Bowling For Soup / The Dollyrots / Lacey / MC Lars

When pop-punk veterans Bowling For Soup announced their 'How About Another Round' tour back in June, the announcement caused some resentment amongst fans. This is because the announcement came just twenty months after the band finished their 'Farewell' tour. Although some decided to boycott the tour feeling betrayed by their quick return, I wasn't one of them. That's because Bowling For Soup always provide a fun filled evening and once again tonight it's party time.

The brilliant MC Lars is on hand to welcome the sold out Nick Rayns LCR, Norwich to the tour and kick things off with a few songs including the rocking 'Signing Emo' which gets the venue screaming "die" at the top of their lungs. There will be more from MC Lars as the evening progresses but for now he relinquishes the stage.

The bill for this tour is highly American with the exception of Nottingham's Lacey who take to the stage next. It's slightly weird then that the only band on the bill I've not previously heard of or seen live is the only one from my own country, and as the performance proceeds I find myself wondering why? Why haven't I heard of them? For they deliver a solid six song set that shows them to be a band with much to offer, the highlight being a slow burning cover of Blink 182's 'Dammit'. Lacey are definitely a band worth checking out.

Back out comes MC Lars for a run through of 'Mr. Raven' before main support The Dollyrots arrive on stage. Having twice previously seen them support Bowling For Soup I knew what to expect, as I'd image our headliners do. The Dollyrots deliver a fun set to an audience clearly familiar with their work. Songs such as 'Brand New Key' and 'Because I'm Awesome' keep the audience pumped up and ready for our headliners, and after a final blast of MC Lars with 'Download This Song' it's time to party.

As I said at the start it's only a couple of years since Bowling For Soup bid farewell to the UK and as a result a number of people vented annoyance online over their quick return. Some even going as far as to refuse to attend this tour, clearly however none of those were in Norwich as the venue tonight is completely sold out. That's because Bowling For Soup consistently deliver a great night. Even before they come on stage you know you've backed a winner by buying a ticket when you see their stage set out as a pub complete with bar.

They start things off in style quickly running through 'The Bitch Song', 'Emily' and 'Ohio (Come Back To Texas)'. Bowling For Soup are the sort of band you watch and realise just how many popular songs they have and 'Punk Rock 101' and '1985' both follow in the first half of the show. Of course a Bowling For Soup show is about the music, but it's also become as much about the onstage banter. Tonight is no different and there's plenty of fun stuff to go along with the superb pop-punk on offer.

Speaking of pop-punk and the band reference the suggestion that pop-punk is dead. It's obviously a notion that the band disagree with, they are after all one of the bands that helped create the genre. In tribute they plough through a medley of hit songs by Blink 182, Green Day, Good Charlotte, New Found Glory and Jimmy Eat World before giving an airing to their cover of Fountains Of Wayne hit 'Stacy's Mom'. With this the banter continues as guitarist Chris Burney quips that the biggest reaction of the night is for someone else's song.

Following a rare outing for early track 'I Don't Know' and a quick team up with The Dollyrots on 'Love Ya, Love Ya, Love Ya' the hits are out in force again with 'Almost' and 'High School Never Ends' bringing the set to a close. At this point for most bands it's time to leave the stage for a few minutes before returning. For Bowling For Soup however it's time to walk to their onstage bar and have a drink.

With the fans demanding more, Bowling For Soup oblige and deliver 'Shut-Up And Smile' and the huge 'Girl All The Bad Guys Want' to bring the night to an end. Bowling For Soup are a great live band and always deliver a fun night, and tonight they prove that they are better off in our lives than out. More than that though they prove that pop-punk most definitely is not dead!