Thoughts on a Farewell (Suck It!)

In preparation for a forthcoming DVD of their farewell UK tour, I was asked last night: ‘what has been your favourite Bowling For Soup show?’…

It’s a tough one to call.

In the past 10 years that’s more than 30 shows across several thousand miles all over the UK. And with copious amounts of alcohol consumed, to be honest, some of them are a little fuzzy…

The band themselves would have it that their live shows are all ’songs about drinking beer and fart jokes’. Of course they are so much more than this.

Four guys from Texas with hearts as big as their shirt size, Bowling For Soup are the antidote to Emo. ‘Beamo’ - if you will. For one hit of BFS and you’ll be beaming for the rest of the week. The Peter Pan’s of pop-punk mean so much to so many and they’re not making their Farewell tour of the UK any easier by playing some of the best shows of their 19 year career.

There’s a saying ’like attracts like’ and it’s certainly true in that BFS’ crew and legions of faithful fans are some of the friendliest people you’ll ever meet. One word I’d use to describe a Bowling For Soup show is ’inclusive’. Anyone questioning via social media whether they are too young/old/sans friends etc. to attend a gig will immediately be offered kinship. I’ve met so many awesome people from all walks of life through this band that - in the words of current support act Patent Pending - attending a BFS show is now like being with my ’second family’. Kind and caring people that will go out of their way to help and expect nothing in return.

Also - at every show you’ll see a real live Mexican person!

Over the years we’ve collectively been through romance, marriage, break-ups, triumphs and tragedy. I’ve witnessed on-stage engagement proposals - though I’ve yet to see a live birth on stage (there’s still time). Children will have been conceived to their music and undoubtedly there are some who are only around today because Bowling For Soup somehow helped turn their lives around.

For many of us music is a passion. It can light the darkest of days and banish the shittiest of moods. A shared love of BFS' music has seen me at shows with my two youngest children (responsible parenting folks!) who both saw their very first live shows at a Bowling for Soup gig. And these have been some of my favourite shows. Lost in music, first and second families colliding in one sweaty, beaming mess.

The last show of the Farewell tour will be bittersweet as I’m combining it with birthday and bachelor party celebrations, surrounded as I‘ll be by so many dear people that I‘m immensely proud to call friends. So as one door closes, several more open.

Especially as - creative maelstrom that he is - BFS front man Jaret Reddick has the tendency to form three new bands while taking a nap!

So they’ll be back, on and in stages, in one guise or another.

To Bowling For Soup: Jaret, Erik, Chris and Gary. You’ve touched us all (?!!!) and we thank you for it. You’ve made us laugh. You’ve made us cry. You’ve made us hurl.

Fare thee well you magnificent beasts.

And hurry back. Your adopted country needs you.