I hadn’t ever really liked Bowling For Soup, if I’m being totally honest. Not properly. That changed a couple of years ago when they played Birmingham. I went along with a review ticket, more out of duty than expectation, and quite frankly the band were stunning.
It was one of the most uplifting gigs you could put yourself through. The atmosphere, the way they interacted with the crowd, the obvious love they have for playing live, and the affection they clearly have for this country – it all wrapped itself around you. You get swept up in it before you even realise it’s happening. That night wasn’t really about the hits so much as the feeling, and Manchester here feels like what Jaret Reddick once described as the place they enjoy playing most in the world.
This show becomes a celebration – of the band, of the songs, of a particular era, and of A Hangover You Definitely Deserve, which somehow turns 20-odd years old without losing any of its pull. Ordinarily, Reddick says he isn’t a massive fan of album shows, but this one is different. This one is special.
From the off, everything is a singalong. “Almost” sets the tone immediately, followed by “Trucker Hat”, a reminder of just how clever this band are beneath the dick jokes and pop-punk sheen. “1985” lands as the earliest you’ll ever hear it in the set, and it still detonates the room.
“Get Happy” is framed as an angry song, and it actually works better for that context, while there are moments where the banter maybe strays a touch too far (the penis chat could probably take a night off), but Bowling For Soup have always lived or died by this kind of thing. It’s part of the deal.
There’s a song about Texas, which somehow becomes a song about Ohio, which in turn becomes a song about them – that self-awareness threaded through everything they do. A love song follows, joined by Matthew Milligan from Wheatus, before “Shut Up And Smile” arrives feeling like their anthem and mission statement rolled into one.
Deep cuts get real love here. “Last Call Casualty” is dedicated to Sam from DragonForce. “Next Ex-Girlfriend” proves once again that this band operate on pure chorus and catchiness. “A-Hole” brings in saxophone from John Ryan, because of course it does. “My Hometown” refuses any romanticism at all.
There’s even time for a detour into sausage rolls and coffee before “Smoothie King”. It shouldn’t work. It absolutely does. Bowling For Soup are exceptional at what they do, even when the lyrical content veers into sad situations wrapped in sugar.
“The Bitch Song” is added so “you can hear one you know”, before “Really Might Be Gone” keeps things driving forward, offset by a genuinely tender mental-health moment that lands far harder than you might expect. “Down For The Count” is a perfect example of their strength, even buried in the deeper catalogue.
“Two Seater” comes with the reminder not to break into your ex-girlfriend’s car, while “Friends Of Mine” is unexpectedly touching, closing with a tribute to Chris Burney.
They tell the crowd they’re not leaving the stage – even with four flights of stairs to deal with – and then comes the knowing self-awareness. “It’s not like I’m going to be in my 50s singing about high school,” Jaret says, just before launching into “High School Never Ends”.
“Today’s Gonna Be A Great Day” follows, and judging by the noise in the room, it absolutely was. They promise to leave Manchester with “the best song ever”, and “Girl All The Bad Guys Want” brings the house down in total agreement.
More than once during the set, Reddick says that this has been awesome and that everyone has enjoyed it. And when he signs off with “wasn’t this fucking awesome?”, you can only agree.
Bowling For Soup live is an experience like no other, and A Hangover You Definitely Deserve (Live) is the perfect document of that. Loud, silly, sincere, communal, and utterly joyous – you don’t just deserve it. You need it.
