Review: Wheatus Rescue Rooms Nottingham 21/5/2017

For many a band there is that one song, the one that people will instantly name whenever the band comes up, the one that just HAS to be played at any gig no matter how many albums and tracks have been since. For some bands this can become a millstone, almost an annoyance. Other bands choose to truly embrace the song. 

 

Wheatus, the US pop-rockers can definitely count themselves in the latter group.

 

For those not in the know Wheatus hit big at the turn the century when they had a massive hit with the track Teenage Dirtbag from their debut album. The track was everywhere, not least in part because of it being the main song from hit teen-flick Loser which starred teen movie faves Jason Biggs and Mena Suvari. It’s a song that, almost certainly, helped propel the band to a position where, twenty plus years later, they can still draw a crowd at UK venues such as the Rescue Rooms – where they rocked up Sunday night.

While not packed out the band this was a sizeable crowd for a band on the fringes of the mainstream, and was a crowd that were definitely intent on a good time, and the band fully embraced this. There was no set list, instead the band opting to let the crowd choose what tracks they would play.

 

This led to the band playing a set that covered their entire catalogue right up to new single Tipsy which the band said was a homage to that person we all know who, after a few drinks, thinks they can save the world.

Other highlights in the set were Truffles which definitely pleased the group in front of me and, what is probably the band’s second biggest known track Respect (a cover of the 80’s Erasure track).

 

Of course there was only one song the band were going to end and, as expected, the entire crowd sang along in what was a fantastic close.

 

Despite not being over familiar with much of the band’s music this was a great gig and seeing Dirtbag performed live was as much fun as I’d hoped – even if watching the now forty plus Brown singing “got two tickets to Iron Maiden baby” was a brutal reminder of the passage of time.

 

Words by Darren Patterson

@pogester

Photos by Andy Tattershall