Bowling For Soup - London Roundhouse, October 29th 2009

with Zebrahead

November 5, 2009, 09:40 PM

Views: 401   Comments: 13

I’ve seen Bowling for Soup before, it was I 2002 at the Astoria. Brilliant gig, fun and well played. What a shame, I thought, the audience was mainly kids, with adults probably being driven away by their non serious side and their happy-go-lucky videos, failing to spot some more than decent musicianship and live potential.

What surrounds me at the Roundhouse tonight is definitely a different scenario. In part, I guess, the UK has finally grasped Bowling for Soup value and they’re no longer relegated to the spotty teenage league; in part, maybe, some of those kids have now grown up (I can’t possibly be the only one celebrating a birthday every year). Tonight there are still plenty of youngsters, but they blend in a heterogeneous crowd of mixed age; some parents brought their kids, and I even spot a middle aged biker type couple in Guns’n’Roses t-shirts and Whitesnake patches.

This tour is actually called “Party in your Pants”, which sounds quite promising. The latest Bowling for Soup’s creature is a feel good 14 tracks album called “Sorry for Partyin’.” So does this give you a vague idea of what tonight is all about? Now, add to the mix a very special “support” band I’ve been dying to see live: Zebrahead. This is going to be fun!

Zebrahead formed in 1996. While they were touched like many others by the ongoing punk ska trend, composing some catchy choruses which would make Blink 182 jealous, Zebrahead added a special element to their sound: hip hop, performed by co-lead singer / rapper Ali Tabatabaee. Throughout the years, their punk-ska evolved into a heavier brand of punk, and their trademark hip hop variation went from something reminiscent of Limp Bizkit to the raw power of Rage Against the Machine.

Tonight’s set list, with the exception of ‘Jag-Off’ from their very first album and hit ‘Playmate of the Year,’ reflects this welcomed growth. Zebrahead’s new 2009 effort “Panty Raid” is a cover album with a peculiarity: all the songs interpreted are by female vocalists. The choice for the single (and spoof video to match) fell on Avril Lavigne’s ‘Girlfriend,’ which the band performs live tonight cheered by the audience.

Ali never stops running and jumping around and the whole band can’t find peace, determined to party and sweat all the way to the end of their set. ‘Postcards from Hell’ from 2006 album “Broadcast to the World” is clearly a crowd pleaser, as is 2005’s ‘Hello Tomorrow.’ Zebrahead are an overdose of energy, power and fun wrapped into a lethal drug cocktail which will either leave you dead or asking for more. Their dynamic performance and their chaotic yet harmonious blend of melody and noise might take your attention away from their actual talent, but don’t be fooled: listen carefully, and you’ll find some proper musicianship and quality song writing underneath the partying outfit.

Zebrahead did well: the atmosphere at the Roundhouse is definitely a party one. Bowling for Soup are ready to take this night to its climax. A few minutes on the big screen for Jaret and Erik to advertise their website, ::: BOWLING FOR SOUP :::, some cartoons BFS version, and then finally the real thing: “You’re a bitch, but I love you anyway,” sings Jaret welcomed by a cheering audience, while Big Chris plays that small looking guitar, never failing to smile for a minute. The front rows are bouncing and singing already, gradually followed by the middle and some at the back.

The rest of the evening is pure no frills enjoyment. Between old hits and new tracks, there’s only room for jokes and fun. Let’s leave all the social issues outside for once, there’s only one statement we want to make tonight: partying has no age limit. Oh, and broken condoms are a great thing, says Chris, or he wouldn’t be here. People, let it out for broken condoms!

Hits from the past, like ‘You’re Gay,’ ‘High School Never Ends,’ ‘Ohio (come back to Texas)’ or ‘Punk Rock 101’ (followed by a Steel Panther-ish photo moment), haven’t lost any bit of their original joyousness. New single ‘My Wena’ and next single ‘No Hablo Ingles’ from brand new album “Sorry for partyin'” are effervescent and catchy live [even more than they are on record] and they shine like multicoloured gems in Bowling for Soup’s party set. ‘No Hablo Ingles’ is a light hearted little pop masterpiece, unpretentious and funny just like you would expect from this lot; brilliant choice of singles so far. But the one I found really amazing and somewhat different is the album n.1, ‘A really cool dance song’: taking inspiration in equal parts from Bloodhound Gang and Electric Six and wrapping everything in their own winning formula, Bowling for Soup don’t try to hide the spirit behind this surprising piece, declaring their intentions with some pretty straight forward lyrics:

So, are they right? Could this be a number one? Surely it would get my vote, especially after inspiring a true party moment, with the Roundhouse stage invaded by an overexcited crowd dancing around the band like there’s no tomorrow. Before that, there’s still a chance to take the mickey out of Katy Perry and her tweeting habits, with that bath tub and pizza picture in the background; there’s still time for some good old Laurel & Hardy black & white classics to accompany new boozing anthem ‘Hooray for Beer.’ Finally, there’s even time for a ballad, the poignant ‘When we Die,’ where mobile phones take the place that once belonged to lighters.

Needless to say, there’s an encore, and even more pointless to specify, Bowling for Soup leave us on the notes of ‘1985,’ while that infamous video fills the big background screen. Jaret obviously gets the audience to sing the chorus; what makes all this less obvious is that he gets them to sing it doing an impression of Antonio Banderas... And it keeps going, looking like no one wants to leave the party tonight. But unfortunately there’s a curfew, and it’s time for goodbyes. Sigh.

On my IPod, “Sorry for Partyin'” cheers me up a bit, until the next Bowling for Soup show.

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