowd had formed behind us. I was so excited for Fall Out Boy, the anticipation nearly killed me.


It was surreal. They played allll of their greatest hits, old and new. I didn't realise I loved them THAT much until they were right there, performing in front of me and I felt about 15 again. They sounded identical live and honestly, I would have been happy listening to them all night. I was a little disappointed that they didn't play 'Where Did The Party Go', but considering they were a supporting act, they did manage to squeeze in most of my faves, so I can't really complain!

I've been listening to them non-stop since the concert, so next time they come to Ireland I am 100% going. OH, and I'm 99% sure I can see Adam's big head in the selfie they posted on twitter, so I'm assuming the black haired girl beside him is me? Yipeeee selfie with Fall Out Boy! 



Red Hot Chili Peppers came out a little while later. We'd spent hooours waiting at the barrier, but as soon as 9pm hit, a tsunami of people showed up. They were literally all over us, so we had no other option but to get the hell out of there. We were pretty peeved that we gave up our spots like that but honestly, I've never been that squished and squashed at a concert before. It worked out perfectly though - I got my usual bacon and cheese chips from the Eddie Rockets food stall and listened to The Chilies rocking all of their greatest hits. 

I didn't get many great snaps of them performing, but our view actually turned out better from afar! I thought, and I saw a few other people saying over social media, that Anthony was a bit off key, but what can you expect from a band that have been going this long I suppose! I was relieved most of their performance consisted of their older songs, because I wasn't that into their new album. I guess I could have predicted that though, seeing as there were fans of all ages at the gig, which made for a great atmosphere!


Here are the most valuable tips I've learned at Tennent's Vital, which I will definitely keep in mind for my next festival!

1. Don't get too caught up on where you are in the crowd. Being further back and seeing the whole band perform is often better than being close but struggling to see over someone's shoulder. Don't let giving up your spot close to the barrier, or not getting into the pit ruin your night!
2. Wear whatever you want, but be sensible when it comes to shoes. I wore my super old and decrepit creepers because they're the comfiest shoes I own that I didn't mind sacrificing. 
3. Go with trustworthy friends. If you're feeling faint in the crowd or drink too much, you're going to need some trustworthy people there to make sure you're alright. I don't mean babysitting - just look out for each other! 

All in all, we were super lucky with how the day worked out (even without my usual master plan). We were extremely fortunate with the weather - it was sunny for the most part and we only got 5 minutes of rain towards the end of the night! Eddie Rocket's was there, FOB and the Chilies were there. Adam was there - it was an amazing night! Thank you Tennent's Vital!