American pop punk rockers Bowling for Soup have a very special relationship with Blackpool. At a time when the US hadn’t yet fully embraced the band, the UK, and especially Blackpool, was a place that extended the warmest of welcomes. It’s also a place where the band themselves have some very personal memories including one in which a particularly drunk Jaret Reddick, lead singer and guitarist, had to be escorted back to the tour bus in a wheelie bin. It’s a fond memory he would share so openly a tonights show. It’s therefore quite fitting that Bowling for Soup would choose Blackpool to begin their 2025 UK tour, and it’s a very special tour given that it’s key focus is all about celebrating the 20th anniversary of their groundbreaking album A Hangover You Don’t Deserve. After a video screen countdown, the whole band take to the stage wearing specially designed and tailored 30th anniversary shirts. We say ‘whole band’ but with guitarist Chris Burney’s recent departure this line up is now a 3-piece. The decision was made not to replace Chris or hire a touring guitarist, and we wondered how this might affect the overall sound. We needn’t have been concerned though because opening track Almost sounds as full and punchy as it ever has. And so it would prove to be for the rest of the set which took the path of playing all the tracks from the 20 year old album sequentially, and it’s a wonderful and powerful reminder what a special record – and band - this really is. It’s a quite a poignant moment in the set when it’s time for Friends Of Mine as Jaret dedicates the song to Chris along with the message that friendship is forever. 

The onstage banter is something Bowling For Soup are particularly skilled at – an opportunity to really show their incredible sense of humour and for spreading the word on more serious topics such as mental health - and tonight they had to dig deep when a fan health scare in the middle of the crowd forced the show to stop for 25 minutes. However, what’s wonderful to witness is the warmth, understanding and real sense of community that exists between the band and fans. This quality is further proved when a fan is invited up on stage to ‘spin the wheel’ and choose the next song. Punk Rock 101 is the winner, much to the approval of the 3,000 strong crowd. Of course, Bowling For Soup always give the fans what they came for. The rest of the set witnesses intense joy amongst the crowd as band play hits such as High School Never Ends and the absolute classic Girl All The Bad Guys Want, and it’s with a ticker tape blizzard that the event draws to a close.

Here’s the full set list:-

Almost

Trucker Hat

1985

Ohio

Ridiculous

Shut Up And Smile

Last Call Casualty

Next Ex-Girlfriend

A Hole

My Hometown

Smoothie King

Sad Sad Situation

Punk Rock 101 (Spin The Wheel choice)

Really Might Be Gone

Down For The Count

Two Seater

Friends Of Mine

Girl All The Bad Guys Want

High School Never Ends

Check out the photos from the pit and the official Blackpool show summary below.