Playing only their second gig in the UK since 2005, Reading and Leeds in 2010 being the only other, LA nerd rockers Weezer delighted a packed out crowd at Brixton Academy, playing a host of tracks from their first two albums. This was essentially a "warm up" to their weekend festival shows at Oxegen, Sonisphere and T in The Park, respectively, but this is by no means a warm up. It's the perfect chance for Weezer to show why they've become one of the biggest cult bands and influential bands since their formation in 1992.
Given that they had been touring around their native USA, playing both 'Weezer (Blue)' and 'Pinkerton' in full, a lot was expected of Weezer to deliver something similar. Opening track 'Undone - The Sweater Song', set the template for the night, as the crowd were in raptures and signing along to every word.
This was a night for the more hardcore Weezer fan, with Pinkerton tracks 'El Scorcho', 'Pink Triangle' and 'Tired of Sex' drawing louder cheers than perennial crowd-favourite, 'Buddy Holly.' Non-Blue or Pinkerton tracks such as 'Island In The Sun', which included front man Rivers Cuomo's improvised soliloquy to the crowd, 'Hash Pipe' and 'Pork and Beans,' also prove popular amongst the crowd. But the crowd went wild whenever a Blue track was unleashed, including 'No One Else', 'My Name is Jonas', 'The World Has Turned and Left Me Here' and 'Say it Ain't So.'
They even had time to throw in a couple of covers, most notably their ironic take on Wheatus' 'Teenage Dirtbag' (OK, own up, how many of you thought Weezer sang this?!) and Radiohead's 'OK Computer' classic 'Paranoid Android.'
A fan wearing a Weezer snuggie is allowed onstage for the encore and his singing and air guitar, during 'Buddy Holly', sums up the genial, party atmosphere inside the venue. A set like this makes it hard to pick out a highlight, as there were so many.
The band delivered a best-of Blue/Pinkerton set, with the crowd leaving in raptures and grins across their faces. This, pretty much, comes close to the perfect gig.
Setlist:
Undone – The Sweater Song
My Name Is Jonas
El Scorcho
Holiday
Pink Triangle
Susanne
Island in the Sun
Teenage Dirtbag
The Good Life
The World Has Turned and Left Me Here
Say it Ain’t So
Tired of Sex
You Gave Your Love to Me Softly
Pork and Beans
Across The Sea
The Greatest Man That Ever Lived
Only In Dreams
Paranoid Android
Encore:
Hash Pipe
Buddy Holly
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