With their audience primed with an impressive set from Reading newcomers Valeras, The Goo Goo Dolls brought their latest album Miracle Pill to Birmingham for their first performance in the city in three years. The strong connection between the band and crowd is immediate, with ‘Indestructible’ establishing that the night was one to be filled with enjoyment on both ends.

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Perhaps one of the most tedious elements of this gig was the attempts by the band to relate to their audience: rarely successful

It is, however, approximately four songs into the twenty-one long set that this energy from the band seem to dwindle. ‘Miracle Pill’ seems to provide no ecstasy whatsoever for frontman Johnny Rzeznik, who is outshone tenfold by the infectious enthusiasm of bassist Robby Takac – he wastes no time in engaging with his audience at every available opportunity throughout the gig. Rzeznik’s questioning of “does everyone here have asthma?” should, in itself, indicate the atmosphere in the venue.

Regardless, the band cannot be faulted for their instrumental quality – their melodies are tight, and the guitar solos stand out as the star of each song that passes. The crowd seem transfixed by their performance and take every opportunity to show their support for a band that many have followed since the start of their career in the late 80s. Perhaps one of the most tedious elements of this gig was the attempts by the band to relate to their audience: rarely successful. One heckler provided the most entertainment of the evening by calling Johnny Rzeznik a “liar” for an anecdote about the early stages of their career. The exchange was long, almost exhaustingly so, but was one of the most genuine moments of the concert. Rambling anecdotes seemed to punctuate their performance. While not entirely unusual, it did leave the flow of the setlist slightly disjointed.

‘Life’s a Message’ and ‘Bringing on the Light’, fronted at this point by Takac, seem to go down a treat with the audience. Everyone was overjoyed to see the enthusiasm that he brought to the group, with kicks and audience engagement abundant in his performance. While these songs are not the most lyrically complex of their repertoire, the dynamic between band and audience at this point is one of the strongest of the night so far. 

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The song is highly anticipated by the audience, who are near hysterics as soon as the mandolin is brought out for the opening melody

With Rzeznik at the helm once more, the band round out their night at the Institute with their most famous hit to date – ‘Iris’. The song is highly anticipated by the audience, who are near hysterics as soon as the mandolin is brought out for the opening melody. There is no doubt that this is the pinnacle of the performance, phone flashlights waving proudly as many audience members hold one another; despite some difficulties in their performance, Goo Goo Dolls have established a unifying finale that leaves those in the venue more secure in their abilities. The show was polarising in the enjoyment of the audience and Takac against a mostly nonchalant demeanour of Rzeznik but cannot be criticised too harshly for its instrumental qualities. Hardcore fans of the band, regardless of my own grievances, were thrilled with the night’s events.

Tickets for the rest of The Goo Goo Dolls’ current tour are available here