For many bands a Greatest Hits album usually means an acceptance of an end to a long and fruitful career, packed with classics, ballads and possibilities of a nostalgic, PR-savvy come-back tour that any self-respecting musician could be proud of. Yet six years on and two albums later, it seems the Goo Goo Dolls still aren’t ready to give up just yet. Accompanying the release of their new album ‘Magnetic’, they are once again touring, showcasing a mix of new songs and old hits suitable for anyone with a taste for pop-rock love ballads and the odd upbeat sing-a-long.

After a warm-up from eccentric rockers Flesh For Lulu, the crowd seemed raring to go as John, Robby and Mike arrived on stage. Starting the gig with the relatively mellow ‘Last Hot Night’, a song from the new album that the crowd seemed a little less than familiar with, the Dolls interspersed new material and low-key heart-breakers with hit classics and upbeat dance-a-longs. Highlights of the night were ‘Slide’, ‘Name’ and new single ‘Come To Me’, which tended to break up the increasing monotony of what seemed like a waterfall of love ballads which formed most of the ninety minute set. The only throwbacks to their original album ‘A Boy Named Goo’ were ‘Name’ and ‘Naked’, which is also representative of the slow change in image the band has undergone. They have , it seems, moved on from young, wild grunge rockers to a slick, tight live band, with Rzeznik talking and bantering with the crowd like an old pro between songs.

Megahit ‘Iris’ was played penultimately to rapturous applause and screaming, by which point the atmosphere inside the arena was truly special. There wasn’t a soul in the building who didn’t know the words. Finishing on ‘Homecoming’, the band rounded up the night on an upbeat note which was a relief after the tirade of tear-jerkers, and the encore was well conceived too, crowning the performance with an uplifting cover of Supertramp’s ‘Give a Little Bit’ following an incredibly intimate acoustic rendition of ‘Can’t Let Go’ by Rzeznik.

Whilst the night did have its moments, and was masterfully executed by the now experienced veterans of the scene, the set would seem repetitive for fans unfamiliar with anything other than their main hits. As live performances go, Goo Goo Dolls would easily satisfy their legion of die-hard fans, however, may struggle to win over new members to their scene.

Rating (3/5)

Sam Birch