Bowling For Soup and Less That Jake fill Glasgow’s O2 with an evening of banter and pure pop punk joy.

★★★★☆ (4/5)

BOWLING FOR SOUP PERFORMING AT GLASGOW’S O2 ACADEMY
PHOTOCREDIT: ALANNAH STIRLING

Take yourself back to the noughties. MTV played music videos on repeat, and people could actually name all the spice girls. What’s hot and what’s not had never been more important and everyone was beginning a strange decade of trying to be oh so cool – thank good we’re giving up that, btw. Pop punk had exploded and the mainstream opened its doors to the modern, witty rock that liked to poke fun. Blink 182, Good Charlotte and Sum 41 dominated the style however diving a little deeper revealed a world of middle finger anthems ready to be enjoyed. Bowling For Soup and Less Than Jake were building popularity and releasing works that fans would continue to love to this day.

This year’s tour was extra special to commemorate the 30th anniversary of Bowling For Soup’s formation and they wanted to give the crowd a show that would have everything from the nostalgia of the hits to the evolution of where the group now. With Less Than Jake by their side, the tour has sold out every UK date and those lucky enough to have nabbed a ticket knew that this was going to be a big night.

Support for the evening was from Dallas with the Texan group Vandoliers. This alternative country band has been praised for their ability to infuse traditional country elements with modern punk sensibilities. They had everything the night represented – sweet freedom, inspiring creativity and guts. They blasted a lot in to their small support slot and kept the crowd hooked with catchy songs and on stage antics. Their choice to finish their set with a cover of The Proclaimers ‘I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)’ had the crowd celebrating their roots and loving every word.

The O2 felt jammed to the rafters as Less Than Jake took to the stage and launched into their opener ‘Last One Out of Liberty City.’ The American ska punk band formed in 1992 in Gainesville, Florida and set to work on fine tuning their sound which they did quickly. They managed to keep their set moving at pace, cramming a lot in to their near an hour slot, however, it did not feel rushed. As the trombone sounded, a new lightness joined the venue as fans danced freely to the tracks they have loved for three decades.

Less Than Jake had a very approachable, light-hearted charm to their set which all members contributed to. As they played ‘The Science of Selling Yourself Short’ and a few other favourite tracks, finishing with ‘Gainesville Rock City’, it seemed as though everyone in the auditorium was enjoying themselves and that if the night had ended here then we would have all gone home happy but there was so much more to come.

Then it was time for Bowling For Soup and anyone who has seen a show by them before would know that they were in for a laugh. The group formed in 1994 from Wichita Falls, Texas and by the early 2000s their popularity was undeniable. With several hit singles, commercially successful albums and a heavy touring schedule, the band continued to blast off to success.

Starting out their Glasgow set with their theme song and then ‘Emily,’ the group joked about saving the best song for later, however, the crowd were in heaven from the get go. Jaret Reddick, who sings for the band, seems to be a bounty of entertainment. With bandmates Chris Burney (lead guitar), Gary Wiseman (drums) and Rob Felicetti (bass) the jokes flow constantly as they poke fun of one another. Everyone on stage is smiling and the quips come quickly and plentifully.

The comical tracks like ‘My Wena’ and ‘Out the Window’ are played beside the glorious ‘Ohio (Come Back to Texas)’ where Vandoliers joined the stage swigging back tins and pottering around like they owned the joint. During ‘Punk Rock 101’ they held their photo opportunity moment where fans were encouraged to take pictures of the night’s bands in various poses. There was talk of beans of toast, Scottish cartoons and after playing the track ‘Almost’ the band gave away a guitar to a lucky audience member who had done nothing more than scan a QR code.

It is overwhelmingly clear just how much Bowling For Soup love and appreciate their fans and their on stage chat is so endearing and comfortable. The night is finished with the all-time belters ‘Girl All the Bad Guys Want’ and ‘1985’ and sincere thank you is exchanged between the band and crowd for an amazing rock out.

Overall, the night was a key reminder of why this music became so infectious. With relatable songs, lively stage presence, connection between the artists and fans, and that warm nostalgic feeling of being back where/when the songs were first released; attendees were blasted over to a place of pure enjoyment. All of this leaves me to believe that Bowling For Soup and Less Than Jake are actually still at the top of their game – even 30 years later.