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With such a strong line up, it was no surprise that the entire room at the O2 academy Liverpool was packed out to see the pop punkers Bowling For Soup strut their stuff. The Texan foursome were well supported as ever by the likes of Forever the Sickest Kids, ‘A’ and The Dollyrots.
The Dollyrots came on first and had a tough job on their hands to get the crowd going and liven up the relatively lulled mood.
Within minutes of kicking off though the band hit the mark and everyone seemed to revive in a nano second, the crowd was clapping and head bopping as the female fronted 3 piece rocked out.
The camaraderie of the tour was evident early on as the Bowling for Soup guys made an early appearance for a duet alongside The Dollyrots performing the theme song to Cheers. The band had a fantastic set of songs and performed them as if their lives depended on it. It was a very impressive opening.
Next on, ‘A’ showed their on stage prowess and they showed they had a sense of humour, which seems to be a necessity when touring with Bowling for Soup.
‘A’ commented on being the only English band on the tour and said: ‘The last time this many Americans were in Liverpool they ruined your football club’. With a live show that had such barn stormers as Starbucks and Nothing, it wont be long before ‘A’ find themselves in the limelight and headlining venues significantly bigger than this.
It was evident early on a large majority of the audience had come out to see Forever The Sickest Kids over anyone else. Similar to Bowling themselves they seem like a happy bunch of rockers and even initiated a group ‘throw as many bracelets and clothes at the band as possible’ session. Like all the bands on the tour they had a great feel good factor about them.
Bowling for Soup are masters of the live show. They know exactly what to do and how to get a cheeky smile out of their fans. Highlights include a planned ‘band photo opportunity’ during punk rock 101 to give the audience a chance to get a photo of the band. And an impromptu rendition of the YMCA simply because a crowd member shouted it out.
This in itself posits the band as a very interesting live spectacle, and when you add the music into the equation, it makes for a very enjoyable night indeed.
Bowling for Soup have a considerable number of well-known songs, with Classics such as Almost, the bitch song, Punk rock 101, Girl all the Bad Guys Want and 1985 are all significant crowd pleasers and receive a fantastic reception.
Perhaps the best moment of the night was a touch of genius from the Texan gang. Inviting ‘A’ back on stage, they decide that the crowd needs to experience some hair metal and immediately pound into shot through the heart by Bon Jovi.
Bowling for Soups second duet of the night and they show real class and unity between the bands on the tour. Finishing the night dead on curfew, the punters have definitely got value for money here, and with the promise that they will be back next year, its hard to imagine there being any room to air guitar next time.
Check out the pictorial here.