“Our next band have asked not to be described with any of the following words: retro, goofy, funny, wacky, zany, anything like that.”
It's January 27, 1995, and billed as "the Beach Boys on mescaline" by presenter Alan Connor - dressed, for reasons best known to himself, as the Pope - Weezer are making their British TV debut on wilfully 'edgy' Channel 4 'yoof' show The Word, alongside The Black Crowes, rapper Coolio, and try-hard Top Gear presenter Jeremy Clarkson. Those watching the LA quartet's performance of their debut single Undone - The Sweater Song will notice that dorky frontman Rivers Cuomo has covered the lenses of his prescription glasses with black gaffa tape, and accessorised this with a pair of cut-out paper 'eyes'. This, an impartial observer might argue, is not the best way to play down that unwanted "wacky" tag, but it presumably makes sense in Cuomo's head. Watching on, Coolio is impressed.
“Hey, Weezer! That bass is deep!” he tells bassist Matt Sharp, as he heads towards his dressing room. “Wait right here, I’m gonna get my business card so we can hang in Compton.”
He does not return.
