Bowling For Soup, Civic Hall, Wolverhampton review - nostalgic, celebratory fun

Bowling For Soup are celebrating their iconic album, A Hangover You Don’t Deserve, on a fun-filled, energetic tour for its 20^th anniversary. Their sold out stop at Wolverhampton’s Civic Hall was a joy to experience from start to finish, the light-hearted essence of the band evident from the minute we walked in. From comical merch to on-stage banter, the fun was infectious and made for a special evening executed by clear well-seasoned professionals.  

DJ Jon Mahon rallied the waiting crowd in the name of 2000s emo music, ramping up the excitement with his energy and perfect song choices. From My Chemical Romance to Paramore, it was clear that the busy venue was ready to sing along to the songs of their youth, and knowing that Wheatus were soon to follow kept the wait enjoyable. First support band Magnolia Park maintained the energy, but it was Wheatus’ performance of their legendary “Teenage Dirtbag” that stands out as a highlight from the support portion of the evening. Complete with unforgettable bucket hat and direct introduction, the bands clear enjoyment of the song they have been best known for since 2000 was heartwarming. If they have grown tired of it, it didn’t show at all.

It wasn’t long before a "loading" screen appeared on stage, followed by the appearance of the matching ringer tee-clad Bowling For Soup, ready for nostalgic celebration with the cheering crowd. The 17-track album was played in full, interspersed with various frolics and surprises. Playing it in order meant that the two most popular tracks, “Almost” and “1985”, had been and gone by the fourth song, but the show was cleverly planned to mean that even the more casual fans were entertained throughout. It wasn’t lost on the band that some tracks were lesser known, who jokingly alluded to the fact multiple times. The cheek aching comedy, spin the wheel surprise song, and encore of Phineas and Ferb theme tune “Today Is Gonna Be A Great Day” and “Girl All The Bad Guys Want” broke up the performance up and maintained engagement perfectly.

Having reopened in May 2023 after a major renovation, the venue is worth a mention here, too. It was somewhere that I attended a lot in my youth and it was good to see it so full of energy again. There were plenty of bars, the merch queues were orderly and fast, the staff were helpful, it looked clean and welcoming, and the sound was great. I’m glad that Bowling For Soup were my first show back there.  

The camaraderie amongst the band and their crew was a key part of the performance. You could feel the love between them on stage, which meant a little more after the sad but amicable departure of Chris Burney last month. Guest saxophonist John Ryan joined the band of three for a song and the fun loving spirit amongst them was clear. In true Pop-punk form, the joviality was put into context with a sincere speech from lead singer Jaret Reddick about mental health, before he returned to spreading more happiness through music.

It was a very impressive and welcoming gig and as is ever the case with the genre, extremely fun in the face of life’s sadness.

• More New Music reviews on theartsdesk