By goo goo dolls o2 academy, leicester review fiona dryden

As hairy singer John Rzenznik thrusts himself onto the stage one could be forgiven for thinking an 80s Jon Bon Jovi is in Leicester.

Surprisingly, despite the band's age, the audience at Leicester's new O2 Academy was mainly made up of students amidst a smattering of "oldies".

It proves the Goo Goo Dolls are still pulling in new fans.

Despite the release of new album Something for the Rest of Us two months ago, it was tunes from the last decade which struck a chord with the young audience including classic love song Iris – which was made famous as a back drop to the film City of Angels starring Nicholas Cage and Meg Ryan.

These guys know how to play and Rzenznik is more charismatic than ever.

Leicester's audience were putty in his hands thanks to a few well-placed comments and a joke that Glasgow had nothing on Buffalo, America – their city of origin.

Heavy guitar riffs intermingled with brighter acoustic pieces.

This marked the difference between Rzenznik and the bass player Robby Tavak who clearly influences the music and lyrics we hear on particular songs.

Shades of fellow American band Green Day could be detected in his more heavy pieces – still very much loved by the crowd.

There's no doubt that the Goo Goo Dolls are a blast from the past – but this show proved that they still have a lot to offer their fans and a lot of raw talent to match.