Goo Goo Dolls with Those Damn Crows
Review

It’s a warm Thursday night in Digbeth, Birmingham and the queue outside the o2 Institute has made its way inside just in time for the Welsh 5 piece; Those Damn Crows. The whole room shakes as front man Shane Greenhall works the room, getting the audience moving to some quality rock ‘n’ roll. Shane jumps from centre stage to the piano multiple times throughout the set proving that there’s more to him than meets the eye; his range combined with an instrumental or two from the band leaves anyone who was unsure of their talent as a band with an answer that I’m sure TDC would be happy with. The crowd mirrors Shane’s “woahs” back to the stage and gain volume with every iteration. It doesn’t take long to notice that these guys pour their heart and souls into every second they have on stage and the enthusiasm is catching, making it hard to resist moving to their songs even if you don’t know them. Their last song of the set is 'See You Again’ and it receives a quieter reception than anticipated but Those Damn Crows are quick to get everyone back on board, leaving the stage on a dramatic final note and with cheers that fill every corner of the room.

A quick 30 minutes pass and it’s time for our main act of the night: Goo Goo Dolls.

Building anticipation before they enter the stage, this bunch of Brummy gig-goers are ready to spend some quality time with vocalist/guitarist John Rzeznik & bassist/vocalist Robby Takac. The 3rd song of the evening, ‘Slide’ quickly shows itself as a fan favourite. The duo make it obvious from the get go how much they love doing what they do with both of them, but particularly Takac, having the time of their lives on stage. ‘Big Machine’ is welcomed with a cheer and this is where we really start to hear the audience find their voice as John leaves them to fill in the gaps whilst he looked around the room with adoration in his eyes. The Buffalo pair make conscious efforts to interact with as many people as possible, pointing & smiling to anyone who particularly catch their eye and it doesn’t go unappreciated. ‘Black Balloon’ is another fan favourite welcomed with a sizable round of applause and cheer. Rzeznik works the room between songs, talking about whatever seems to come to mind at the time but between ‘Black Balloon’ & ‘Smash’, it’s Robby’s. Comments on how Birmingham basically invented heavy metal don’t gain too much of a reaction but telling us that he’s from Buffalo and they only really invented chicken wings receives a giggle that quickly works its way through the room. From here, Takac takes the reigns for a brief moment. ‘Smash’ and ‘Life’s A Message’ and his vocals give a different feel to the set and the room. Unfortunately, the room seems to dip in energy and even those who were rocking out before have slowed down though he still receives the round of applause that he deserves at the end of ‘Life’s A Message’. 

According to John Rzeznik, only 4 people in France like the Goo Goo Dolls and they all seem to be in the room tonight. Commenting “the Goo Goo Dolls are shit” in French accent brings some warmth back before heading into 'Miracle Pill’ and then straight into ‘So Alive’. Johnny’s voice seems to struggle during the beginning of ‘So Alive’ but he’s quick to bring it back up to par. As Robby & other touring band members leave the stage, we’re left with our lead vocalist, his guitar & a spotlight and treated to an acoustic version of ‘Sympathy’ & ‘Name’. ‘Sympathy’ quickly takes over as the loudest song of the night with what feels like the entire room joining in. It’s refreshing to look around the venue and see an audience who aren’t consistently sticking their phones in the air to record every song but instead, are living in the moment and experiencing the show in its full glory. Band members gradually make their way back onto the stage and before you know it, ‘Name’ is being played in its full form and everyone is having the time of their lives. 

As we move on to ‘Stay With You’, there appears to be a couple of issues with the Mr. Rzeznik seemingly being thrown off his vocals and signalling to tech about levels of vocals and guitar but we make it through and by the sound of the room, I don’t think too many people noticed. If the room hadn’t found it’s voice already, this is where they're bound to. It’s the beginning of the end and a mix of ‘Better Days’ and John asking “Are you with me?” brings a whole new energy into the 1,500-capacity room though it appears to be the harmonica playing really gets the crowd going. ‘Broadway’ ends and the crowd is going crazy as all 5 members make their way off stage though they don’t make us wait long before joining us again. At this point, it’s clear what everyone is waiting for, but they’re going to have to wait that little bit longer before they get what they want. With the bands top Spotify songs already being performed earlier in the 23-song strong setlist, it’s unclear as to what we’re going to be given next. ‘Naked’ & ‘Long Way Down’ seem to fill the gap until it’s time. A deafening roar erupts from the crowd as we hear the first note of ‘Iris’ and phones shoot into the air with flashlights on creating a beautiful atmosphere. It doesn’t take long for the volume of this audience drown out John’s vocals and looking round the room, a handful of people are overwhelmed with emotion at the 1998 hit single. Thanking the audience, the duo and their additions make a humble exit off stage and their fans are left more than satisfied with the evening.