Another year, another beer, as some fans may say while this Texas-born band make the journey across the waters once again to bring drunken joy and belly laughs galore to the British public. Pop-punkers Bowling For Soup are taking their celebrations international as they ring in the 20th anniversary of their beloved record, 'A Hangover You Don't Deserve'. A record that has brought some of the band's biggest hits of all time into existence, it's time to get down and party the only way they know how: good music, funky dance moves, lifelong friends, and of course, some damn good beer.
Opening the night is Florida rock outfit Magnolia Park. Preparing the upcoming release of their new album 'VAMP', the group were ready to kick off the night and the tour in impure style.
Known for their unapologetic punk and nu-metal sound, and the outstanding vocals of frontman Joshua Roberts, the crowd were mixed on how to take this heavy start to what was expected to be a calmer and more steadily paced evening. Some were ready to jump and mosh and thrash around, and others were content with just swaying and head-nodding; both styles are acceptable and even with the differences of audience reactions being visible to every eye, it was not a disrespectful reaction. It was very much warm and welcoming on both ends of the spectrum.
Playing hits such as the viral hit '10 For 10', the newly released 'SHALLOW', and even their fan-favourite cover of Disney original track 'I2I', there has been at least one track someone in that crowd liked. Whether it's the more bouncy pop-punk style, the down and dirty nu-metal sound, or maybe sitting somewhere in-between, Magnolia Park went down like a treat with the kids and the parents.
The second support for the night was the highly anticipated Wheatus. The band who helped soundtrack every alternative kid's adolescence of multiple generations, Wheatus were playing a fun and welcoming set for all fans of all ages with varying knowledge and understanding of the New York group.
With a band like Wheatus, one that may have been smacked with the "one-hit wonder" label, is that it takes being in a live environment to make people realise they had a good handful of recognisable tracks that they were likely unaware of. Seeing this bucket-list band live will open eyes and ears to early hits such as 'Wannabe Gangster', 'Leroy', and the second-best charting hit in their history in the UK charts, their modernised upbeat cover of Erasure's classic tune 'A Little Respect'. This is a band that don't demand respect; as per the cover track, they request just a little bit and if given, the payoff will be entertaining.
The moment of the night was the close of the set - a moment that to some may have even rivaled Bowling For Soup's upcoming performance. Seeing 'Teenage Dirtbag' performed live should be an experience granted to every misfit kid turned misfit adult, and on this night in Blackpool, that goal was one step closer to being achieved.
Now for the night of a lifetime. 20 years in the making and worth the wait of every day, week, month leading to it. Bowling For Soup arrived to the stage in style; over-the-top, visually captivating, and heartwarmingly hilarious style, and went straight into hit single 'Almost'.
To celebrate 'A Hangover You Don't Deserve' properly and respectfully, the group announced they will be performing the album in full, start to finish. No skips, no switches. It's rare for a band to do this in recent times, even when celebrating a massive milestone in their discography; the same band didn't even make this a tradition on their last anniversary tour back in 2018. With such great hits, it meant both the favourites and the lesser played songs get stage time - however, this meant their trademark single '1985' was placed third in their setlist and with the confetti set off and the crowd giving a long, loud cheer. It felt out of place but with ideal comedic timing over awkward placement, and if this band knew someone besides music, it was good comedic timing.
With singles such as 'Ohio', 'Punk Rock 101' and the inclusion of 'Girl All The Bad Guys Want' and Phineas & Ferb theme 'Today Is Gonna Be A Great Day', the night still catered to a casual fan or an occasional listener. However, with some luck, these casual fans became not-so-casual after hearing this phenomenally fun record in full and with more luck, they gave the record another full spin after the show.
Bowling For Soup are a band who accept that things will never remain the same as when they were younger men in the scene. People get older, skin gets looser, and stomachs get bigger, but that doesn't mean the talent goes away. They still play as well as they ever did in their 30-year-long career, and they could keep going for another 30 years, fingers crossed.
This was 'A Hangover You Don't Deserve', but a night everyone does.
Words: Jo Cosgrove
Photos: Nik Bryant
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