Originally published by The Birmingham Mail. October 2009.

It is easy to see why Bowling For Soup remain firm fan favourites on the punk-pop circuit.

At Birmingham’s o2 Academy they tore up the rule book and played outstanding music with little or no pretensions and seemingly took a bucketload of pleasure from seeing the capaicity crowd enjoy what was on offer.

By opening the set with I’m Gay from the Great Burrito Experiment album and Almost from a Hangover You Don’t Deserve the Texas foursome set the standard for the evening.

Old favourites followed, including High School Never Ends, and selected tracks from their new studio album Sorry For Partyin’.

Lead singer Jaret Reddick was on fine form as he toyed with the crowd.

The band finished on a high by playing their top 40 hit 1985 as the encore.

Ian D. Hall.