Bowling for Soup opened their UK show with their nostalgic, punchy 90s and 00s sound, launching blue pom poms into the crowd and encouraging everyone to cheer along to their first song, The Bitch Song.
The band’s musical delivery was everything a long time fan could hope for, a high energy trip down memory lane delivered with polished pop punk perfection. The setlist was strong and focused on their most popular tracks, including Suckerpunch, Phineas and Ferb, 1985, Belgium and Emily, which had the whole venue singing along. Powerful pyrotechnics and CO2 effects filled the space and created a great atmosphere.
The experience was slightly marred by the content of the between song banter. While a certain level of irreverence is expected from a band known for their humour, some of the spoken segments bordered on crude and tasteless. At times the material distracted from the music itself, creating uncomfortable pauses in an otherwise infectious atmosphere, with a few political jokes that did not land with a UK crowd. A little more restraint in the commentary would have made this a truly stellar night of nostalgic rock.
There were, however, moments of real magic. The vulnerability shown by the band while discussing mental health challenges stood out as one of the most meaningful parts of the night. Bowling for Soup had arranged a head shave for charity, with Jaret sharing his own experiences and inviting Brendan from Wheatus to shave his iconic hair in support of the Uprawr Mental Health Foundation.
The band raised over £1000 for the cause and invited a fan named Alex, who had won a raffle, to join them on stage and shave Brendan’s head with the support of a professional barber. After a few passes, Brendan left the stage and returned with a freshly shaved head, followed by more light hearted banter with Jaret, Gary and Rob.
The performance of Turbulence had much of the crowd in tears and was a clear highlight of the show.
Overall, it was a joyful trip down memory lane, with the band thanking their fans with genuine warmth for supporting a 30 year career.
