‘Let’s see if we can pull this toilet right out of the s****er”, Goo Goo Dolls frontman John Rzeznik tells the audience three songs into their set.
The band are having sound issues and John is frustrated.
“Sorry you showed up at practice", he says. “The show starts later.”
It may be hard to hear some of the beautifully crafted lyrics due to a ‘muddy’ mix front of house but luckily for the fans they know every single word already.
And they’re in for a treat as the band romp through their greatest hits catalogue that spans four decades.
Surprisingly, the only song from their latest album Chaos In Bloom to make the cut is the opening track Yeah, I Like You which they aptly use to kick off tonight’s proceedings.
Entertainer John has always said he owes it to the fans to play ‘all their hits’ and so it’s understanding why the latest album needs to take a backseat tonight.
As we start our trip down memory lane with Home, Slide and Dizzy, John promises fans ‘we’re going to have a good time tonight’.
Despite it being the final gig on the band’s Europe leg of their tour, John and bassist Robby Takac are once again on fine form.
John’s distinctive voice still sounds the same as it did many years ago as he delivers poignant lyric after lyric.
And excited Robby is clearly enjoying whipping the crowd up into a frenzy as he pulls a multitude of facial expressions while bouncing around the stage.
The fans are in fine voice and are definitely the sixth member of the group tonight.
Black Balloons fall from the ceiling as the band play their hit by the same name before So Alive and Let Love In.
Then John takes it down a notch and performs the beautiful Sympathy on acoustic guitar along with Name before the rest of the band join him at the first chorus.
Robby takes to the mic for Lucky Star and Bringing On The Light before the band close with some of their biggest crowd pleasers.
Stay With You, Better Days and Broadway featuring a brilliant harp solo by John sees the night reach a crescendo.
As the band walk off, everybody knows what’s coming as John returns to the stage for an encore of Naked and Iris - the 1998 hit from the movie City Of Angels that spent 18 consecutive weeks at number one and catapulted the band to stardom.
And as the distinctive guitar riff begins, the crowd erupts once more and 5,000 voices join the band for one last song.
John has joked in the past that “at least one of the songs I’ve written will be remembered”.
But judging from the mass singalong this evening it’s clear that the Goos will be remembered for a whole lot more than just that.
