Power pop stars Weezer kick off their UK tour in Birmingham on a shared bill with The Smashing Pumpkins, on what is guaranteed to be an evening of diverse, albeit classic 90’s alt rock nostalgia.
I had imagined that most audience members would staunchly favour one band over the other on this somewhat disjointed co-headliner, but there’s no sign of that as the Birmingham arena erupts for Weezer’s entrance. As ever, guitarist, vocalist and principal songwriter, the bespectacled Rivers Cuomo is celebrating the nerdy side of rock and roll. Sporting a snazzy green cardy, he leads the way into ‘My Name Is Jonas’ from the 1994 debut ‘Blue’ album.
The set works it way through the gears over the next hour or so, with a smattering of tunes from the first half of the 15 album discography. During ‘Beverley Hills’, Cuomo playfully alters the chorus to “Bir-ming-HAM, that’s where I want to be!”, before ‘Undone – The Sweater Song’, ‘Pork and Beans’, ‘Island In The Sun’ and ‘Perfect Situation’, are all delivered with that characteristic tight, pop rock energy and self-deprecating flair.
While Weezer may not be the most exciting band on stage, they are afforded an impressively, dazzling light show. At the heart of it, and hanging above drummer Patrick Wilson, is their iconic Flying =W= logo. As the band meander along, their enthusiasts are less nonchalant; throwing the “W” hand signal around at every given opportunity, enthralled by one catchy hook after another, and responding with relentless enthusiasm.
“This is a dream come true! Weezer and Smashing Pumpkins together!” declares Cuomo, basking in the excitement of the current tour lineup. “We’re gonna play a song written by Billy Corgan,” he says before launching into a storming cover of Hole’s “Celebrity Skin”. To be honest, I’m not sure how much more ’90s it can get, but for anyone with fewer years in the bank (and there are many of them here), this could be a song written just last week.
I doubt Billy Corgan will care, or be surprised for that matter, but it does comes to light that a small proportion of tonight’s audience is only here to see Weezer. No doubt Cuomo’s cry of “Birmingham! You Rock!” and the quintessential closing trio of “Hash Pipe”, “Only In Dreams” and “Buddy Holly” is more than enough to send them home happy. For the rest of us, it’s only the end of the first half of a wonderfully entertaining double-header.
Review & Photography: Steve Johnston
